Chapter 10
“Are you sure this is the only choice?” Nick asked me after I told him what the vampire said in the alley before he and John showed up. We were sitting in an empty classroom during my office aide period after I had pulled him out of his chemistry class.
“Yes, I really think it is,” I told him. “I have no idea what it has to do with me, but if it will get Sam back then I have to go this house.” I waved around the piece of paper with the address on it.
“What if we go to your mom and John and see if they can help?” he asked me.
“No, he told me not to tell anyone, especially John,” I pleaded with him. “I am afraid that by telling you, I am putting her in even more danger.”
He sighed and stared out of the window of the classroom. “I will think about it and see if I can come up with a solution before you go turn yourself in.”
I nodded to him. “Thank you.”
“I know that you want to get Sam back, but you can’t risk your own life.”
“It is not a risk for one of my best friends,” I told him.
He sighed. “I’ll get back to you later.” He glanced at me and then turned back toward the window.
The bell rang ending the class period, and we hurried out of the empty classroom to blend in with the other students and get to our next classes. I hoped that Nick would come up with an idea before I gave myself over to the vampires.
My last two classes and cheerleading practice passed by in a blur. I was anxious to see if Nick would come up with a plan. Instead of going to headquarters for the afternoon, I received permission from my mother to go home as long as I checked in with her. When I arrived home, I tried to snack on food and work on my homework but could not concentrate. So, I spent my time watching the second hand move on the clock in our living room.
BRING!!! BRING!!!
The doorbell rang, and I was relieved to see that I did not have to wait long for Nick to contact me.
Opening the door I greeted him. “Hey,” I said and moved aside to let him in.
I led him into the kitchen and offered him something to eat, then took a seat at the kitchen bar next to him. Sitting in silence was driving me crazy, and I had to break it. “Any ideas?” I asked him.
He looked thoughtful and unsure. “Well, there is this one thing that I had read about a long time ago in a book about vampires.”
“Okay, well?”
“I really don’t know about it,” he said after a moment. “It may not work and it will be tricky, but if it works it would give me a way to track you when you go into the vampire’s nest. That way I would be able to get to you quickly if you needed help.”
I thought about it for a moment. “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. It might work.”
“Yeah, I think it is called a blood pact, and from what I understand vampires have used it for hundreds if not thousands of years to form bonds with each other.”
I just nodded at him.
“Essentially we would be able to read each other’s thoughts, sense feelings, and would be able to track each other.”
“Well, I am sure when this is over with we would be able to turn it off, and everything would go back to normal,” I told him. “Right?”
“Yeah,” he said, but I wasn’t convinced he was sure about that part.
“Well, today is Tuesday, and I have to turn myself over to them Friday night,” I explained to him. “When should we do this?”
He looked down unsure. “As soon as possible.”
I nodded. “That would probably be best. That way we could get used to it.”
“What about tonight?” he asked. “That way we both have a few days to get used to the connection.”
“Okay, what do we need to do this?” I asked him. “I can sneak out after my mom goes to bed.”
“I will get the book and see if there is anything that we need. After I get everything, I’ll text you later tonight,” he said, heading toward the door.
I looked away from the window and made eye contact with him over by the door. “Okay, I will be waiting.”
“Bye,” he said, opening the door.
“See you later,” I said as he stepped out and shut the door.
After he left I tried to finish my snack and work on my homework, but I couldn’t concentrate on it at all and my appetite was totally gone. My mind kept wandering to how this blood pact thing that Nick mentioned would work and how it would affect us. It was a scary idea, but the alternative was a dead Sam and probably a dead me, too. I was just thankful for Nick and that he was willing to do anything to help.
The blood pact itself fascinated me, and I thought it would be very helpful in saving Sam and probably any other future hunting missions. Some of the effects of the blood pact scared me though, and I shuddered at the thought of knowing the innermost thoughts of a sixteen year old boy.
I was still sitting in the same spot, zoned out imagining what would have to happen to form the bond, when the bang of the door opening made me jump. I glanced at the time. It was just after five o’clock, and my mother had just walked in the door.
