by Lana Melyan
“It’s not enough,” said Hanna pointedly.
“Not enough for what?” asked Kimberly.
“It’s nothing.” Hanna waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it,” she said thinking that she could talk to Amanda on the way home, when it would be just the two of them.
When they exited the school, Kimberly’s searching eyes stopped at the parking lot, and her face shone with a smile. Leaning on the metal barrier, Ruben beamed back. Taking off his sunglasses, he walked toward them.
“Hello, ladies,” he said, then put his arm around Kimberly’s back and kissed her temple.
Hanna’s heart melted. Looking at Ruben, she smiled approvingly.
“Amanda, you can’t do it,” said Hanna as soon as they got in the car. “It’s dangerous. Ruben alone can’t protect all three of you.”
“Then it will be a bit more work for Craig. He can stay around like he did when we went to the party.”Amanda shrugged.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Trying to hurt him,” said Hanna.
“Because—” started Amanda sharply, but then she looked away and continued in a less irritated tone. “It has nothing to do with him. I just want to have fun. You told me yesterday that I can die any moment. So why not?”
Hanna knew that it wasn’t what Amanda was going to say, but if she dug into it, it would become hard and complicated like it was yesterday.
“Wait until Ruben picks you up,” Hanna said. “Can you do that for me?”
Amanda nodded.
As Amanda walked into the house and shut the door behind her, Hanna called Craig.
“Where are you?”
“At the gas station. There are two more houses I want to check.”
“You’ll have to do it tomorrow, Craig. Come back, we need you.” Skipping the details about Amanda’s day with Alec, Hanna told him about their plans for the evening.
“Alec? Who invited Alec? And why can’t you go?” asked Craig.
“Craig, I don’t think you understand.”
“You have something more important to do? What can be more important than that?”
“Craig! Ruben is going on a date with Kimberly—”
“Date? I didn’t know they’re dating.”
“And Amanda . . . she is . . . it’s a double date.”
There was silence, and then Craig hung up.
The front door slammed and Craig walked in. Passing by Hanna sitting on the couch, he flung his car keys on the coffee table, marched to the cabinet, took out a crystal glass, and poured himself a whiskey.
“Craig, I’m so sorry,” said Hanna, looking at his dark face. “It doesn’t mean anything. She’s trying to hurt you because she’s angry.”
Craig took a swig from the glass.
The front door slammed again. Ruben stormed into the living room and flung a newspaper on top of Craig’s car keys.
“Two people were found dead in the park alley. Both bodies were drained of blood.”
“Oh, no,” whispered Hanna.
“We need to do something,” said Ruben.
“Really?” said Craig sarcastically. “Like what? Wait, I know—go on a double date. That will make things much better.”
“If you want, I can stay at home and leave the two of them alone,” said Ruben harshly.
“No. She wouldn’t go without one of us,” snapped Craig.
“That’s right,” Ruben snapped back. “As she said to Kimberly, if we don’t go, then she and Alec will spend the evening at her place. And since her father is in LA right now and Melinda is not her mother, they will literally be left alone. But if you think that Alec is gay, or such a gentleman—”
“Stop it,” shouted Hanna, standing up. “This is serious. They’re going out. Wherever it is, it’s a public place, and the vampires won’t need an invitation. We don’t know how many there are, and they might show up all together.”
“We need a plan,” said Craig, and they all sat down.
20
Alec invited Amanda, Kimberly, and Ruben to go to O’Malley’s. The bartender was his friend’s brother and he could provide them with drinks. Consequently, sitting on the soft couches in the quiet corner of the bar, Amanda and Kimberly were drinking light cocktails that looked like orange juice, and Alec and Ruben were having martinis that looked like icy water. Ruben, who preferred a glass of whiskey, was trying to finish his drink before it got diluted by melting ice.
“Are all three of you going to the same college?” asked Alec.
“Planning to,” said Amanda
“So Amanda, you also like history?” asked Ruben.
