Controlled Chaos (Deadly Dreams Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-four

11:00 p.m. Monday Evening, Labor Day

I hit up the blood bank to get a real drink. I had lifted a key to the storage area when I had volunteered, and now it was time to see if I could get in and out undetected. If I could—holy shit, I just hit the lottery for vampires.

I got to the bank, and there was no one there except for a security guard who was at the front of the bank, half asleep. He struck me as a graveyard security guard who fell asleep a lot. So I knew that if I was extra quiet, that should be enough not to wake him.

I had a cab drop me off in another parking lot and told him to just take off, and I would walk home from here. I figured I would make a second call to a cab or call Steve once I had the blood.

I jumped the fence to the blood bank and went to the back, where my key was able to open the backdoor. I opened the door slowly and quietly. I was glad to see no alarms or sirens went off. I have found that if a place pays for a security guard, the likelihood that they would have surveillance was highly unlikely. I looked around for cameras, and there were none. I didn’t remember them being there last time either.

I went to the refrigeration system that the blood bank kept the blood donations in. I grabbed five bags from the back and thought I would try to be thriftier this time, so it looked less suspicious. No one would ever miss five. Five was a good number. Five could last me a week if I was careful about it. Plus, I had a key and could come back anytime. I went to the janitorial closet and found a nice large black trash bag. I put the five bags of blood in the bag. I quietly headed out the back and I hopped the fence again to the original parking lot where I was dropped off. I called a second cab to come pick me up. I had them pick me up about half a mile up the road at an Arco. I walked to the Arco in the early morning light, holding a trash bag with a weeks’ worth of blood in it for your everyday vampire. My life was so weird at the present moment.

I was dying for a drink. I decided to go behind a chiropractor’s office building and take a swig out of one of the bags. My cravings were off the charts.

I got to the back of the chiropractor’s office and was away from the main road. There was a trash can near the office’s backdoor. I walked up to the trash can and placed my bag on the side of the top left of the trash can so it wouldn’t fall into the trash. There wasn’t anyone anywhere. I took one bag out and made a tiny slurping hole so I could drink straight from the bag. I didn’t want to make the hole too big because I was to clog it up when I was done drinking.

I lifted the bag to my mouth and I made a tiny puncture no bigger than the size of a Tic-Tac. Suddenly, blood poured down my neck and I felt a rush and a satisfaction unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like having your munchies satisfied, times a thousand. My drink was intoxicating, and it didn’t matter how big of a hole I made. I ended up drinking the entire bag, every last drop. I was tempted to open a second bag, but I refused. I needed to get this under control. I had worked with enough addicts to know I could beat this.

I had the cab driver drive me over to Donna’s. I couldn’t fly because I had this large ass bag with me full of blood. My money was running low taking all these cab rides, but I had enough to pay the guy.

I hoped she would be home and sober. I hadn’t spoken to her since the night of the pizza. We connected so well that I had to see her again.

She answered the door, and by the look on her face, she wasn’t surprised at all to find me there.

“I hope I’m not intruding.”

“Nope,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep and I was about to call you. I was actually thinking it was way too late to call; now here you are, on my doorstep.”

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Five in the morning,” Donna answered. “Come in, I’ll make us a cup of coffee.”

“How have you been doing, Donna?”

“Am I clean? Is that your question?”

“No, the first question is a sincere ‘how are you doing?’ My second question would be, ‘Are you using?’”

Donna smiled. “I guess you’re right; you’re a straight shooter in that way. And to answer both questions I’ll say, I’m better now that you’re here, and no, I haven’t used since that day with my brother.”

“Good,” I said. “I’m proud of you.”

“You always are, Hunter. You have truly been the most loyal friend I have had over the years. You know what that kind of makes you.”

“What is that?” I asked.

“It makes you my best friend. I know I will never have Steve beat as your best friend, but in my heart of hearts, I know that you’re my best friend.”

I looked at Donna and she had good color in her face. She seemed like she hadn’t slept, but she was acting clean. My heart was beating really fast while I was in Donna’s presence. Donna moved me in a way that most women couldn’t even if they tried. It was just her way. The way she does things. The way she says things.

“What is going on, Hunter? What’s going on in that mind of yours? I feel a heaviness coming from you. Does it have anything to do with why you showed up at my house at five in the morning with a large, black plastic trash bag?”

“Can I put the bag in your closet?”

“Sure,” Donna said. “You don’t have to tell me what is in your bag. Just let me know if I’m dealing with something that’s dead.”

“Not dead,” I said.

“Okay.” Donna opened up her front closet and I placed my bag of blood in there. I couldn’t stop Donna from peeking in my bag. I just didn’t want to talk about its contents at the very moment. “Is that it?” Donna asked.

