Spirit Sanguine

by Lou Harper

  “I’m sorry.”

  Harvey sharply jerked his shoulder. “I should be thankful. They could have killed me outright. Instead they left me barely conscious in a parking lot, just before dawn. It was pure chance that Stan and Ray found me.”

  “You’d said it took skill to turn somebody. So they knew what they were doing?”

  “I think they just got lucky. Or rather, I got lucky. So to speak.”

  Gabe finally understood what Ray had meant by Harvey having had a “rough start”.

  “So as you know, when I got better I went back to work, but when my father passed away, he left me enough money that I could quit and spend my time trying to come up with a blood substitute. And that’s my story so far.” Harvey got it all out on one breath.

  “I see.”

  “Oh yeah, and the guy you killed, the one who kidnapped Dill, was one of the fuckheads who turned me.”

  “What?” Gabe nearly shouted. Harvey keeping secrets from him bothered him, but he could understand it. However, this detail troubled him.

  “I didn’t recognize him at first—he’d gotten older and uglier—but it was definitely him. And he wanted me dead.”

  “I thought vampires didn’t age.”

  “So did I. And that just makes the whole thing super freakish.” With a typical sudden change of mood, Harvey batted his eyelashes theatrically. “Having a big bad slayer in the house sure would make me feel safer.” His voice was appropriately vampish.

  While Harvey downplayed the whole thing, Gabe could tell he was worried. And so was Gabe.

  “Well, I guess there’s no good reason I should waste money on a hotel when you have a perfectly good bed.” He stood and placed the chair back to its place.

  Harvey was obviously done talking about depressing stuff. He gazed at Gabe from under lowered lashes. “Talking about beds, I always wanted to do it in a cheap hotel room. It sounds so deliciously seedy. We could pretend we’re having a sordid affair.”

  Harvey leaned back on his elbows, hitting a seductive pose.

  Gabe was warming up to the idea. Leave it to Harvey to be into role-playing. Gabe had never thought about it before, but coming from Harvey it sounded immensely alluring. “Oh yeah, who are we?” he asked, leaning over Harvey but not touching.

  “You’re a hotshot lawyer, and I’m a hustler you’ve picked up.”

  “You have a dirty mind,” Gabe growled, instantly aroused by the image Harvey’s words conjured up in his head.

  “Oh yeah, and it’s the nineteen-sixties,” Harvey added.

  “Oh, you like it dangerous,” Gabe said, pushing the cheeky rent-boy down on the bed.

  The Cheerful Corpse

  Chapter One

  Gabe parked the black SUV across from the high school. He and Harvey sat back and waited. A few minutes later, the school’s doors flew open, and a tidal wave of teenagers spilled out onto the street.

  “I feel like a secret agent.” Harvey grinned. He wore black from head to toe, complete with wrap-around shades. Too cool for his own good, in Gabe’s unsolicited opinion.

  “This was a bad idea. Augustine didn’t say I could bring you along,” he said.

  “He didn’t say you couldn’t. Who’s better to have along on a stakeout than a partner who doesn’t have to pee? Just think about all the money you’re saving on adult diapers.”

  “You’re nuts. The guy might not even show. It’s broad daylight.”

  “If he’s what they say he is, he’ll be here. It’s the perfect day for it too.”

  Harvey had a point—September had been mild so far, but a subtle threat of the impending cold season hung in the air. Rain clouds gathering above looked even darker through the car’s tinted windows. At the other side of the street, the flood of students thinned to a trickle.

  Harvey unwrapped a stick of red gum and shoved it into his mouth.

  “Why are you bothering with those if you can’t taste them?” Gabe asked.

  “I almost can. I remember the flavor when I chew them—it’s psychological. These used to be my favorites. Number seven on my list of things I miss about being a normal person.”

  “Normal being subjective,” Gabe said under his breath, but even as he did, the awareness of another vampire getting closer tickled up his spine. “Someone’s coming.”

  “How far?” Harvey straightened up in his seat, all business.

  “Couple of blocks.”

  “You have an impressive range.”

  “It’s been getting better, and I was concentrating.”

