Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 34

Chapter 34Hell Breaks LooseA motion of fretting washed over Jody as she woke up. Tommy, she called. She leaped place of bed and went into the living argona, non stopping to turn on the light.Tommy?The loft was quiet. She checked the answering mould no messages.Im not going to do this again, she thought. I cant speak some other night of worrying.Shed cleaned up the mess from the police search the night in the beginning, vest lemon oil on the wood, scrubbed start the sinks and the tubs, and watched cable TV until dawn. t give away ensemble the time she thought ab egress(predicate) what Tommy had said ab emerge sharing, about macrocosm with mortal who could understand what you saw and how you matt-up. She precious that.She cherished someone who could run the night with her, someone who could hear the buildings breathing roome and watch the side offers twinkling with lovingness equitable after sun bundle. But she necessityed Tommy. She compulsioned love. She wanted th e blood-high and she wanted sex that touched her heart. She wanted excitement and she wanted security.She wanted to be part of the crowd, still she wanted to be an individual. She wanted to be human, exclusively she wanted the strength, the senses, and the mental acuity of the lamia. She wanted it all.What if I had a choice, she thought, if that medical student could cure me, would I go sanction to world human? It would mean that Tommy and I could stay together, but he would neer k akin a shot the feeling of being a god, and neither would I. Never again.So I abdicate what and hence(prenominal)? Im alone. More alone than Ive ever been. I hate being alone.She stopped pacing and went to the window. The squealer from the night to begin with was out there, sitting in a brown Dodge, watching. The other cop had followed Tommy.Tommy, you jerk. Call me.The cop would hunch over where Tommy was. But how to get him to tell? captivate him? Use the Vulcan nerve pinch? Sleeper hold? Maybe I should just go up there and knock on the door, Rivera thought. examiner Alphonse Rivera, San Francisco PD. If you hold in a few minutes, Id like to talk to you about being nonviable. How was it? Who did it? Did it piss you off?He adjusted himself in the car substructure and took a sip from his coffee. He was trying to pace his smoking. No more than than four cigarettes an hour. He was in his forties now and he couldnt handle the four-pack-a-night stakeouts going home with his throat raw, his lungs seared, and a vicious ache in his sinuses. He checked his watch to see if enough time had passed since hed decease lighten up up. Almost. He rolled down the car window and something caught him by the throat, cutting off his breath. He dropped his coffee, feeling the scald in his roofy as he reached in his jacket for his gun. Something caught his hand and held it like a back trap.The hand on his throat relaxed a bit and he sucked in a short breath. He assay to turn his signal and the clamp on his throat cut off his breath again. A pretty face came done the window.Hi, Jody said. She loosened her handbag on his throat a degree.Hi, Rivera croaked.Feel the grip on your wrist?Rivera felt the bear trap on his wrist tighten, his hand went numb, and his unscathed beef up lit up with pain.YesOkay, Jody said. Im pretty confident(predicate) I can crush your windpipe before you could move, but I wanted you to be current too. You sure?Rivera tried to nod.Good. Your partner followed Tommy last night. Do you know where they are now?Again Rivera attempted to nod. On the seat next to him, the cell ring chirped.She released his arm, snatched the gun out of his shoulder holster, flipped off the safety, and pointed it at his head, all before he could draw a single breath. Take me there, she said.Elijah Ben Sapir watched the red window glasss base around on the video screen above his face. He had modify feeling gleeful about killing the fledglings toy boy, then he saw that his home had been invaded. He was hit with an emotion so out of date it took him a while to recognize it. Fear. It had been a long time since hed been afraid. It felt good.The dots on the screen were moving around on the stern of the boat, scrambling in and out of the main cabin above. E truly few encourages a dot would disappear off the screen, then reappear. They were getting in and out of a raft at the stern.The vampire reached up and flipped a series of on-off switch switches. The big diesels on either side of his vault roared to life. Another toggle and an electric winch began grinding in the anchor.Move, move, move Tommy shouted into the cabin. The engines started.Barry came through and through the hatch carrying a bronze statue of a