“Actually, she likes to write,” interjected Kimberly. “And, no, I don’t mean a diary,” she continued, ignoring Amanda’s reproachful gaze.
“What do you like to write about?” asked Ruben.
“It won’t interest you,” said Amanda, blushing.
“Try me,” Ruben insisted.
“It’s—” Amanda shrugged. “It’s a fantasy about older times.”
Ruben stared at her.
“Hanna knows much more than what’s in school books,” said Amanda. “She’s told me so many fascinating stories. It got my attention.”
“I think that a love of history runs in Hanna’s family.” Kimberly smiled. “Ruben’s already been on an archaeological expedition.”
“So.” Ruben cleared his throat. “So you’ll need some history classes.” He turned to Alec, who sat glued to Amanda. “I heard you’re into football.”
“Yes,” said Alec, “but not in terms of career.”
He leaned forward, still holding Amanda like he was afraid she’d run away. The thought that she probably would amused Ruben, but the circumstances that would make her do it weren’t funny.
“Photography is my real ambition,” said Alec, leaning back again and pulling Amanda along. “Did you look at my website yet?” he asked her, laying his free hand on her crossed legs.
Ruben could hardly restrain the desire to break Alec’s arm or make a hole in the line of his shiny teeth.
“You are just like Hanna,” whispered Kimberly into his ear while Amanda and Alec were talking.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean your reaction,” said Kimberly, and she nodded toward Alec and Amanda.
Ruben took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.”
Kimberly’s face was too close to his. He kissed her. It took a moment before she pulled back.
“Feeling better?” she asked, opening her eyes.
“Relieved.” He smiled.
Meanwhile, Craig and Hanna sat in the opposite coffee shop, looking at O’Malley’s entrance through the window. It was Monday evening, and there wasn’t much going on outside. A few parked cars and random passersby rushed to their destinations.
The young waitress with a pointed face and blond, thinning hair added coffee to their cups.
“This is the fifth one,” said Hanna. “My stomach’s gurgling.” She looked up at the waitress. “Can I have some pie?”
“What kind would you like?” asked the waitress in a high-pitched voice. “We have blueberry, apple, and raspberry.”
“Raspberry, please.” Hanna looked at Craig. “Would you like some?”
“No,” said Craig to Hanna’s reflection in the window.
The waitress nodded and left.
“Maybe they don’t know she’s here,” said Hanna, pushing away her coffee cup.
“Or maybe they have a plan,” said Craig.
The waitress came back with the pie.
“Thank you,” said Hanna. As she took her first bite, she noticed Craig squinting at the part of the street which was out of Hanna’s view, behind her.
“Where are your car keys?” he asked.
Still chewing, Hanna pulled them out of her pocket.
“Run,” said Craig.
But Hanna leaned to the window and looked out, following Craig’s gaze. She c
hoked. Not far from the coffee shop stood Mark beside a big, black Jeep, and men were coming out of it.
“Three, four, five,” counted Hanna. “Craig.” She looked at him, terrified. “There’s six of them.”
“Hanna,” Craig squeezed her hand, “everything will be fine. Just stick to the plan.”
“Can we kill them now?”
“You have my blessing.” He looked out again. “If they propagate with that speed, we won’t be able to keep the situation under control. I won’t let them take her.”
Hanna stood up.
“Wait,” said Craig. “It’s too late. You needed to run when I told you. They found my car.”
“We shouldn’t have brought your car,” said Hanna.
“It doesn’t matter. Car or not, they would’ve known we’d be somewhere near. Damn! One of them is coming. We can’t let him come inside. He’ll see us and call others. Let’s go.”
Hanna went out of the door first and the vampire, who Hanna recognized as the one who she’d hit in the nose the other night, was just a step away.
“There you are,” he sneered.
