B007Q4JDEM EBOK (15 page)

“I think I’
m going to
try
to
take a
nap,
” I said out of nowhere, despite not being tired. My mind was lost in thoughts of Salem, wondering what he was doing – probably worrying himself to
death
. I shut my eyes, but there was so much noise on the plane that it was impossible to sleep. I could hear children crying in the back. The man in front of me was talking to the lady beside him about an
authentic
Italian restaurant he had gone to during a business trip to Rome. Paul and Kim were chatting across me about their plans in muffled voices. I tried to mute
them
out the most, not wanting to think about what was going to
happen
when we reached Denver.
The worst of it was probably the conversation going on between the two ladies in the seats opposite ours.

“I can hardly believe so many people are flying to Denver.” One of them said in a somewhat hushed tone. She had a very dis
tinct Southern accent. “Ther
e
’
ve been so many
murders
here
lately that you’
d think
no one would go
.
You’ve been seein’ the news too hadn’t ya?
”
             
“Well, Cynthia, we can’t be the only ones
just passin’ through to Portland
. You have to
remember
this
ain’t
a one-stop flight.
Most these people are probably headin’ elsewhere and just connectin’ through Denver same as us.
” Her friend replied.

I tuned out their voices as best as I could and attempted to reflect on the other night at the creek to distract myself.
I finally dozed off.

Paul shook me gently as we descended. Why, oh, why couldn't he have waited until after the
matter
? I was enjoying a pleasant dream that reflected memories of
the night at the creek
. But that wasn't what made me unhappy about being woken
up;
it was the lurching of the plane as it began falling toward the ground. I was almost certain we were going to crash into the runway, but slowly the plane leveled itself. The wheels popped out and we were safely on land again. The only thing that caused me not to feel relieved was the fact that I was going to have to endure that again on the way home.

We rented a simple little copper-colored car that Kim picked out and paid for, then headed toward the address Janet had given me after Paul inserted the information in
to
the GPS. We passed a hospital on the way, and I
had an uneasy feeling we
had
been given
wrong address. I gasped.

“Paul...” I mumbled as I stared at the address on the little yellow post it note. “I have a bad feeling.”

“What is it?” h
e asked as he peered back from the passenger side seat.

“I don't think Janet is in the hospital.”

“What makes you think that?”

“
We just passed the hospital and that wasn’t the address.
”

“
Denver’s a big place
, Alex.
There’s
bound to be
a bunch of hospitals
,” h
e replied calmly. “Let's just follow the directions from the GPS and see where it takes us.
Okay?
”

“Okay,
” I said quietly, crumpling up the note in my hand. I felt around in my pocket for the cell phone Salem had given me. I browsed through the contacts and couldn't find one that said his name – probably just in case Paul got hold of it. I found Jason's number, Janet's, and Paul's amongst the list. My heart jumped when I saw the word
‘
Bat
’
and I
laughed out loud
.

“What's so funny?” Paul inquired as he looked back at me again.

“N
othing...just a text from Jason,
” I lied. “I'm going to give him a call really quick, to let him know we landed safely.”

“Is there somethin’
going on with you two?” h
e said with a grin.

“No!” I said. “We're just friends!”

“Sure, sure,” h
e laughed. “We'll be quiet so you can talk to
your ‘friend’
.”

“Thanks
…
” I grumbled and dialed Salem's number.

“Hello?” My stomach fluttered at the sound of his voice.

“Hey S...Jason,
” I quickly
corrected myself
. “I just wanted t
o let you know we made it
to Denver.”

“Good. I was worried,” h
e sounded anxious. “Where are you now?”

“We're on our way to find Janet.”

“Stay at t
he hospital with her if you can,” h
e insisted.

“
I'm beginning to wonder if she’
s
even at a hospital
.”

“
Why do you say that
?” t
he anxiousness grew.

“I'l
l have to tell you later, Paul’
s being snoopy,
” I muttered. “Try not to worry too much.”

“You know that's impossible.”

“I know.”

“I miss you,
” There were those flutters again.

“I-I miss you, too...” my voice trailed off when Paul glanced at me
with an ‘Uh
h
uh, I knew it’ look on his face
. “I've got to
go;
we're
almost at the place
.”

I hung up the phone and tucked it back into my pocket. The GPS alerted Kim to turn left, that our destination would be on the right
in just three hundred feet
. My eyes scanned the area for a hospital, but all I saw were small houses
and a diner
. This had to be the wrong place.

“Where's the hospital?” I said as we cruised down the street.

“You may ha
ve been right, Alex,
” Kim said as she stopped the car in front of one of the houses. “This
is the address
,
” She pointed out what appeared to be an abandoned house at the very end of the road.

I recalled all of the horror movies I had seen revolving around haunted houses, and this house could have been pulled
directly
from one of those films. Just looking at it gave me chills. The two story
building
was covered in thick layers of ivy, wooden boards crossed over the two lower story windows. The windows above the awning were shattered and I could have sworn there was a dark figure standing behind the glass, staring out at us.