ballerina. Tommy waited at the stern of the boat with Drew. troy weight Lee, Lash, Jeff, Glint, and the emperor butterfly and his troops were already in the raft, trying to scrape up room to move around the paintings and s tatues.Over, Tommy said, taking the statue from Barry as the squat frogman went over the side into the arms of the waiting Animals, just about capsizing the raft. Tommy threw the statue down to the Emperor, who caught it and went to the floor of the raft with its weight.Tommy threw a leg over the railing, and looked back. Light it, Drew. forthwithDrew bent and held his lighter to the end of a wax-coated strip of cloth that ran across the stern deck and through the hatch to the main cabin. He watched the flame follow the trail for a few feet, then stood and conju adit Tommy at the rail. Its going.They went over the rail backward and the Animals obliged them by stepping deviation and letting them both hit the floor of the raft unimpeded. The raft lurched and righted itself. Tommy fought for breath to give a command.Paddle, men the Emperor shouted.The Animals began to beat the water with their paddles. in that location was a loud clunking noise from the yacht as the transmission pursue and the raft was rocked as the twin screws engaged and began pushing the yacht onward from them.Rivera, Rivera said into the cell phone.The yacht is moving, Cavuto said. I work out back I just aided these guys in looting it. He unzipped a leather compositors case on the car seat, revealing a huge chrome-plated automatic pistol, a quit bird of Jove.50-caliber. It blast heaters roughly the weight of a small mark and kicked like a jackhammer. One shot could reduce a clinker block to gravel.Im on my way, Rivera said.What about the girl? Cavuto slammed a clip into the Desert Eagle, dropped another one into his jacket pocket.Shes shell be all right. Im at Van ness and Lombard. Ill be there in about three minutes. Dont call in backup.Im not oh Jesus ChristWhat?The fucking thing just blew up.A fountain of flame shot from the stern of the Sanguine II, a second passed, and the rest of the yacht disappeared in a cloud of flame that rose into the sky above her. She had cleared the breakwater and was perhaps three one hundred yards out into the bay when the fuse reached Drews incendiary cocktail.The raft had just do the dock when the explosion went off. Tommy leaped onto the dock and watched the mushroom cloud dissipate. The shock wave rolled in and Tommy reached back to the raft and caught the Emperor before he went into the water.Debris rained down around them. A pool of fire and undischarged diesel fuel spread out across the water, illuminating the whole area with a dancing bright orange.Is this a party boat, or what? Drew shouted.The Animals scrambled out of the raft onto the dock and began handing up the objets dart. Tommy stood parenthesis and watched the burn. Bummer cowered in the Emperors arms.Do you think we got him?Jeff reach the Degas ballerina to Troy and looked over his shoulder. Fucking A, we got him. Nice mix, Drew.Drew took a bow and almost went over the edge of the dock.The Emperor said. I cant help but think that the explos ion may eat attracted the attention of the authorities, gentlemen. I would recommend a speedy retreat.Drew looked at the burning slick. I wish I had some acid. This would be great on acid.Jeff jumped down into the raft and handed up the last painting, the Miro. He looked past Troy Lee, who was wrestling up the heavy frame, and said, Whoops.What? Troy said.Jeff nodded past him and the Animals rancid around. Cavuto had a very large, very shiny pistol pointed at them.No one moveThey didnt. The ray of lightguns were busty on the dock. Glint held the shotgun loosely at his side as he prayed. He dropped it.Drop it, Cavuto said.I did, said Clint.Thats true, he did, Tommy said. And before you asked. He should get extra credit for that.Cavuto motioned with the pistol. Every carcass down. On your faces. Now The Animals dropped. Lazarus barked.The Emperor stepped previous. Officer, these young men have Now Cavuto screamed. The Emperor dropped to the dock with the Animals.The screens wen t shady an instant before he was slammed against the side of the vault. He tumbled inside, feeling his remove burn on the steel with every turn. The vault glowed red with the heat and had filled with smoke from the seared wires and the vampires clothing.After a few seconds the aerobatics stopped. The vampire was jammed into one end of the vault, his face against his knees. His skin was vinegarish and he tried to result it to heal, but it had been days since he had fed, so the healing came slowly.He located the lid by finding the wealthy CRT and radar screens. Salt water sprayed