“We’re trying to get back to Glenndale. I tracked this runaway from there. She was a clever one. She’s old enough to start her new, exciting life up in the dome, but she got cold feet at the last moment and ran away. Some just can’t bear to leave the home that they’ve known for 22 years. Ya know what I mean?”
A puzzled look crossed the driver’s face. “We’ll two things come to mind. First thing is that you are a long way from home, and secondly, you’re going the wrong way. Glenndale is the opposite direction.”
Drake laughed heartily. “Oh my, I can’t believe I got turned around. It’s been a long trip.”
Drake noticed the driver’s gaze always returning to Megan, and lingering.
“Do you mind if she sits in your cab for a minute. She’s been complaining for hours that she’s so tired. I keep telling her, it serves her right for running away. She can rest while I talk to you for a few minutes…if you don’t mind.” As Drake talked, he helped Megan into the cab, all the while, watching the driver’s body language. Drake could tell that the driver was at the end of a long shift and needed to get back upstairs in order to satisfy his need. He was fidgety and excited as Megan sat next to him.
The rules were explicit to all Vampires: no feeding at the base, but just the prospect of sitting beside such a lovely young human woman was enough to make the driver lose his focus. The warmth and proximity of such beauty just fuelled his hunger. He didn’t even notice Drake leisurely walk around to the driver’s door.
Drake took a quick peek up and down the highway and pulled out the stiletto he had purchased days ago. The click of the blade was empowering. He felt relieved that they would now have transportation. They could hide the body in the woods. He wouldn’t be missed for a few hours and it would take days to find the body. This would be his first murder not by fang. The thought of unleashing his fury on another man appealed to him and he felt anger rise to the surface. A year ago, the thought of killing a man with his own hands would have never occurred to Drake, but now it electrified him. In one quick, catlike motion Drake had swung the driver’s door open and dragged the surprised driver down to the ground. Drake was the larger, stronger man, with fury and surprise on his side. The driver instinctively covered up his face but could feel the blows on his chest. A quick glance revealed the flash of metal and a glimpse of red. He now felt the blade drive deep, and knew his time was up. The scenario was so confusing to the shocked man, until it didn’t matter anymore. Drake stood over him panting. Blood dripped from the blade onto the pant-leg of the driver. Drake looked up and saw Megan’s horrified face. He felt the rage drain from him and felt it replaced by regret. “Sorry you had to see that.”
Megan looked away. She could hear Drake dragging the body around the front of the truck, and watched as he pulled it into the woods. She hardened herself to what she had just experienced and felt relieved that they now had a vehicle.
“Just remember, he was the enemy,” Drake said as he settled himself into the driver’s seat.
Drake was a little rusty, and this truck was definitely bigger than what he had gotten used to on the farm.
After making a jerky, erratic U-turn, “Don’t worry, I’ll get the hang of it.”
Drake looked over at Megan. “Don’t worry. This is our ride home. We’ll ditch it once we get close and walk the rest of the way. We’re almost home, baby!”
Megan ventured a weak smile and reached out to hold Drake’s hand; a gesture that brought a tear to Drake’s eye.
***
A few days had passed without any sign of the serial murderer that had been terrorizing Vampire women.
“I think we should all be very concerned, Genn,” Detective Lang said to her partner as they sat, bored in the police station.
Genn frowned. “His pattern has definitely been broken. He was good for a murder every couple of days…but now, nothing. That’s a good thing in a way, but it makes you wonder where he’s gone.”
Lang leaned back. “And his transactions have ceased-no hotel bills, and no food bills for his human companion. It scares me. I don’t know if the elders realize the implications if this guy manages to smuggle himself down to the base. This is no ordinary Vampire…this is a guy who could start a rebellion like we have never seen before. It could threaten our entire way of life. It would at least drastically affect our food supply for many years and the shock wave from it could take years to smooth out once we quash the rebellion. If we can suppress it; humans outnumber us 5 to 1.”
