Beating Hearts

by Lucretia Stanhope

  Chapter Eighteen

  N ick got out of the car, and walked over to open Kate's door. She could tell he was really worried, and tried not to let that make her any more edgy than she already was. She took his hand, and again kept her eyes down, not wanting to cause any trouble. They walked to the office, and were greeted by a tall, too thin man.

  He smiled a fanged smile at Nick. “Evening, did you need a room with manacles?” He looked Kate over from head to toe.

  “Yes, you just about need to leash them nowadays it seems,” Nick said, and gave the man a wad of cash.

  “Too true, but the pure ones are worth the hassle.” He handed Nick a key. “You are around back in the far right corner. I think all of our vending machines are empty of the canned stuff, but it doesn't seem you will be needing that. Call nine-nine if you have any other needs.” He smiled again.

  As soon as the door shut, Nick pulled her closer. “Don't say anything until we are safely in the room.”

  He drove around the back, and parked in front of their room. He reached back and grabbed the bag, then walked around to get her. Once inside, with the door shut, he smiled at her. “I'm sorry about that. This isn't the first place I wanted to take you. A beach maybe, they are lovely at night, but this shit-hole was a necessity.”

  She pulled him close, and hugged him tight, then she looked around the room. It looked like any other room, except it had no windows, and no heater or air conditioner. Then she saw the manacles beside the bed and walked over to get a closer look. They were heavy, real metal, not for fun role-playing games. “Jesus, Nick! Are we even going to be helping by stopping Warren, when there are places like this?”

  “We will have done our part,” he said, and then his tone got very serious, “I know you don't like being told what to do, so I am going to ask for a favor. Please, please, stay in this room. Warren is probably already able to tell how far off you are and could easily track you.” He paused again while he considered leaving. “If I am not back when the sun comes up, leave. Go back to my house, and never look back. Can you do that for me?”

  She looked into his eyes, and fought back tears. “Nick, I couldn't leave you here, not without knowing.”

  “Know this, if I can come back to you, I will, otherwise, you leave at sunup.”

  She kissed him deeply, wanted to beg him to stay, wanted to leave all those people, and run away with him. “Please come back to me,” she said, looking deep in his eyes. “I don't ever want to be without you.”

  “Kate, I am yours. Let me go deal with this, and then I will show you just how much you mean to me,” he said, and turned to leave.

  She watched him walk out, every fiber in her body wanted to follow him, wanted to get in the car, and beg him to drive home. Instead, she just watched him walk away. She knew if she stopped him, the faces of those people would haunt her forever. Once the car pulled away she shut and locked the door. Her mind filled with worry, worry for Nick, and worry that any second Warren could knock at the door.

  W arren watched, with a smile on his face, as one of his most generous clients took a shine to one of his new women. The week had been a good one so far, in line to be the most profitable yet. Even so, he was still annoyed. He had a nagging craving in the back of his mind. It was new for him, since he stayed well-fed, but he made the mistake of tasting that feisty Kate. She got under his skin, and now because of his carelessness, she whispered in his head.

  He should have known better, especially with Paul as the buyer. She was likely to live, and torment him a long while. That was the very reason he drained all of his victims dry, he did not need the pull of cravings nagging at him. For some reason, probably survival, once they had even a nip, vampires would crave that person until they were dead.

  He had been grateful when Paul took her out of close range, because it dulled the craving to no more than a nagging reminder that he needed to go finish her off. However, about an hour ago, he started to sense her again. She called to him, beckoned him to come taste her sweet pure blood again. Although he imagined it wasn't so sweet anymore, not after a few days alone with Paul.

  A clear memory of that brave face she had put on, the stubborn streak, and fire she had teased his thoughts. He wanted nothing more than to be the one to tear off her smile, and put out her fire. Anything to end how much he craved her, it ate away at his mind, distracted him from business.