  They waited for the man to come into visual range. He wasn’t much to look at: medium-build jeans, gray long-sleeved shirt and baseball hat. Dressed to blend in, but thanks to his special skills, Gabe recognized the predator under the camouflage. Like a seasoned hunter waiting for its prey, the vamp lingered across the corner from the school, half-hidden behind a tree. A chubby brunette of about fourteen crossed the street. As she strolled past the vamp, he stepped forward and stopped her. Staring into her eyes, he said a few words. From that distance, it was impossible to know exactly what transpired between them, but the two of them started briskly down a side street.

  “Okay, Harv, it’s your turn. The way we agreed.”

  Without a word Harvey jumped out of the car and dashed after the vampire and the girl. Gabe put the car in gear and rolled down the same street till he found a spot to park ahead. He shut off the engine and watched in his side-view mirror as Harvey caught up to the pair and clasped the man on the shoulder. Even without audio, the scene was easy to interpret. Harvey acted like someone bumping into a good friend, slapping the man on the shoulder, smiling and talking. Harvey was damn good at playacting, but Gabe had known that already. The surprise in the man’s face changed to anxiety as Harvey switched his attention to the girl. The vampire puffed himself out and moved to rebuff Harvey, but his bluff was easy to see. Whatever Harvey replied poked the hole in it—the man spun and rushed down the street, past Gabe.

  Gabe let him disappear around the corner before getting out of the car and heading after him. He left the keys in the ignition. Following his mark from a safe distance, Gabe put the Bluetooth headset over his ear and dialed Harvey.

  “You have him?” Harvey asked.

  “Yeah. How’s the girl?”

  “She’s fine now, can’t remember a thing.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  “He charmed her. Which direction are you headed?”

  Through the phone he heard Harvey starting up the car. “Toward the El station. Charm what?”

  “Short-term hypnosis. Some of us can do it,” Harvey explained over the phone.

  “Lovely. Please tell me you have your headset on while driving.”

  “Of course I do. Chill. You worry too much.”

  As they drew near the station, Gabe picked up his pace. He didn’t want to lose the guy due to a train arriving too soon. He wasn’t sure he could track a vamp on a moving train from a car. His concerns were validated when the train pulled in only a few seconds after he reached the platform. He shuffled on the same car as the vamp, but two doors down.

  “Eastbound or west?” Harvey’s voice crackled through the headset.

  “West,” Gabe whispered.

  “Ah. Can’t talk, I see. Hey are you having déjà vu? Cough once for yes.”

  Gabe cleared his throat.

  Harvey’s chuckle answered him. “Lucky for you, I’m on your side this time.”

  Gabe didn’t relish being reminded of the night he’d shadowed Harvey much the same way. Not because of the humiliation of having been captured by Harvey and Dill, but the fact he’d meant to kill Harvey. He nearly did. Knowing how close he’d come still sent chills down his spine. Gabe let out a heavy sigh that made a few nearby passengers aim their gaze at him. He ignored them. The vamp fidgeted and glanced around nervously, but Gabe didn’t seem to have attracted his attention.

  “Fine, I’ll shut up now. Just tell me the name of the s
tation when you get off,” Harvey said.

  The vampire must have decided nobody was following him, because he didn’t try anything tricky to shake off a would-be pursuer. As they exited the train, Gabe followed from a distance. He kept updating Harvey about their location. The nice thing about it being daytime was that the vampire couldn’t call on his super-skills, making Gabe’s job much easier. Meanwhile, Gabe could feel Harvey getting closer.

  By the time the vampire entered a tall apartment building, Gabe had caught up to him. They entered the elevator together. Gabe gave the man a curt nod. The building was big enough for neighbors not to know each other. On the eighth floor they both exited the elevator. While the vampire turned right, Gabe purposefully strode left. He stopped and searched his pockets for his keys, but only until he saw his man stop in front of a door and do the same.

  By the time the guy opened the door, Gabe was on top of him.

  Harvey was still keyed up as they drove back to their place, after handing the rogue vampire, and, sadly, the SUV, over to Augustine’s men. Gabe was happy that the whole thing had gone down without a hitch, especially since it was his first serious job for his new boss.