Just then, a prompt came up on Lang’s computer and she opened the message.
“This could be it. A lumber truck driver down at the base is missing. The driver and his truck haven’t showed up at their destination; he’s 5 hours late. So much for our extra precautions.”
Genn grabbed his jacket. “You think it could be Ulah?”
“The break in his pattern and now this information…yeah I’d bet it’s him. Let’s put out an APB on his truck and get a search party together to search the woods along the highway. I think the driver’s probably dead, and our fugitives are heading home,” Lang talked as they walked briskly to their vehicle.
“Do you think he would actually go to his home turf? Obviously we’re going to concentrate our search in that area,” Genn questioned.
“I know; he seems too smart for that. But, the base is a huge expanse to cover, so it’s the most logical place for us to start. And, it is his best hope to get support. Wow, I can’t believe this is actually happening…we could be in big shit.”
It didn’t take too long for the search to turn up the driver’s bloodied body. Genn and Lang didn’t waste time attending the crime scene.
“Hmm, no DNA and not his usual M.O., but a pretty vicious murder,” Genn said.
“Just for his truck I imagine. He obviously has an aversion to feeding from male Vampires because he certainly is due for a feed.” Lang was interrupted by her pocket computer. “Let’s go. There’s been a murder reported about 10 hours up the road.”
Genn looked over at Lang as he drove. “You know, we’re not even sure that it is Ulah, we are just speculating.”
“I know. But I have a gut feeling about it. You must feel it, too.”
“Yeah, of course I do, but without concrete evidence the elders are never going to take us seriously. That’s why it’s been so hard to get support.”
“I know. And they don’t seem to be able to grasp the big picture. They’ve been lulled into a false sense of security by 1,000 years of easy living. They could be in for a real eye opener if we don’t catch up with this guy…and by then it could be too late.”
“But, it won’t be easy for him to spread a rebellion-there’s just too much area to cover and organize. I just don’t think it can be done on such a large scale, and maybe that’s what the elder’s mind-set is.”
***
Drake was starting to feel that all too familiar hunger growing inside of him. The Vampire blood he was consuming was not very fulfilling and he hadn’t fed for a couple of days. The truck needed to be dumped soon, too.
“Are you getting hungry?” Drake asked.
“I’m starved.”
“We’ll buy some food at the next store we come across and leave the truck somewhere out of the way. I’m getting a little nervous continuing to drive it. Those detectives may already have an idea of what we’re up to. I don’t want to take a chance.”
The highway stretched out before them into the rolling hills. The tall grasses bright green at the stalk and leaf, golden brown at the top and bent from the weight of its own seeds. Fields of crops meant a farm was not far away. Drake slowed and watched intently any time they passed by a home. He was starting to get worried that he may not be able to find enough to eat; Vampire women were just not as plentiful here as they were upstairs. His hunger was tolerable, now, but rapidly escalating. A small grocery store and fuel station appeared as if from nowhere, secluded and hidden amongst a grove of trees, the red business sign just pee
king out. Drake pulled in with two things in mind, both of them to do with food. Taking care of Megan’s needs would be the easy part. The big rig came in with a rumble and a trail of dust. Megan knew instinctively to stay behind. Drake walked into the store and was relieved to see it empty and his anticipation spiked when he saw a young woman behind the sales counter. Vampire or human, Drake would have to get closer to be able to tell. The desire of fulfillment was always more intense when close to a warm blooded human, than a cold blooded Vampire. Blood was blood, sustenance, sustenance, but just the thought of human blood was enough to make Drake’s knees weak. Never again to be tasted. Drake was relieved that he didn’t get that wicked feeling, she was Vampire-and as usual, his thoughts now turned more vengeful than lustful.
“Good day,” he said with a broad smile.
The young woman was immediately intrigued by the friendly and striking Vampire man.
“Hello. What can we do for you today?”
“I need some human food.” Drake stammered, realizing his mistake. The woman’s head jerked up. “I mean some food. I’ve been upstairs for too long.” Drake had realized that the word human was not permitted in public at the base. “Not very busy today?” Drake said as he placed some food items into a basket.