I looked at Donna and I couldn’t remember the last time I was this attracted to another person. I had a lot of reasons for my heart to feel heavy. But what she was sensing was my affection. I was scared to let her know. “This might sound crazy,” I said.

“Try me,” Donna said. “I’m all about crazy these days.”

I grinned. I was sitting to Donna’s left on her couch. I scooted closer to her and lowered my voice. And I said very slow and very precisely so she heard each word individually. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Donna paused, and I could see a number of emotions on her face. Then she smiled at me, and it was beautiful. “I’m okay with that,” she said.

“You are?”

“I’m perfectly fine with it.”

“My feelings have crossed the line, and it would be unprofessional for me to be your only source for help with your addiction. I will recommend you a woman I know. She’s real good.”

“A woman?”

“Why not a woman?” I asked.

“Sometimes two women can be catty.”

“And also two women can have one of those epic friendships like you see on the movies
Beaches
and
Fried Green Tomatoes
.”

“Have you seen both those movies?” Donna laughed.

“Hey, I like a well-made movie.
Coal Miner’s Daughter
is another one of my favorites,” I said, laughing.

“You’re changing the subject,” Donna said.

“Am I?” I said.

“Yes, you are.”

“Why would I do that?” I asked.

“Because you’re scared.”

“I’m scared? I don’t get scared,” I said, lying through my teeth.

“Yes, you do. You forget who you’re talking to. Your tough guy, James Dean phrases aren’t going to work on me, my sweetness.”

Before I knew what was happening, Donna had scooted over and her lips were on mine. Her lips tasted surprisingly like strawberries. As we kissed very passionately, it felt right. It felt like I had finally come home with a woman. My hands cupped her beautiful face.

She began undoing my pants and I felt my erection grow and throb. I needed to be with her. I loved her. I hadn’t been aware that my body could feel this satisfied. I felt more alive than I ever had. It was like all my senses had been heightened to the point where sex could be godlike. Our kisses grew more passionate as I wriggled out of my pants and I started unbuttoning her shirt. She pulled me along into her bedroom and laid herself on the bed. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. And that was before she took her clothes off.

I finished undressing and moved on top of her, finding her lips again. She moaned beneath me when I entered her, and I moved with a stamina I had never felt before. I knew I needed to be careful, as I felt far more powerful doing this act than I ever had before. She cried out beneath me as she had a fierce orgasm and I thought I had never heard a more exciting sound, and then it was my turn.

We laid together in exhaustion and I had a hunger for human blood like no other. I didn’t want to ask Donna for another vein just yet. Hell, that was why I had the bag of blood in the front closet. It was getting warm, and I figured screw it, and I was going to put it in the freezer. But while I’m up, why not indulge? I drank my blood and I finished another bag. I was going through the blood bags too fast.

I stayed late and grabbed another cab home. I had put the bag in Donna’s closet and she never asked about it. I wondered if blood went bad the way food did. Why else do they refrigerate it? Certainly, it wasn’t for vampires. They refrigerate the blood because something happens to it when it is left out warm. I just knew I needed to get the bag back to my house and put it inside my refrigerator. So once Donna fell asleep, I left by cab. When I got home, it was still dark. I put the bags of blood in my freezer, and when I would be ready to drink the bag I would move it over to the regular refrigerator area.

Chapter Twenty-five

6:00 p.m. Tuesday Evening

I went to sleep and slept all during the day. That was my life now. All I needed was a coffin to sleep in and I was everything I would imagine a vampire to be.

I decided to hit up the pizza parlor again once the sun went down. Felix was working and I wanted to do a little more hanging out. I ordered a beer and some cheesy bread. I didn’t see the cheesy bread being eaten, but it felt like the right thing to order.

Felix came by my table and let me know that he just planned on chilling at his place for the night, throwing back some beers and getting caught up on his DVR. He invited me to join him, and I thought this would be the best way to truly get to know the guy. Or maybe he was the psychopathic killer he was portrayed as in my dreams, and he was taking a more Jeffrey Dahmer approach and was planning on killing and eating me.

Either way, I was fascinated, and I looked at Felix. I could take him easily. I watched Felix work and wondered what went on in a serial killer’s head while he worked his daily job. Finally, Felix’s shift was over.

Felix grabbed a whole pizza and we hit the road. I drank blood tonight, so that I would have no hunger issues while in his presence. I wasn’t looking forward to having to choke more pizza down, but the idea of beers definitely sounded good.

We went into his apartment. I was taken aback, and everything seemed all too familiar. His apartment was exactly the way I saw it in my dreams.

In my dreams, he had killed a man where I was presently standing. I had to keep my cool and make sure I didn’t hint that I knew more than I did. What did I really know? I mean, I got the name right, landmarks right, and now his apartment was exactly the way it looked in my dreams. What the hell was I supposed to think? Was Felix a killer?