  “The son of a bitch was a pedo too!” Harvey burst out, referring to the child porn they had found at the guy’s apartment.

  “What do you think is gonna happen to him?” Gabe asked.

  “That’s up to Augustine, but I wouldn’t wanna be in the guy’s shoes.”

  “So that’s what Augustine does? Upholds the law?” His boss was still an enigma to Gabe.

  Harvey pulled a face. “Don’t believe for a moment he does it for the greater good of humanity. He has his own selfish reasons. We all do.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s about not rocking the boat. You should ask Stan; he’d talk your head off. He loves the history stuff. Anyhow, I’ve been told things used to be more lawless, but times changed and vampires had to change with them or be wiped out. From what I know, Augustine took over Chicago’s vamp affairs about a century ago. Before that, it was every vamp for themselves.”

  “You’d think there might have been some opposition.”

  “I bet there was, but Augustine’s still in charge, so he must have taken care of it.”

  “You make him sound like a mob boss.”

  “He does, doesn’t he?”

  “So the vampires are kept on the straight and narrow by force?”

  “Well, it depends who you are. Vamps, like everyone else, come in many colors. Not every one of them wants to play nice. There are drifters, criminals, but they’re tolerated as long as they keep their true nature secret. And then there are the outlaws.”

  “Outlaws? Like in old westerns?”

  “Less romantic. All I know about them is what my friend, Syl told me. According to her, some vampires stay off the grid, do their own thing. They kill people if they want.”

  “Wouldn’t that draw undue attention?”

  Harvey pushed his shades up and stared out the window at the people milling on the street before turning to Gabe. “Have you ever wondered how many serial killers never get caught? The ones that do seem to be those who taunt the police, send letters to newspapers or leave bodies where they’ll be found—and they still take years or decades to capture. Just look at the BTK killer. This is such a huge country, and people disappear all the time. I looked it up once. There are about a hundred thousand missing person cases in the US. And that’s just people who were reported.” It sounded like he’d given some thought to this subject before.

  Gabe picked up Harvey’s thread and followed it. “A killer could prey on people at the edge of society—runaways, homeless, or illegal immigrants—and hardly anyone would notice they were gone. If the killer’s good at hiding bodies, the police will never look. Do you think there are vampires out there who do that?”

  “It’s hard to say, isn’t it? But if there are regular people who do it, probably vampires do it too. It’s only suspicions and wild guesses, though.”

  “But your friend thinks it happens.”

  “Syl’s an over-three-centuries-old Gypsy and has seen a lot of things, good and bad. She says some vamps prefer the old ways, and some are just plain fucking evil.”

  “Can’t people like Augustine do anything about them?”

  “I bet it’s even harder than catching regular psychos. We vampires recognize each other when we meet, but that’s it. Only a slayer like you can track a vamp, but where would you start? Not to mention how dangerous it would be. I’m not sure vamps like Augustine care about the outlaws as long as they stay out of sight.”

  They drove the rest of the way in silence, Harvey watching Gabe from behind half-mast eyelids—he was up to something.

  The moment they stepped inside the apartment, Harvey pounced. “You’re a regular Jack Bauer when you’re on the job, Angel.” He plastered himself on Gabe and attempted to slip his fingers under Gabe’s shirt, but Gabe took firm hold of Harvey’s hands and forced them behind his back.

  Gabe had missed out of five years’ worth of American television but had caught snippets of the Hungarian broadcast of 24. He recalled the cast looking as serious as appendicitis. He schooled his features into a somber frown. “I’ve had my eyes on you, Feng. You didn’t fool me. I know you’re a plant. Who are you working for?”

  “You’re crazy, Bauer.”

  “Crazy like a fox.” Gabe changed his grip to one-handed. Harvey was smaller and slimmer than him and, during the day, not very strong either. Gabe used his free hand to undo Harvey’s belt and slip it out of its loops. He tied it around Harvey’s wrists—not too tight, mostly for effect. Harvey could’ve gotten free if he really wanted. Now, both hands free, Gabe squeezed Harvey’s small, pert buttocks.