“Not too much, no. We’re kind of out of the way, but necessary to the farms in the area. They house quite a few workers.”
Drake walked closer and made eye contact as she spoke. The woman was mesmerized by Drake’s eyes and she felt her body relax, but still cognizant enough to recognize and be puzzled by it. The feeling of calm was nice and she looked deeper, craving even more. Drake spoke in the deep calming tone that he knew worked like a charm. He noticed the tell tale signs as the woman’s eyelids began to droop and her body became limp, and then suddenly, as if the woman realized what was happening, she jerked her gaze away.
“What the bloodless hell! Wow that was strange,” she said.
Drake realized that he had lost her and he vaulted over the counter in the blink of an eye. The woman was still collecting her wits and was unable to react quickly enough to escape. She felt Drake’s vice-like grip around her shoulders and she struggled to get free. She tried to protect her neck but Drake had pushed his face into her nape. She felt Drake’s hot breath and squirmed in a panic to save her life. Her struggle allowed Drake to push his face even deeper until he could feel his fangs make contact with her skin. A few more movements and one fang pierced…then the other, deeper and deeper until the more resilient sheath of the artery was located. Drake could sense that her blood was not fresh, but good enough to get him through one more day. She jerked the wrong way and Drake’s fangs found their mark. His eyes turned upward as he felt her lifeblood rush to his brain. Her strength waned and eventually she went limp as she surrendered to him. Drake drained her and dropped her to the floor. He loved that sound. He stood triumphantly over her for a moment relishing the power over life and death. A brief thought of eliminating the entire Vampire race singlehandedly, raced through Drake’s emboldened mind. He stepped away from the body and came back to his senses. A quick look outside at the peaceful landscape brought calm to him. He was home and he was content to die here-someday, but not now. There was work to be done and Drake realized that he could not let his guard down. He would have to be ever vigilant as the authorities chased him, because once he was gone, the revolution that he hoped to ignite, would be extinguished. He was the only one with the proof and willingness to spur on the movement. He collected some food items, hastily throwing them into a cart. A vehicle pulled up outside and a young woman got out. Drake pushed his cart to the door and passed her. She was human and beautiful, and suddenly Drake felt unfulfilled by his recent feed. He hurried to the truck and threw all of the groceries into the sleeper area in the rear of the cab, all the time looking back.
“That was close,” Drake said glancing over at Megan.
The big rig pulled back onto the greenway and sped away.
Megan knew by Drake’s demeanor that he had just killed. Specks of blood were discernible on his face. She spit on a tissue and leaned over to scrub them away.
The gesture warmed Drake’s heart more than his last kill. He looked over and smiled. “Vampire blood.”
Meagan’s face was stoic. “Yes, I know.”
***
Detectives Genn and Lang pulled into an out of the way highway convenience store.
Genn pulled out his DNA analyzer as they walked to the store, stretching out the kinks of a long drive as they went.
“Yep, it’s him-Ulah-or whoever,” Genn said.
“Let’s get going. He’s got a 10 hour head start.”
Genn groaned and turned with Lang towards the door.
“What’s your feeding schedule? Because I have a feeling we could be down here for awhile,” Genn said.
“I’m good for a few more days. You?”
“Me too, but they do have strict regulations down here, you know.”
Lang smiled. “Don’t worry Genn, you won’t miss a meal. There must be some sort of contingency plan for important business. I’ll check with the Captain.”
Chapter 14
Beating a Dead Vampire
Drake re-fuelled his truck, using his credit card at the pump. Megan watched him in the truck’s side mirror and noticed him looking frequently towards the store. She recognized the furtive body movements but was puzzled by the timing.
“I want to help.”
Drake looked surprised. “Help with what?”
“The next time you feed. You said yourself that it’s riskier down here, so at least I can help in some way; even if it’s just to keep watch.”