  He rubbed his temples. There was something else, something that if he had not been distracted with thoughts of Kate's blood, he would have noticed. He concentrated a second, Nick, the only loose end he ever allowed in his entire existence. If Nick dared come to his town, he wanted to tie that loose end up good and tight.

  He looked toward the dance floor. His client was still occupied, so he walked off and into the back, down a long hall to the back entrance.

  “I need to see Teddy when he brings in the next one. Don't let him go back out,” he said to the burly human man, who guarded the door.

  “Yes, sir, shall I send him to the floor to see you?”

  “Yes, how the hell else would I talk to him?” Warren asked, agitated, and walked away, without an answer. He needed to feed again, already. It would dull the call from Kate in his mind.

  N ick watched and listened as he drove toward the city. He could sense Warren ever since they checked in at the hotel. Right then, he wished he shared that link with Teddy. Since he didn't, he would have to get in his head, and stalk the places Teddy would stalk.

  He drove slowly through the outer suburbs, windows down, and tried to pick up any human fear. It would be palpable if Teddy had one in his grasp. This was going to be like hunting for a certain shell washed up on a beach.

  The best option to find Teddy would almost certainly alert Warren, even if he was distracted. After Nick wasted more time, with no results, he decided to take the risk. He couldn't stay there another day, not now that he knew Warren could track Kate.

  He needed to go to the club, and watch the back exit, which let out in an empty lot. He could wait for Teddy to make a drop, and follow him from there. Once decided, he wasted no time and drove to the club. He sensed Warren more as he neared. He could hear his heart beating slowly as he walked around inside.

  Nick watched the back door, and waited. It wasn't too long before Teddy came up, dragging a screaming woman with him. Nick closed his eyes as he dragged her inside, not wanting to think about where she may have come from, or where she might end up. He opened his eyes again once the screams faded, and then he waited.

  “W

  hat's up? I can't very well make a living playing in here with you,” Teddy said, as he shifted on his feet impatiently. He hated being pinned inside, and always felt edgy until he could get out, away from the crowd into the empty night.

  The club had always been more Warren's thing. Teddy was a truly solitary creature by nature. If not for the need of money, and more importantly the fear of Warren, he would have left here long ago and lived in the wild, only returning to the city to feed.

  “Nick is here,” Warren said. “I want him, alive. I will give you three times the rate as I would for an undamaged human.”

  Teddy looked at him, and saw the agitation on his face. There was no love lost between Teddy and Nick. Nick always fancied himself a better tracker, better vampire overall. There was an air about him that rubbed Teddy wrong from day one. Nick stank of humanity as far as he was concerned, and he wasn't surprised when he left Warren high and dry. “Why not go get him yourself?”

  “First, Teddy, you will do well to remember who the hell you are speaking to. Second, not that you needed any reason other than I asked you to, I do have a business to run. If you don't think you can handle it, I will offer the bounty to someone else,” Warren said, agitated.

  “Oh I would love to drag that prick back here if it is to his death,” Teddy said, still thinking Warren ought to go himself, but knowing there was never a point to disagreeing with him.

  “It will b
e, but I want him alive. I don't care how badly you hurt him, but leave a drop, because I want to kill him myself.”

  “Is he close?” Teddy asked, he was ready to go, needing to be outside, away from the annoying pulsing of the crowd.

  “He is just outside, sitting still, watching us I imagine. I would venture he will make it easy for you.” He watched as Teddy was already counting the dollars in his mind. “I wouldn't mistake him for an easy target, even with us having the advantage of knowing he is there. He knows I can sense him, so us knowing is part of whatever game he is playing.”

  “Yeah, see you soon, three times the amount, be ready to pay up,” Teddy reminded him as he walked out, and headed down the long hallway.

  Chapter Nineteen

  N ick watched Teddy leave the club, and get in his car. He kept his lights off as he followed him at a distance. They headed for a suburb, just as Nick had expected, and he watched as Teddy pulled off, parking just outside a subdivision.