in a fine mist from behind the screens. He pushed on the lid but it didnt move. He felt for the latches and released them, then heaved against the lid with force that would have crumpled a car fender, yet the lid stayed fast. The heat of the explosion had welded it shut.I should have killed him last week, the vampire thought. This is what I get for indulging my pleasures. He reached into the depressed CRT, looking for the source of the spraying water, then concentrated his will and went to mist. The revolution was slow, weak as he was, but when he had last-placely disoriented his solid form he followed the path of the water and wormed his way through the pinhole to the open ocean.The vault lay on the bottom in a hundred and twenty feet of water and as soon as the vampire escaped, the pressure of four atmospheres condensed him to his solid shape. He tried to force himself to mist, failed, then swam toward the orange glow at the surface, thinking, The boy dies source, then a parvenu suit.He broke the surface in the midst of the flame slick, then scissor-kicked hard enough to bring himself completely out of the water and tried to go to mist. His limbs dissolved in the air, their vapor w informedped by the flame and stand out white in the rolling color diesel smoke, but he could not hold. He fell back into the water, followed by a vortex of vapor that condensed back to solid f orm under water. thwarted and angry, he began the swim around the breakwater toward the yacht club.Cavuto panned the Desert Eagle back and forth across the heads of the prostrated Animals as he moved forward to get their weapons. Lazarus growled and backed past as the big cop approached. Sirens sounded in the distance. Crew members and yacht owners were popping out of the hatches of in force(p)by yachts like peculiar prairie dogs.Inside Cavuto shouted, and the yachters ducked for cover.Cavuto heard footsteps on the dock behind him and swung quickly around. The gate guard, looking down the cavelike barrel of the Eagle, stopped as if hed hit a force field. Cavuto swung back to cover the Animals.Over his shoulder Cavuto said, Go back to the gate and call nine-one-one. discriminate them to send me some backup.Right, the guard said.All right, scumbags, youre under arrest. And if any of you even twitches, Ill turn you into a red stain. You have the rightThe vampire came out of the wat er like a ladened grapplet and landed on the dock behind the Animals. He was burned black and his clothes hung in sooty shreds. Cavuto pink-slipped without thinking and missed. The vampire looked up long enough to grin at him, then reached down and snatched Tommy by the back of his shirt and yanked him up like a rag doll.Cavuto aimed and fired again. The second shot hit the vampire in the thigh, taking out a three-inch chuck of flesh. The vampire dropped Tommy, turned on Cavuto, and leaped. The third bullet caught the vampire in the abdomen, the impact spraying flesh and spinning him in the air like a football. He landed in a heap at Cavutos feet. The big cop tried to back away to get another shot off, but before he could aim, the vampire snatched the gun out of his hand, taking most of the skin off his evocation finger. He leaped backward, clawing inside his jacket for his detective special as the vampire tossed the Desert Eagle over his shoulder and climbed to his feet. You ar e a dead man, he growled.Cavuto watched the gaping wounds in the vampires leg and stomach pulsing, bubbling, and filling with smoke. He caught the butt of his revolver just as the vampire leaped, his fingers outstretched to labour into Cavutos chest.Cavuto ducked, heard a hiss and a loud thunk, and looked up, amazed that he was still alive. The vampire had stopped an inch from him. A gleaming spear through his leg had pinned him to the dock. The black kid stood a few yards away, a gas- force outed speargun in hand.The vampire wrenched himself around and clawed at the spear. Cavuto yanked out his gun, but with his damaged finger he ended up flinging it off the dock. He heard the sound of tires behind him, then a car glide path down the dock. A second spear thunked through the vampires shoulder.Tommy threw the speargun aside. The Animals were all on their feet. Troy, throw me the leaf bladeTroy Lee picked up the fighting brand from the deck and threw it at Tommy. Tommy sidestepped the make whizzed by him and clattered on the dock near Cavuto, who was standing motionless, stunned at almost seeing his own death. come up to first, you doofus, Tommy said as he ran after the sword.The vampire yanked the spear out of his shoulder and reached for the one in his leg.The Emperor picked up his wooden sword from the deck and charged the vampire. Lash caught him by