  “You won’t make me squeal.” Harvey said, with a look of dark determination, but he came close to proving himself wrong the moment Gabe’s fingers gripped harder.

  “Where’s the bomb?” Gabe growled. He remembered Jack Bauer looking for bombs a lot.

  Harvey gave him a defiant glare. “In my pants.”

  Gabe pressed his hand over the bulge in Harvey’s jeans. “Yeah, it’s sure a suspicious package. I will have to investigate.” Delivering the words in a somber tone took him some effort.

  Harvey’s lips twitched, but he managed to keep his game face on. “Do your worst.”

  Gabe marched Harvey into the bedroom, where he stripped Harvey’s jeans and briefs off and tossed him facedown on the bed. “You give me no choice. I will have to conduct a body cavity search.”

  And so he did, although his methods proved to be unconventional—the use of tongue probably wasn’t standard procedure at any antiterrorist agency. Harvey at first cursed him and called him names, but soon his protestations morphed into moans and whimpers. When it became apparent Gabe couldn’t investigate in sufficient depth with his current methods, he reached for the tub of Vaseline on the nightstand. Flipping the lid off, he scooped out a dollop with two fingers. The thick, viscous substance had always struck him as lewd, even as a kid, especially after he’d discovered its masturbatory values.

  Soon Harvey was well greased and ready for deeper probing. Gabe shucked his own jeans and underwear. He maneuvered Harvey into a new position, with feet firmly on the ground. Giving Harvey’s buttocks a few playful slaps first, Gabe sank his dick in Harvey’s ass till they were balls-to-balls.

  “You can torture me all you want, I won’t talk!” Harvey groaned.

  “Oh yeah?” Gabe stopped moving.

  Harvey tried to push against him, but Gabe held his hips firmly in place. “Move, you bastard! I’ll tell you everything.”

  With a self-satisfied chuckle, Gabe began to pump away in earnest. When Harvey’s moans reached a frustrated pitch, Gabe loosened the belt holding his wrists together. Harvey thrust his hand under himself and began to stroke his dick. Gabe held back as long as he could, but Harvey clenching around him was too much to withstand, and he came.


  “That was hot,” Harvey said, once they lay shoulder-to-shoulder across the bed.

  Gabe hummed in agreement. Sex was the area of their relationship they never had problems with. He slipped his T-shirt over his head and used it to wipe himself clean.

  “Mmm, tired.” Harvey stretched, then sat up and scooted off the bed. “Don’t forget, we’re due to visit Stan and Ray tonight. I heard Dill’s cooking.”

  “For the two of us?”

  “Yes. Number three on my list of things I miss: having dinner and wine with friends. Although, considering Dill’s cooking… I’d be afraid if I were you.” Harvey went around the room, picking up discarded clothes.

  “I am. You still haven’t told me the number-one thing on your list.”

  Harvey turned back from the door. “Oh, Angel…” He gave Gabe a strange look Gabe couldn’t decipher, then walked out.

  Gabe had the niggling notion he’d failed somehow—he should’ve said something to close the gap between them. He heard the water run in the bathroom then stop. Harvey didn’t come back to the bedroom. He was probably now sleeping on the sofa, as usual. Gabe lay alone on the crumpled sheets, with only his troubled thoughts for company. He and Harvey did so well together when in motion. They were great in action, like earlier that day, and they were great in the sack. But when they slowed down, everything went awry.

  Gabe suspected it was at least in part his fault. He’d been living with Harvey for over a month, but he couldn’t even think of the place as theirs. His few possessions were absorbed by the apartment, barely leaving a trace. His vampire hunting paraphernalia hid at the bottom shelf of the dresser, behind a pile of old socks. Maybe not fitting in was his fault. He trod cautiously, like a guest who overstayed his welcome, and in turn, Harvey kept a wary distance.

  Waiting for the sandman, he ran the day through his head, then let his thoughts ramble. These impromptu role-playing games were hot. He’d never done anything like it before, but then he’d mostly had quick fucks with interchangeable strangers. Thanks to Harvey, he’d been slowly discovering his kinky side. The sad thing was, pretending to be someone else was when he and Harvey connected with each other the best.