“Hey,” I said greeting her, trying to sound cheerful.
“You look like you saw a ghost,” she said, not fooled by my attempt to hide that she had startled me.
I shook my head. “I wasn’t expecting the door to open. I was studying, and I guess I was just too focused on my school work,” I said, holding up my notebook.
“Yeah,” she said grabbing my notebook, “it really must be hard to study a blank piece of paper.” “Oh you got me,” I frowned. “I was just sitting here thinking about Sam.”
She sat next to me and sighed. “It will be okay,” she said, putting her arm around me. “We are doing everything we can to get Sam back safe.”
I just nodded. I knew they were doing what they could to get her back, but I had decided that I would do my part to get her back as well. Because according to the vampire in the alley, it was somehow my fault that she was taken.
“Well,” I said, getting up from my seat. “I am going to go upstairs, take a shower, and actually try to do my homework or maybe take a nap.”
“Okay,” she said. “Well, I will take care of getting us some dinner.”
“Thanks, mom,” I said and left the kitchen.
Upstairs in my room, I did just what I told her I would do. I pulled out clean clothes, went into my bathroom, and turned on the hot water to prepare for a shower. I had this unclean feeling from not telling my mother what was going on and was hoping that a shower would wash it away. I doubted it would work. Inside the shower I performed my daily ritual of washing my hair and bathing. I tried to take my time, but my mind kept wandering to Sam She probably hadn’t had a shower since she was taken, and there was no telling what kind of abuse she was going through. I just hoped she was okay and that we would be able to get her out while she was still alive.
When I finished with my shower, I dressed as comfortable as possible in a pair of black yoga pants and a purple tank top. I did not bother with doing anything other than brushing my hair and pulling it back in a ponytail, and there would be no need for makeup for whatever was to occur that night. When I was finally done, I decided to forgo homework and laid in my bed to see if it would be possible to get a nap in. I knew that it was going be a long night.
“Riley, wake up,” I heard my mother saying as she shook my shoulder. Slowly I opened my eyes and could see her looking over me with concern.
“I’m awake now,” I told her. I glanced over at the clock and could see that it was now seven o’clock.
“You have been asleep for a while. I just came up to tell you that dinner is ready,” she told me as she walked over to the door. “We have company for dinner.”
“Okay,” I said, “I will be right down.” I sighed and wondered who could be over for dinner. Out of the bed, I straightened my ponytail and pulled on a hoodie and a pair of slippers before I walked down the stairs.
Downstairs in the kitchen, I found my mother seated at the table with John and Nick waiting for me.
“Hi,” I greeted them as I walked over and sat down in my seat.
“She was taking a nap,” my mother said to John and Nick, then to me she said, “I thought I was going to have to drag you down the stairs.”
“Sorry, I was tired.”
“I know,” she said, “I was just kidding with you.”
“I know. I’m still a little drowsy.”
She just nodded to me. “Alright then, let’s eat,” she said.
After the food was passed around, we ate the grilled chicken and mashed potatoes that I assumed John cooked, because I was certain that my mother hadn’t cooked it and that it wasn’t take out.
“How has school been for you guys?” John broke the silence.
I looked at him shocked because he rarely asked any personal questions. “It’s good,” I answered him.
“Fine,” Nick piped in.
John nodded and we went back to eating, but after a few minutes I decided to break the silence. “Any word on Sam yet?” I asked.
John was not fazed by my question, but the guy never seemed bothered by anything. However, I did not miss the brief eye contact he made with my mom.
“Nothing yet,” he told me, “but as soon as we do, everyone will know.”
“Ok,” I replied to him, “hopefully we hear something soon.”
“We hope so too,” my mom said. “This is really good chicken,” she said, turning to John to change the subject.
“Thank you,” he replied.
After that we ate dinner in silence. When we were finishing up, I turned to Nick. “Did you finish your history homework?” I asked him.
“Um yeah,” he said with a confused look on his face.