It happened in a matter of seconds. When the vampire turned his head toward the Jeep, he noticed Craig coming out of the coffee shop from the corner of his eye. He turned back abruptly with a savage expression on his face, and Hanna was sure that he was going to roar. Instead, she heard a rattle and saw a stake sticking out of his chest. She ran in the opposite direction of the Jeep and crouched behind a parked van.
“There he is,” she heard somebody’s voice.
“Travis. He killed Travis,” yelled another one.
Hanna peeked out. Craig was going toward the Jeep, dragging the dead vampire behind him. She pulled her hood on and headed to O’Malley’s. As she reached the door, she glanced back at Craig. Afraid to think what would happen next, she walked in.
She quickly approached the table she was looking for. Ruben stood up.
“Ruben, what is it?” asked Kimberly
“Go with Hanna,” he said and stormed off.
“You stay here,” Hanna said to Alec, who looked confused.
“I don’t understand,” said Alec, frowning.
“Come on,” Hanna gazed at Amanda and, pulling Kimberly by the hand, went toward the bar.
“Amanda.” Alec stood up, too. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll call you,” said Amanda and hurried after Hanna.
“What do you think you’re doing?” asked one of the bartenders when Hanna headed to the passage at the left side of the bar.
“We need to use the back door,” she said.
“Let them go,” said Alec’s acquaintance.
The three of them rushed to the metal door at the end of the corridor. They came out at the side of the building, where Hanna’s car was parked behind the dumpster. Hanna opened the car door, but at that moment Amanda glanced at the street.
“Oh God,” she gasped and froze.
Craig was lying on the ground, struggling to get up, but one of the five men standing around him kicked him, and he fell again.
“Amanda, get in the car,” whispered Hanna.
But now Kimberly was staring in the direction where two other men were holding Ruben. He made an effort, lifted his legs and hit the third one in the knee. The man bent forward. When he restored his balance, one fist hit Ruben in the jaw and the other one in the stomach. Kimberly screamed.
“Rub—!”
Hanna put her hand over Kimberly’s mouth and pushed her into the back seat of the car, but it was too late.
One of the vampires looked toward them.
“Crap!” Hanna raged. “They heard us.”
Amanda slipped into the front seat.
“There. There’s the girl,” yelled one of the vampires, and he rushed toward them.
Hanna started the engine and drove the car straight at him. He flew back on impact. Kimberly screamed. Hanna turned to the right and sped away. In the rearview mirror she saw two vampires jump into the black Jeep and follow them.
“Seatbelts, put the seatbelts on,” said Hanna.
“Hanna.” Amanda looked at her. “Craig…”
“You knew that this would happen,” snapped Hanna. “I hope you’re having fun.”
“He lied to me. You all lied to me. I was angry,” said Amanda sharply. “We have to do something.”
“In case you didn’t notice, right now there’s a car behind us, and it’s coming after you.”
Hanna looked in the mirror. The black Jeep was only two cars away.
“They’re too close,” she said. Without dropping speed, she turned into the alley. “We’ll go to our place—it’s the closest.” She took the house keys out of her pocket and handed them to Amanda. “When I stop the car, run. They can’t get into the house. The moment you’re in, you’re safe. Kimberly, do you hear me?”
“What the hell is going on?” shouted Kimberly, coming around from the shock.
“Kimberly, please just do what I say. I’ll explain it to you later.”
“Did you see what they did to them?”
“Craig and Ruben were trying to buy us time, distract them so we could leave unnoticed, and we blew it. So, I’m begging you to do it right this time. Open the door and get into the house. That’s all I am asking.”
When they got to the house, Hanna stopped the car with its front to the porch. The moment Amanda and Kimberly ran up the porch stairs, she heard the screeching of brakes. Hanna put the gear in reverse and drove into the Jeep, blocking its door. She got out of the car and ran to the front door, where Amanda and Kimberly were waiting for her, holding it open. But before Hanna reached it, she heard a blast of air. One of the vampires appeared behind her and grabbed her around the chest.