“Did you see that?” I whispered to my father. I glanced back up at the window and the figure was gone.

“I didn't see anything,
” Paul replied. I saw him lean forward in his seat and rummage through his luggage. “I'll go out first,
and then
you two follow behind me.”

“Okay,
” Kim and I replied in unison.

Paul handed something over the back of his seat. I shook my head when I realized what it was – a hand-crossbow identical to the one he gave me for my birthday. “Oh, no...I'm not taking that!” I protested. “How did you even manage to get that on a plane?!”

“It's just in case, Alex.
Put
it under your sweater,
” He instructed and ignored my question. “You have yours, Kimmy?”

“Yep, got it,” s
he smiled.

I watched as Paul left the car and walked down the cracked sidewalk. He approached the door of the abandoned-looking house and knocked gently on the wooden door. No one responded. He turned toward us and beckoned us over. Kim and I climbed out of the car and marched along the concrete. I walked behind her, fumbling with the crossbow as I tucked it under my sweater.

“I'm going to break down the d
oor if no one answers this time,
” Paul insisted and knocked again.

“That's illegal, dad.”

“
I don’t care
,” h
e grumbled and slammed his thick shoulder into the rickety door. It crashed loudly against the floor.

Cobwebs clung to the ceiling. The atmosphere surrounding the house gave me the creeps, but I stepped over the threshold regardless and followed them inside. There wasn't a single piece of furniture throughout the entire downstairs. The floorboards creaked noisily beneath us with each wary step. Paul turned around and held up his hand, signaling for us to stop.

“There's someone here,” h
e whispered. I was about to ask how he knew, but then I heard a muffled voice from upstairs and something c
rashing into the upper floor. My dad
approached the old staircase and began climbing up it. With each step, I could picture him falling through the rotting old wood. He made it up safely and we followed him. I was beyond unprepared for this. I could feel sweat trickling down the side of my face, and my heart felt like it was about to burst through my chest.

“You shoul
d have stayed away,
” I shut my eyes tightly as I heard Mark's deep voice reach my ears. I couldn't tell just where it was coming from; it seemed to reverberate off the walls.

“Where’
s Janet
,
you bastard
?
!
” Paul shouted, holding his crossbow cautiously as he rounded the corner.

“Janet is not important,
” Mark hissed. “I sense that you forgot to bring something important
with you
, Alexis.”

I stopped behind Kim as she followed Paul into a room full of sheet-covered furniture. “I don't
know what you’re talking about
,
” I replied in a croaky voice.

“I had truly hoped you would have brought Salem along with you, that way I could have
killed two birds with one stone,” h
e snickered maliciously. “Or, in this case – a bird and a
‘
bat
’
, right?
”

I gulped as I felt Paul's eyes
turn towards
me. “
Salem and I have nothing to do with each other
,
” I
said bitterly
, meeting my father and aunt in the room.

“Fool!” Mark bellowed. “Don't think that I am going to fall for your lies. Your father might be daft enough to believe you, but I am far wiser.
I know about you and the boy.
”

“Why
would you care
?” I asked
and ignored
the angry glance Paul was directing at me.

“He is a pathetic excuse for a vampire, don't
you see? Feasting on animals!” h
e scoffed. “It was satisfactory for a while, but eventually the hunger for human blood is just
too
enticing
...it won't be long before he makes you his victim.”

“You are wrong about him.
He’s different
!
”

Paul was about to say something to me but Kim shook her head, “This isn't the time or place,
Paul,” s
he said.

“Just tell us where Janet is. Please!
” I pleaded.

“Hurting her was a
mistake, I will admit that one,” h
is voice had grown softer, “She had cut herself with a kitchen knife the morning before the...incident...and I tried to control myself. But once I smelled her blood, oh...it was hard to control my thirst for more! The hunger was far too powerful.”

“How many people have you hurt, Mark?” Paul spat as he spoke, turning out of the room and into the next which was roughly identical. There was only one room left, down the long hallway and at the very end.

“
Not nearly enough to satisfy!” h
e laughed. “But th
ree Waldron's ought to fix that, for now.
”

“So,
you admit that you killed all
those innocent people...and you
put
Janet in the bear cage after you...
didn’t you?!
” I
gasped,
the rest of the words
were
too difficult to speak.

The wretched laugh came again
, sending shivers down my spine, “a
nd I saved the best for last.”

I watched as my father inched closer to the door down the hall, steadily holding his weapon. Why had I agreed to come here? He and Kim were experienced hunters, whereas I was a coward with a shaking crossbow and feelings for a vampire. He wrapped his hand firmly around the wobbly doorknob and pushed the door open. At first, I couldn't see anything, but once my eyes adjusted I saw two red dots floating around amidst the dark void. Eyes. The eyes of a vampire that had
just
eaten.