  Nick parked in a wooded area about a half mile away, and got out of his car. He took a deep breath, and slowly strolled toward the subdivision while he listened for the slowed beating of a vampire heart, and watched for the tension in the air caused by human fear.

  He faintly heard the heartbeat he was looking for, it was to the north, so he kept walking. As he passed house after house, he tried not to think about anything except the task ahead. He didn't sense many humans stirring, he didn't expect to, not at this hour, not on a weekday.

  As he neared the end of the street he could still hear Teddy in the distance, but the houses ended. He stopped and looked behind him, something wasn't quite right. He was being baited.

  A moment of panic flashed in his mind.

  He needed to leave, go check on Kate. Warren must have known they were there. He could have asked Teddy to lead him away while he went after her.

  Son of a bitch.

  He turned and made his way back to his car, walking quickly, almost at a run. As he neared the woods he had parked in, he heard two heartbeats, both vampire. If it were Warren and Teddy, the night was going to end badly. He had to get out of there, he had to get back to Kate. He couldn't lose her like that.

  A few more steps closer to his car and Teddy stepped out of the shadows. “Nick, fancy meeting you here.” He had a sarcastic smile on his face.

  “Teddy.” Nick did not take his eyes off him while he tried to narrow down the direction the other vampire was headed.

  It sounded like there might be two more out there, and that made it hard to pin-point.

  “Warren would like a word with you. You can make it easy on us all, and just come with me back to the club, or I can drag you back like a filthy human.” Teddy stepped closer.

  “You still Warren's lackey?” Nick gave a half-smirk.

  “You'd do best not to screw with me. I never did like you.” He stepped closer again.

  Nick took a step toward Teddy, and was about to reach for his stake when he felt two pairs of arms on him. He could sense they were not too strong, and pulled against their grasp.

  Teddy laughed, stepped forward, and punched him in the face.

  Nick closed his eyes as a sharp flash of pain spread from where Teddy had connected with his jaw.

  “Why are you here, Nick?” Teddy asked.

  Nick spit out some blood. “I'll tell that to Warren, you are just a schlep.”

  “Oh, that's not very nice.” He hit him again, splitting his lip against a fang. “Why are you here?”

  “There's a reason you have two punks helping you.” Nick knew he should not bait him, but they shared a hate that ran so deep it couldn't be helped. He knew Teddy long enough to know he was a vile killer, one who took joy in causing and prolonging pain.

  Teddy laughed. “I'm going to ask you again, one more time, before I drag you to Warren a little worse for the wear. Why are you here?”

  “To kill you.” He yanked his right arm, trying to get free of one of the vampires. If he could just get one hand free he knew he could take all three. He was that angry, and desperate to get back, and take Kate away from there. The vampire holding his right arm was tossed forward a little, but maintained his hold.

  Teddy took advantage of the moment and sunk his fangs into Nick, drinking deep. The struggle did not displace either of the thugs. He knew from his prior struggle with Warren that the saliva wouldn't make him black out, but it would make his head spin. That wasn't going to be good, considering the rate Teddy was feeding already made him feel weak.

  Nick knew he only needed a second to get a hand on his stake. It wouldn't matter where he struck the others, the silver would be deadly to them. Their pain would be so great they would be useless, and he could focus on Teddy.

  He felt Teddy feeding still, felt himself getting weaker, he had to make something happen. He thought back to Kate, kissing her, making love to her, and thought about her with these animals. The image of Teddy drawing out her suffering gave him a new wave of strength.

  Teddy pulled back from Nick and grabbed one of his arms from the other vampire.

  Before he had a chance to get a good hold, Nick twisted, freed his arm, and reached in his right boot. He pulled out his stake and swung wildly at the vampire holding his other arm.

  The tip nicked him, it would be enough.

  The vampire released him and started wailing.

