J.R. Rains Vampire for Hire World_Dead Ahead

by Eve Paludan

  Dawn broke in the sky, the most beautiful dawn that had ever happened in Tammy and Anthony’s lives.

  One by one, the vampires fell dead on the concrete roof, burst into flames and were left as nothing but ashes that blew away in the cool morning wind.

  Tammy was screaming and screaming until Anthony said, “You’re safe, you’re safe. You just killed your first vampire, Tam. What do you think about that?”

  She shuddered and tried to calm down. “I—I never want to do it again.”

  “But you saved your own life, Tam.”

  “We did it together,” she said.

  “I learned something today,” Anthony said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I thought there would be bodies everywhere when they got killed by the sunrise. I didn’t know they would catch on fire and burn to ash and blow away. We need to remember this.”

  She nodded. “No bloody cleanup.”

  “Is there anything else we should do before we leave?” he asked.

  Her gaze angled down, and he followed it. With gloved hands, he picked up the remnants of the melted UV flashlight and destroyed batteries. “I’ll get Mom another one. We should keep one in the house, don’t you think?”

  She nodded, her face streaked with tears.

  “You okay, Tam?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not physically hurt, but I’m traumatized.”

  “How can I help?”

  She leaned against him, and he hugged her for long moments until she quit shaking and crying.

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here. It’s a beautiful sunny morning.”

  After they cleared the school grounds and walked several blocks, they took off the masks and gloves and stowed them in her backpack. They walked silently back toward the Metrolink station, noticing a couple of cars were coming their way with cheerleaders crowded in them.

  Tammy said, “There’s going to be all kinds of news about this in twenty-four hours when all those boys’ parents file missing person reports.”

  “I do feel bad for the families, but what choice did we have? They were killers and we only killed the ones who came after us. For all we know, there may be more of them lurking at the school, but not as bloodthirsty or aggressive. We just offed the bad ones, right?”

  She let out a moan. “Anthony, let’s not tell Mom about all this.”

  “I’m sure not going to bring it up, but I won’t lie if she asks a direct question,” Anthony hedged.

  “You’re such a goody-two shoes.”

  He gave her a hard-ass look. “If you did everything by Mom’s rules, your life would be a lot easier.”

  “But not as interesting or rewarding. We’re changing the world, Anthony, for the good.”

  “I know. I don’t enjoy killing vampires, though.”

  “It had to be done.”

  “I know that, too. Don’t forget we need to get rid of those gloves and masks. And the melted flashlight and batteries.”

  “We’ll take care of it this afternoon,” she said.

  “I’m kind of proud of us. We’re a pretty good team when it’s a life-or-death scenario.”

  “Yes, we are. I feel like you get me, Anthony.”

  “I only sort of get you,” he replied. “I just can’t figure out if I’m a good influence on you or if you’re a bad influence on me.”

  “About fifty-fifty, I’d say.”

  “Don’t forget that now you owe me half your onion rings for the rest of the year.”

  “We made a bargain,” she said. “You held up your end. Now, I’ll hold up my end.”

  Anthony drove home because Tammy was overwhelmed by negative emotion—she was afraid to drive until she could rid herself of the vile and hateful thoughts the vampires were thinking at their moment of death because, yes, she was still reading their minds when the sun rose and burned them up.

  As Anthony pulled Tammy’s car into the gathering freeway traffic and headed for home, he turned on the radio. The first song they heard that morning was “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. Tammy held up her face to the sunlight blasting through the windshield and closed her eyes, listening to the song’s words and trying to calm down her troubled mind.

  After the song ended, Tammy to Anthony and said, “I don’t want to make a career of vampire slaying, but we definitely did the right thing.”

  “I know we did. I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite us someday.”

  Chapter 17

  The house smelled like an Italian restaurant.

  After the high school’s thug vampires were killed, it took Tammy and Anthony most of the day to get rid of evidence, regroup their thoughts and activities and get life back to some semblance of normal.

  “Hurry, Mom just pulled up,” Tammy said.

  In just a few seconds, Sam parked, came through the kitchen door and closed it behind her. And stopped there, stunned at the sight in front of her.

  “Ta-dah!” Anthony laid out three steaming plates of spaghetti and meatballs on linen placemats on the dining room table, which they hardly ever used.

  Tammy set out the salad bowl with its big Greek-style salad she’d made, the homemade garlic bread just out of the oven and three glasses of fresh-brewed iced tea. She placed the good silverware on top of cloth napkins that she’d folded into triangles, napkins she had found in the bottom drawer of the dining room’s china cabinet.

  “Wow, what’s all this for?” Sam asked, hanging up her vehicle keys in the kitchen and walking into the dining room to stare in amazement at the feast and the table dusted and polished and set for three.

  “We figured it was our turn to make dinner for you for a change,” Tammy said, lighting candles on the table.

  “Candles, even? Cooking from scratch. Did something bad happen while I was gone? Did you guys wreck one of our vehicles?”

  Tammy made a little noise in her throat. “No, but—”

  Anthony said, “Everything is fine, Mom. We took care of some stuff that came up, but it’s over now. Over and done with.” He looked hard at Tammy. “You’re on.”