“Hanna!” screamed Kimberly.
Amanda snatched a small horse statue from the stand in the hallway and ran out.
“Amanda, NO!” cried Hanna.
There was another blast, and the second vampire clutched Amanda in his arms. She dropped the statue, and it shattered into pieces.
“Got you,” laughed the vampire.
Hanna jerked, trying to free herself. She swung her head backwards, hitting the vampire in the face. And then again. The vampire took a step backward, then forward, moving Hanna along with him.
But then Kimberly screamed again.
“Brian!” called the vampire holding Hanna.
Brian fell to the ground, and another tall, sturdy man appeared behind Amanda.
“Riley?” said Hanna, astonished.
She felt that the grip of the hands holding her weaken, and she clung to them. The vampire, who was trying to get away, struggled to shake her of. But Riley was already behind him. He snapped his neck, and the vampire collapsed.
“Oh, God, Riley.” Hanna’s voice broke.
“Hello, sister,” said Riley.
She hugged him tightly around his neck.
“It’s all right. She’s safe,” he said, and kissed her head. “Get them inside. I’ll take care of this.”
He pulled back, but Hanna leaned into him again, carefully took a stake out from the inner pocket of her jacket, and put it in his hand.
“I think it’s too late for conspiracy,” sighed Riley. He turned his back at Amanda and Kimberly so that they wouldn’t see what he was holding, and staked the vampire.
Amanda and Kimberly were staring in horror at the two dead men lying on the porch, whose bodies were getting pale and shriveling right in front of their eyes.
“You killed them,” muttered Kimberly.
“They were already dead,” blurted Hanna.
Amanda slowly raised her head and looked up at her and, when she turned her gaze to Riley, the expression on her face changed to surprise. She closed her slightly open mouth and swallowed. Then she touched her wrist, where the bracelet was supposed to be.
“Hello, Amanda,” said Riley warmly.
“Hi,” said Amanda and looked away.
Hanna g
lanced at the empty street.
“Riley, put the bodies in the Jeep before somebody sees us,” she said. “We have to hurry. They have Craig and Ruben. I’ll go bring more . . .” She was about to say “weapons,” but she looked at a terrified Kimberly and stopped. She put her arm around Kimberly’s shoulders. “Let’s go inside.”
The three of them went in. Hanna closed the door and turned off the porch light. She hurried upstairs to her room, took her handbag which had her gun loaded with wooden spikes, then opened the closet. At the bottom was a small wooden box. She lifted the lid and pulled out two stakes.
“You’ll have to stay here tonight,” she said to Amanda and Kimberly when she returned to the living room. “We’ll drive you home in the morning.”
“You never told us you have another brother,” said Amanda.
“He’s my cousin.”
“Hanna, he killed two men,” said Kimberly, staring at her with wide eyes.
“He saved us. Kimberly, those men . . . they’re not men. You saw what happened to them afterward.” Hanna sighed. “They’re killers. They came after Amanda. Amanda.” She looked at her for help.
“Seriously?” Amanda looked askance at her, then shook her head and dropped into the armchair.
“They looked like zombies,” said Kimberly.
“I thought you didn’t believe in the supernatural,” said Hanna with irony.
“Are you saying that they’re . . .”
“They’re not zombies. They’re something else.”
“Stop it,” said Amanda. “You’re freaking her out.”
“Her? What about you? It doesn’t scare you?”
“No. But it brings up a lot of questions,” said Amanda with sarcasm. “Do you want me to ask them now?”
The front door opened.
“It’s done,” said Riley, walking in. “So, where are Craig and Ruben? Where are we going?”
“I’m not sure,” said Hanna. “We can check the place where we left them, but the. . . the attackers probably took them somewhere else.”
“I think I know where that is,” said Riley. “How many were there?”
“Six. Those two came after us.” Hanna paused.
“So there are four,” said Riley.