  Nick swung at the other startled one, missed and swung again, making contact. It was a small victory, but it threw him off balance and he didn't have time to celebrate.

  Teddy was on him, pinning him down, prying at his fingers trying to free the stake.

  Nick held on with everything he had, and fought back the blackness that started to creep in around the edges of his vision.

  “Say goodnight, Nick.” Teddy ripped at his fingers.

  Nick heard a pop as one of his fingers snapped, he felt the bone shatter. He could feel his hand being bent backward, and then there was a burning pain from his forearm.

  Has Teddy got the stake? he wondered, and tightened his grip. It was still in his hand, his hand was just bent at an odd angle and the tip was pressing into his skin.

  He thought of Kate again, thought of her beautiful smile. He needed her face to keep him focused and help fight off the blackness. He swung hard with his left hand, which connected with the side of Teddy's head at the ear.

  The blow knocked Teddy back enough to allow Nick to gain a new grip on the weapon. With his mangled right hand, he aimed for the chest, but being so drained and off balance, hit the shoulder.

  Teddy growled and punched Nick in the mouth again, it was the same place, but a fresh new pain.

  He knew with Teddy, unlike the weak vampires that had probably run off to die, he would need a direct hit to the heart. He swung again, this time shattering a rib, but still missing.

  “You bastard.” Teddy hissed, and swung a balled fist connecting with Nick's jaw again.

  Nick grunted, spit more blood, and swung again.

  Black flashed in his eyes and he struck again. He swung repeatedly, no longer able to hold his eyes in focus. Each time the blade sunk in, he could feel Teddy losing strength. It still wasn't going to be enough to kill him.

  Nick forced his eyes opened and made a hard, aimed swing. This time he felt ribs crush again and he was in the right place. He found strength deep inside himself, and twisted, making sure it went in deep enough.

  Teddy looked at him with shock registering in his eyes as he felt himself being pulled into blackness.

  Nick watched him die, and then sat there a moment, breathing deep. He felt weak, felt really weak. He wasn't even sure how he had managed to hold Teddy, much less stake him. His vision started to blacken around the edges again, and he knew he had to get to the car, get to the room, or he was going to lay there and die in the sun.

  He dragged himself toward the car, half crawling, pulling himself with the last of his strength. As he stood and pulled the door open, a wave of blackness hit h
im and he fell back on the ground.

  When he opened his eyes again, he looked around, it was still dark, he was still on the ground just inches from his car. He reached out and pulled up on the open door. The pain made sweat bead on his forehead, and he fell into the seat.

  He gained clarity again, and found he was still sitting in the car with his head on the steering wheel. He knew he had to pull it together, had to drive. Warren was still out there somewhere, maybe even with Kate.

  “I'm coming,” he said, and turned the key, easing the car onto the road.

  He drove slowly, the motion making him ill, the blackness filling in more of his vision. Urgency to get to a safe place started to creep in. He was running out of time.

  Chapter Twenty

  K ate paced nervously, she wished the damn room had a window she could peer out of, so she could watch for Nick. She knew sunrise would be there soon and he still wasn't there. She paced some more, paced and cried. Cried and begged to god that Nick would be there soon, soon and okay.

  When she heard a car outside, she cracked the door and peered out.

  It was Nick, and he sat in the car, sat still as the sun threatened to break over the horizon.

  Without hesitation she flung opened the door, and ran to the car.

  She looked down at Nick, who was barely able to open an eye. She didn't take time to notice anything other than that he was hurt. With all her might she pulled at him, dragged him from the car, and used every ounce of strength she had to help him stand.

  “Come on, Nick, you have to walk,” she pleaded, and started to step forward with him.

  He only grunted in response.

  She could feel his body tremble from the pain as she urged him on. They stumbled together, toward the opened door.

  Once inside, she turned around, and slammed the door closed.

  He started to fall, she caught him and winced from the effort to keep him up.

  They took a few more steps, and then he landed hard on the bed.