  Tammy said, “Mom, Anthony and I have been talking. I know I’ve been acting out of the ordinary lately. I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t have done without telling you why I needed to do them. I know my actions look really confusing from your perspective.”

  “Tammy, that’s not exactly what I was expecting. Is this an apology?”

  “Not completely. It’s more like an explanation. I figured out what’s going on with me and I want to tell you that being able to read the minds of adults let me in on a world that I never had before. It’s so complex and yet, when I read the minds of adults, I suck up all their wisdom and experience and knowledge, therefore, understanding the adult world becomes simpler. It otherwise would have taken me years, decades, to experience and learn from all that I know since I began to read minds. I’m a mind-reading sponge and knowing the things I know, at age seventeen, well, maybe it’s made me grow up and really take charge of my life without asking for permission or approval of anyone, even you. And for that, well, I have regrets about the way I handled some things.”

  “Again, this is a strange apology, Tammy.”

  “Hang on. I’m not done. My intentions are heartfelt, and I do want to apologize for disrespecting you on occasion. I also want to tell you that your favorite dinner here isn’t any sort of bribery. We’re having a Mom Appreciation Night and I wanted to say how I’m going to communicate a lot better with you from now on—I also want to say how grateful I am to have you as my mother.”

  “Me, too,” Anthony said.

  Tammy said, “Please sit down and relax, Mom. We haven’t had dinner together in days.”

  Sam grabbed stainless steel utensils from the drawer for herself and sat at the table.

  “I know. I’ve been feeling lonely, too. Missing both of my kids. My wonderful kids. My headstrong, brilliant, confident daughter. You’re so much like me at the very same age.”


  “Really?”

  “I was a handful for my parents, too. They never knew what to do with me. It’s why we seldom talk and why they haven’t seen you guys since you were babies. When I parted ways with my parents, it wasn’t on the best of terms.”

  “Imagine that, Mom, you not getting along with your parents,” Tammy said.

  “I’ve been dreading anything happening that would make history repeat itself and alienate my children from me.”

  Tammy served up the salad in three salad bowls. “Because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?”

  Sam laughed. “Have you been reading psychology books for fun again, Lady Tam-Tam?”

  “Of course. And none of it was your fault, right? You felt different from them and felt like a misfit in your family?”

  “Except for my close relationship with your aunt Mary Lou, that’s exactly right.” Sam reached over and ruffled Anthony’s hair like he was still five years old. “Hi, my rock of a sweet, brave, strong son. I’ve been missing you, too. You’re so quiet.”

  Anthony blushed and mumbled, “Tammy wants this dinner to be everybody getting along again in the house. I want that, too. I’m only home from spring break at alchemy school, and I would really like to relax and have a good time. I just want to just chill with you and Tam on some normal level.”

  “That sounds good to me, too.” Sam said, “I’m kind of choked up. This is so unexpected. I think I could get used to it, though. I mean, just talking this honestly between the three of us. And dinner looks great, too.”

  She took a forkful of spaghetti and meatballs. “This tastes just like your dad’s. It’s uncanny.”

  “It’s his recipe,” Tammy said. “I found it on Dad’s computer and emailed it to Anthony, along with all of Dad’s recipes.”

  “I forgot you were using his computer after yours died.”

  “Well, we couldn’t afford a new one for me, and I’ve been fine using his old one. I took it somewhere and got it upgraded and just started using it all the time. It has some pictures on it from when Anthony and I were really little. And even older pictures of when you and Dad were in love, back in college.”

  Sam got misty-eyed. “Will you email me those photos?”

  “Sure. I’ll do it right now.” Tammy took out her phone and sent them off to her mom.

  Anthony cleared his throat. “Speaking of college, we’re going to do Mom Appreciation Night more often, especially since Tammy is going off to college in a year. We talked about it, and we want to make sure we do more stuff with you before she goes away, too.”

  Sam’s voice rose in pitch. “Wait a minute. Tammy? Is this true? You’re not going to live at home and go to Cal State Fullerton? My alma mater?”

  “As long as I don’t get kicked out of the Honor Society for skipping school, I should be on track for three academic scholarship offers. All outside of Fullerton. I’m waiting to hear back from the ones where I fulfilled their basic requirements, and I also wrote essays and some of my teachers wrote letters of recommendation, too.”

  “Where, Tammy? And how?” Sam asked.

  “I told you a few months ago that I think I want to use my mind-reading powers in a career in child psychology. To help traumatized kids. I’ve been applying for scholarships, almost full ride, in Maryland, Virginia and Hawaii.”

  Sam shook her head in disbelief. “I’m going to have an empty nest in the near future. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it all.”

  Tammy wrapped her arms around Sam. “I’m still going to be annoying you for another year. But we’re always going to be close, Mom. We’re too alike not to be tight. We both want to save the world.”

  “Make that three of us saving the world. I’ll never be very far away from you, Mom, don’t worry,” Anthony added. “Alchemy school is still my plan and after I graduate, I might teach there, who knows?” He looked at Tammy. “But if you get the scholarship in Hawaii, Mom and I are coming to see you there. And we’ll stow away in your dorm room.”