“Oh good, come help me,” I told him and grabbed his arm, dragging him from the kitchen. At the stairs, I stopped and turned to him. “Come on,” I said and walked up the stairs.
Once we reached my room, I quietly closed the door and sat on my bed and offered him a seat.
“So,” I said as he sat down.
“What?” he asked. “You drug me up here.”
I sighed. He was so hopeless. “The plan?”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he said. “I got confused for a second because you dragged me into your bedroom,” he smirked at me.
“You idiot!” I exclaimed and threw a pillow from my bed at him which he caught, causing me to scream in frustration. He just laughed at me, and I fell back on my bed and sighed.
“I’m just kidding with you,” he said.
“Okay then, seriously?” I said and looked over at him.
“I have everything we need,” he told me. “I figured out a place and have read what needs to be done for it to work.”
“Okay,” I nodded, “when are we going to do this?”
“We will have to sneak out later.”
“What about them, my mom and John?” I asked.
“When we go home I am pretty sure John will leave again, so I will just leave after he leaves.”
“Okay, and then I could wait for her to sleep,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” he agreed, “and then we will meet at the corner down the street from here and go to the spot.”
I nodded while I traced the pattern of my blanket with my fingers. We sat in silence for a few minutes when my bedroom door was opened.
“Hey, guys,” my mom said as she looked between us. “John is going on a hunt tonight and is waiting for Nick downstairs to leave.”
“Okay,” Nick said standing to leave.
“Text me later about that essay question,” I told him.
“Okay, I will,” he said and left the room.
I looked over at my mom who looked confused. “What?” I asked her.
“Nothing,” she said and shook her head and left the room.
As I laid on my bed thinking, I could hear my mother saying goodbye to John and Nick. When they finally left I heard her close the front door, and I began to feel as if something life changing was about to happen to me. If something was going to happen, I at least hoped it was going to be good.
I heard steps coming up the stairs, so I turned to the door as my mom stepped back into my room.
“What was that?” she asked with a small smile.
“Just talking about our history assignment,” I told her.
“Is that all?” she asked. “Because I know that when I was your age and I had a boy in my room, it wasn’t for studying.”
“Oh, mom, no,” I said wrinkling my nose. “We are just friends.”
She started to walk out of the room. “Are you sure about that?” she asked turning back to me.
“Positive,” I said. “Will you shut the door behind you, please?”
“Alright,” she agreed. “I am going to do some reading and then turn in early.”
“Yeah, I’m probably just going to go to bed.”
“Okay, goodnight sweetheart,” she said and closed my door behind her.
Laying back on my bed, I could only see my reflection in my bedroom window as I tried to stare out into the darkness.
The more time went by, the more nervous I was. I understood that some blood was going to be exchanged, and maybe some kind of ritual performed or words would be said. And it didn’t sound too difficult, but I was still nervous about the outcome.
Would it work? Will we be able to save Sam because we do this vampire pact thing? I hoped so.
I picked up the book lying on my night table, flipped to my bookmark, and tried to read. It was a book that had captured my attention previously, but with my mind racing in a million different directions, I had to put the book back down after reading the same paragraph five times. With a sigh, I got out of bed and sat at my desk, then opened the lid of my laptop. When the laptop booted up, I turned on my web browser and logged onto a social networking site that my friends and I frequently used.
Nearly as soon as the page loaded, a chat window from Taylor popped up with a message from her.
Hey, what are you doing?
I just finished eating, and I am just killing time now.
Why are you killing time?
Oh just until I am tired. What about you?
Hoping I changed the subject, I held my breath waiting for her response.
Just reading my stream. I heard something fascinating today about you and Nick.
My eyes widened at her response. What could she have possibly been said?
What did you hear?
Well you know how Lucy Moore has a crush on him?
That was news to me. No, I didn’t know that.
Yep and well since she is a jealous “witch” she thinks you two are around each other too much.
I rolled my eyes. Lucy Moore was a moron.
So what? We all hang out together.
She said that one of the old empty classrooms has been seeing some action.
Are you serious? She is an idiot.