Drake looked at her momentarily. “Thanks. It would be helpful to have an accomplice.” He smiled briefly. “I’m hoping to feed one more time to try and gorge myself before we set off on foot. We need to dump this truck, soon, so it may be a while until I can feed again. There is a lot more traffic at this stop, so it will be tougher to get enough time to make the kill, if the cashier is even a Vampire woman. We got extremely lucky with the last feed.” Drake looked around as another vehicle pulled in.
“What about a traveler? I could possibly lure her around to the back and then run interference if she has a travelling companion.”
“We’ll have to be very fortunate again. There are just a lot fewer Vampires down here. Some Vampires come to the base for vacation, but most need to stay in designated areas. Only a few with special permits are allowed beyond those borders.”
The truck was ready to roll and Drake replaced the gas nozzle. A steady stream of vehicles came and went.
“I’m going inside to scope things out. Do you want anything?”
“Maybe I should come in,” Megan suggested.
“Sure. Just look at the magazines and keep one eye on me. I’ll be able to tell if any of the customers are Vampire once I get close enough.”
This area was a little busier than the last, due to a more dense human population because of the many factories and the workforce required to man it. Most of the workers were 16 or 17 and up to 21 and Megan watched closely as she absently flipped through a magazine. Drake quickly passed by the female shoppers. Megan could tell that all were human by the way Drake reacted and quickly passed them by. She wondered if he was feeling any attraction to them and if there was any difference to the feeling he got when he noticed a female Vampire. It was all just jealousy and Megan tried to put the emotion out of her mind. Drake looked over and shrugged; all were human. Megan put the magazine back and followed Drake out of the store.
“Nothing?” Megan asked.
“No. Let’s hang out for a few minutes, but we need to keep moving and to dump this truck, so we can’t linger for too long.”
Vehicles came and went and Drake’s attention was diverted by a cute young woman emerging from the store. She walked past, dressed in work clothes without a speck of dust on them. Megan noticed the way Drake watched her go by and felt that familia
r twinge of jealousy.
“Jump in,” he said to Megan.
Megan walked briskly around the front of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat. Firing up the big rig’s engine, Drake pulled out of the parking lot and hammered on the accelerator pedal.
“She’s a Vampire?” Megan asked.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how you tell. They all look so normal to me.”
Drake smiled. “Thanks.”
Megan blushed slightly. “So, what’s the game plan?’
“My only game plan at this point is to catch up to her; I’ll wing it from there.”
There was a brief silence. “She was quite attractive, wasn’t she?”
Drake looked over at her, surprised by her comment. “I suppose, if you like that kind of a girl: beautiful, sexy, rubber boots and baggy overalls,” Drake joked, even as he barreled down the road, then turned more serious. “Look, Megan, I love you and no one else. There never, ever, could be anyone else…and I hope and pray that one day you’ll be able to see me in that same light again. We have a child on the way and a chance to make a difference. Let’s use our love as a catalyst to make things right. But for now, there’s that pick-up truck. I’m going to try to get her to stop.”
Megan started to get nervous about her role in all of this. It’s a Vampire, damn-it, she reminded herself. She’s probably killed hundred’s…if not thousands of innocent humans. She steeled herself to her task.
Drake pulled up behind the pick-up, but not too close to intimidate, then sounded his horn. He could see the woman’s eyes move to her rearview mirror. With a slow waving motion, Drake gestured out his window. The woman’s brow tightened but she pulled over. The pick-up seemed tiny in comparison to the big hauling vehicle pulling up behind it.
“I’ll tell her that her back wheel is wobbling on the rear passenger side, I’ll say you saw it first, just back me up and follow my lead. If someone comes, run interference,” Drake instructed as the rig squeaked to a stop.
The Vampire woman stepped out of her vehicle. “Hi, what’s up?” she shouted with a smile.
Drake stepped around his door and smiled back. “Sorry to pull you over like that, but my passenger noticed your rear wheel over there wobbling a bit; thought you should know.”