  “You bet we will,” Sam added, her arms now hugging both kids close.

  “You’re squishing us, Mom,” Tammy said. “And you don’t realize your own strength, but I feel like you’re going to crack my back in half at any second.”

  “Oops.” Sam let go and closed her eyes for a moment. “Time is passing by so fast for you guys but not for me. As a vampire, I stay the same age while you two are constantly aging and evolving.”

  Anthony said, “It’s what we’re supposed to do, Mom.”

  Tammy added, “You evolve, too, Mom. You weren’t always a vampire shapeshifter. And you didn’t always fly. Once upon a time, you were just like us.”

  Sam started crying and had to leave the room.

  “Nice going, Einstein,” Anthony said. “Why did you say that to her?”

  “I took it straight from her own brain. I was saying something she already knew.”

  He gave her the stink eye. “Just because you know something doesn’t mean you should say it out loud.”

  “Ugh. That’s the first time you’ve actually made more sense than me,” Tammy admitted. “I guess dinner is over. Will you help me get the kitchen back in order?”

  “Sure. After all, I helped make the mess.” He raised his eyebrows.

  “Point taken. Subtle you’re not, Ant.”

  “Should we call Mom for dessert?”

  “No. She’s lying in bed looking at the old photos I just emailed to her. I think we should give her an hour before we cut the baklava cheesecake.”

  “You can see and hear Mom in your head?”

  “Clearly.”

  “What’s she doing while she looks at the photos?”

  “Crying, smiling, crying again, smiling again.”

  While they were cleaning up the kitchen, Anthony looked at his older sister and said, “I figured out what our family is. We’re beautiful-freaky.”

  Chapter 18

  One week later, Amber and Tyrone Tarkington sat in their backyard watching the sunset, drinking lemonade and eating a box of donuts.

  “Yummy, I forgot how good the lemon-filled ones are. Thanks for bringing them home for me.”

  “I’m glad you like them. I now use organic lemons for the lemon marmalade filling because I have to use parts of the peel.”

  “Is there such a thing as a non-organic lemon?”

  “Yes, but they have pesticides and wax on them.”

  “I’m glad you’re going organic, then. This is ecstasy in every bite,” she said and licked her fingers. “You’ve created cop crack with this recipe. I want to eat a whole box of these off your loins.”

  He laughed heartily and blushed all the way to his ears. “You’re still my biggest fan.”

  “I’m supposed to be,” she said and accidentally dripped some filling on herself. “Dang it.” She carefully wiped the blob off her gun holster with a napkin.

  “That just made me nervous, when you touched your holster.”

  “I was careful.”

  “I know, but must you wear your service weapon in our own garden?”

  “Just getting back into the swing of things. I don’t feel dressed without it, especially after all the crap that went down lately.”

  “You’re such a cop, twenty-four seven.”

  “You know you like it. And don’t pretend you didn’t love our little handcuffs game. Remember that, when we actually went on a vacation without the kids, that one time?”

  “I didn’t forget about that. It was on our honeymoon. And the reason that the kids didn’t come with us was because they weren’t born yet.” Tyrone laughed again. “That was fun, long ago. I don’t know if I am that athletic anymore.”

  “I guess we’ll find out someday soon. Maybe. If you’re good.”

  “Tease,” he said.

  “Better to tease you than tase you.”

  “Ha-ha, same old Amber. Glad you’re back with your own special brand of humor.”

  “Me, too. Hey, I have go
od news, hun. I got a text earlier. The worker’s comp doctor says I can go back to work next week.” Amber looked at his face to gauge his reaction.

  “Already?”

  “Yeah, apparently, my blood counts are amazing, my bullet wound is completely healed, and the physical therapist has washed her hands of me. Even the police psychologist says I am good to go.” She paused for several moments. “I sense you’re not happy that I’m going back to work this soon.”

  “Well, it’s been so nice having you at home when I get home from the donut shop. We eat dinner together and keep the same sleep hours. We’ve talked for hours, and I feel like the good ‘us’ is coming back.”

  “It has been good with you since they kicked me out of the hospital. I haven’t had to cope with anything painful since then.”

  He smiled softly. “I’m really glad you’re feeling better. Heck, you aren’t even pale anymore. You look healthier than ever. Even younger.” He raised an eyebrow. “Sure you aren’t really a vampire with makeup on?”

  “I’m sure. You saw me working out in the sun all day. And I don’t wear makeup to do yard work.”

  “True. I just hate it that now, just when we’re getting our marriage back on track and really communicating, that you’ll be going back to working the graveyard shift. You know my hours at the donut shop. My job isn’t dangerous, but it’s grueling to have a one-man bakery. And it’s too expensive to have employees, let alone me trying to teach some millennial the ropes of food safety. Or me trying to keep their hands out of the bank deposit.”

  “Wait a minute. What’s that last part about?”

  He didn’t reply but waved a hand that the topic was not one he wanted to talk about at the moment.

  “You could retire anytime. I make enough,” she said.