Have you guys?
You know better than that.
I know I just had to ask.
I sighed.
Of course, you did. You think it would be hilarious.
I thought it was funny, considering all of the “love” you guys shared when he first came to town.
I shook my head. Lucy Moore was notorious for going around talking about people like this. And Taylor always thought it was funny to listen to her.
Yeah since you know better.
Are you sure I do?
Ha, ha you’re so funny.
I know I am. Without me, you wouldn’t know what funny was.
Right, whatever you say.
I love you, best friend.
That made me smile.
I love you too.
I told her as my phone on my night table started vibrating.
I quickly said goodnight to Taylor and logged off the computer an
d shut the lid. Then anxiously I walked over to my table and picked up my phone. It could have been a message from anyone, but I knew deep down that it was from Nick.
Pressing the home button on my phone, I put in my passcode and saw that indeed the message was from him. The message was short and to the point.
11:00 at the corner of your street.
I quickly replied back that I would be there and looked at the time. It was nearly 10:30 so I grabbed my shoes and put them on and then ducked my head out into the hallway. The light was already out in my mother’s room. I had heard her go to bed a while earlier and hoped that was already asleep. Deciding that I should go ahead and leave, I snuck down the stairs. The only light on in the whole house was the one over the kitchen sink.
Quietly I opened the kitchen door to the outside and slipped out. Luckily my mother’s window is on the same side of the house above the kitchen, and I could check to make sure no lights came on in her room and that her curtains had not moved any. Relieved that there was no sign of movement, I snuck down the driveway sticking close to the bushes that lined the side of it. When I got out onto the sidewalk, I ran as fast I could to the corner. Even though I was about twenty minutes early, I was relieved to find Nick was there already waiting for me.
“I knew you would sneak out as soon as you got the message,” he greeted me.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked him confused.
He held his hands up in defense, “You are just predictably impatient.”
I rolled my eyes at him as we walked over to the car he was in.
Inside of the car, he started it and pulled away from the curb and we began to drive away.
“Where are we going?” I asked him after riding in silence a few minutes.
“I thought we could do this where we first met.”
“We are going to break into the school?” I asked him incredulously.
He just started snickering at me, “No, the park.”
“I didn’t meet you there.”
“Yes you did. You were just so stunned by my awesomeness that you passed out,” he boasted.
“Right, of course it was not at all caused by the lack of oxygen from the vampire’s hand around my throat,” I said rolling my eyes.
“See, I knew you would agree with me,” he laughed as he turned onto the street that the park is located on.
We were quiet for the rest of the drive, and when we arrived at the park, he parked the car in the same spot or nearly the same spot my car had been parked the night he rescued me.
I got out and leaned against the side of the car with an odd sense of deja vu as I waited for him to get everything ready. When he was ready and shutting his car door, I looked over at him and saw that he had a knife and a sword in his hands. I looked from him to the sword and back and raised my eyebrow at him silently. “Just in case we have any company,” he said.
I nodded at him and we started walking along the drive in silence, listening to the sounds in the woods and of a car starting up and leaving the parking lot.
“I didn’t realize I had run this far,” I told him after we had been walking a bit and turned into the trees.
“Yeah, you made it pretty far, but you went in the wrong direction to get help.”
“Well, I was running for my life. I was just trying to get away from them.”
“I know,” was all he said, surprising me when I half expected him to be a smartass about it.
We didn’t speak much after that as we both approached the small clearing where I had faced the three vampires and was nearly killed. The feeling between us was somber as he placed a blanket on the ground from a backpack that I hadn’t even realized he had been carrying on his back.
I stood there dumbly staring as he sat down on the blanket and looked over a piece of paper he had taken out of his pocket.
“Hey,” he called to me getting my attention. I shook my head and realized I had just been standing there so spaced out about everything that was about to happen that I was not functioning. “Sorry about that,” I said and sat down on the blanket where he had been motioning.
“No problem,” he told me.
Turning to face him, I swallowed and asked him, “Okay, now what do we do?”