the collar, yanking him aside as Barry fired a third spear, hitting the vampire in the hip. Jeff let go with a blast from the shotgun.The vampire jerked with the impact of the shot and screamed.Tommy dived for the fighting sword at Cavutos feet. The big cop lifted him to his feet.Thanks, Tommy said.Youre welcome, Cavuto said.I didnt kill those people.Im estimate that out, Cavuto said.A brown car skidded to a stop on the dock. Tommy looked up for an instant, then turned and headed toward the vampire, who was clawing at the spear in his leg. His wounds bubbled and seethed with vapor his body was trying to hea l even as new damage was inflicted on it.Tommy raised the sword over the vampires head and closed his eyes.No It was Jodys voice.Tommy undefended his eyes. Jody was on her knees, shielding the vampire, who had given up the struggle and was waiting for the final blow. No, Jody said. Dont kill him.Tommy lowered the sword. Jody looked at Jeff, who still held the shotgun. No, she said. Jeff looked at Tommy, who nodded. Jeff lowered the shotgun. hide the fiend, now cried the Emperor, still struggling against Lashs hold on his coat.No, Jody said. She distilled the spear out of the vampires leg and he screamed. She patted his head. One more, she said quietly. She yanked the spear out of his hip and he gasped.Jody propped the vampire up on her lap. The Animals and Cavuto stood watching, not sure what to do. Clint prayed quietly, further audible over the approaching siren.Blood, the vampire said. He looked into Jodys eyes. Yours.Give me that sword, Tommy. Jody said.He hesitated and raised the sword to strike.No She covered the vampire with her body.But Jody, hes killed people.You dont know anything, Tommy. They were all going to die anyway.Get out of the way.Jody turned to Cavuto. Tell him. All the victims were terminally ill, werent they?Cavuto nodded. The coroner said that none of them had more than a few months.Tommy was almost in tears. He killed Simon.Simon had AIDS, Tommy.No way. Not Simon. Simon was the wolf of the Animals.He was hiding it from you guys. He was scared to death. Now, please, give me the sword.No, get out of the way.Tommy reared back for the killing blow. He felt a hand on his shoulder, then another one catch his sword arm and pull it down. He looked around to see the Emperor.Let him go, son. The measure of a mans power is the depth of his mercy. Give me the sword. The killing is over.The Emperor worked the sword out of Tommys grip and handed it to Jody. She took it, ran the blade across her wrist, then held the wound to the vampires mouth. He took her arm in his hands and drank.Jody looked at Cavuto. Your partner is whomped to the wheel of the car. Get him and walk away before anyone else gets here. I need the car. I dont want to be followed either.Cavuto dropped back into cop mode. Bullshit.Go get your partner and go. Do you want to explain this?What?All this. Jody pulled her arm out of the vampires mouth and gestured around the dock. Look, the murders will stop. I promise. Were leave and were never coming back. So let it drop. And leave Tommy and these guys alone.Or what? Cavuto said.Jody cradled the old vampire and lifted him as she stood up. Or well come back. She carried the vampire to the cruiser and put him in the back seat and crawled in with him. Rivera was sitting in the front seat. Cavuto came to the side of the car and handed his handcuff key through the window to Rivera.I told you, Rivera said.Cavuto nodded. Were fucked, you know? We have to let them go.Rivera unlocked the handcuffs and got out of the car . He stood next to Cavuto, not sure what to do next.Jody stuck her head out the back window of the cruiser. Come on, Tommy, you drive.Tommy turned to the Emperor, who nodded for him to go, then to the Animals. You guys, get that stuff off the dock. In Troys car. Get out of here. Ill call you at the store tomorrow.Tommy shrugged, got in the car, and started it. What now?To the loft, Tommy. He ask a dark place to heal.Im not comfortable with this, Jody. I want you to know that. Id like to know what your relationship is to this guy.The vampire moaned.Drive, she said.They pulled off the dock, leaving the Animals scrambling around collecting the art and the two policemen staring at them in amazement.She said, I love you, Tommy, but I need someone whos like me. Someone who understands. You know how that is, right?So you run off with the first rich older guy that comes along?Hes the only one, Tommy. She stroked the vampires burned hair. I dont have any choice. I hate being alone. And if h e died, then Id never know about what I am.So you two are going away? Youre leaving me?I wish I could think of some other way. Im sorry.I knew youd break my heart.