When we got inside, I sat on his recliner. It had the best overall view of the room, and I needed to make sure I wasn’t going to be this guy’s next victim if my nightmares were true.

Felix cracked a couple of beers and handed me one. Considering who he was, he had a pretty nice setup. I had expected a slumlord house, but his apartment was simple, clean, and cool. But it was the apartment in my dreams. That sent a chill down my back.

We sat on his couch, and Felix flicked on the TV and put on ESPN. I couldn’t have been more shocked that this string bean with greasy hair was into sports. But here he was, putting on football and checking the score. It made me think of Steve and I wondered if he was at the bar, watching the game. He would be pretty pissed if he knew that I was hanging out with Felix again. I couldn’t help it, though. I needed to get close to Felix so I could end my nightmares about the guy. I needed to know exactly what he was about in my non-dream world. Because in my dream world, he was Charles Manson.

Knowing what I had seen, I felt an obligation to put a stop to Felix’s killing, if that was indeed what he was doing. How I was going to do that was an entirely different matter.

“So, man, you do any shit?” Felix asked me.

“You mean drugs?” I asked.

Felix laughed to himself and said, “It’s cool if you don’t.”

“Whiskey is my drug.” I tried sounding hardcore in the hopes that I wouldn’t be pressured into doing drugs. Wouldn’t that be something, a drug counselor doing drugs? After losing my parents, there was no way in hell I was doing drugs for anything.

“You don’t like to get high?” Felix was looking at me with a piercing gaze.

“I have nothing against getting high. I’ve just always been a booze man. I guess you’re big into them,” I said to Felix, “since you’re asking.”

“Just thought you might want to try some good shit.”

I laughed. “No man, not my thing. Sorry, but by all means, go ahead.”

Felix was watching me carefully and I wondered if I was being tested, or if he was just suspicious of pulling out God knows what in front of a stranger.

Felix got up and went into another room. I hoped he wasn’t going for any kind of weapon. Though I felt I might be able to take him easily, being a vampire and all, I didn’t want to push my luck, however, as I hadn’t quite determined if I had any weaknesses. Could I be killed?

Felix came back into the room with blue pills in his hands.

“You sure you don’t want to try one?”

“Just the beer for me, buddy, thanks. Maybe I’ll branch out another night.”

Felix popped the pills and downed half his beer. A great idea occurred to me: maybe I could get some information out of Felix once he got a little high.

It didn’t take long before Felix started laughing at the football game during times that weren’t really funny.

“So where do you get your shit from? A local guy?”

Felix turned to look at me, not in the piercing way he was before, but with a certain glint in his eyes. “I’m the local guy. I’m the guy.”

I laughed nervously, “Oh really? You’re a real, uh..?”

“As real as it fucking gets.”

I was shocked, and wondered if he was about to reveal something profound to me. I downed my beer, scared to death of what could happen if he did tell me he’d killed someone.

I decided to leave it at that.

“So, what do you do for work?” Felix said. “You need a job? I could get you one at the pizza place. I think they’re hiring these days. Or maybe you could be a runner for me.”

Yeah, the idea of heading out in the sunlight to work at a pizza parlor thrilled me. You know what thrilled me more? The idea of being a drug runner for this punk. “No man, I’m good. I don’t need money, and I just work nights anyways.”

“That’s weird.”

“What can I say? I like sleeping in.” I smiled at Felix.

“It’s cool to hang out, man. I never have people over here.”

“You never hang out?” I asked

Felix stared at me again, and his eyes were a little disconcerting.

“No. No one ever gets close to me.” Felix got introspective and said, “Too risky.”

I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “But you’re cool, man. Right. You don’t have, like, hits out on you?”

Felix looked at me and said, “What guy in my shoes doesn’t? It’s all a matter of who has the balls to come up on you. Maybe that’s why there is a big turnover rate for this area for my runners.”

I’d never had this casual of a conversation with a professed drug dealer. I mean, that was what he was. I should be looking at this guy as the enemy in more ways than one. But I didn’t. He had a dominant but kind nature. I felt like I had seen a glimpse into Felix’s life, and he seemed to be beginning to trust me. This might be the beginning of my way in.

Felix didn’t feel the need to do any of his more serious drugs, and he just smoked some pot and drank beers with me. Pot was legal here in California. I would imagine a guy like Felix has a nice doctor’s note for back problems or whatever he said to the guy to get his prescription.

I was really digging Felix’s eclectic music taste. He kept playing music that was on his iPod over his stereo and it was some cool stuff, lots of original jams.

Felix offered me pot about fifty times before that night’s end, and I said ‘no’ each and every time. But I drank a dozen beers, easy. I was sloshed. I crashed on Felix’s couch. Felix went to his room.

He was a good enough guy not to bring it around me once he knew I wasn’t at all into the drug scene.