Fall of the Mortals (Book 1) (11 page)

“That wasn’t the deal,” Shaun replied, stiffening his upper lip.

“Do you want to know or not?” asked Sharon, knowing she held all the cards in the dispute.

“Here,” said Shaun, holding the cup out the window.

She snatched it from his hand and drank vigorously.

“Sharon? Did you find one?”

She ignored him for a moment being caught up in her splendor of enraptured bliss.

“Sharon!”

“Yes I did!” she snapped, her back turned to him. 

“Where is it located?” he asked. 

“Tch. Tch,” said Sharon, turning around casting an evil grin, waving her index finger, his blood smeared around her lips.  “I said I would find one. I didn’t say I would tell you where it is.”

“What did you find, Sharon?” said Shaun, trying not to be irritated. He needed her badly. He had to play her game.

“A bus is on the I-10 off the Mojave Freeway,” she answered.

“Its condition?”

“I don’t know,” she said irritably, floating away from the window. “We have no need of them, Shaun.”

He thought for a moment.

“Give me more blood!” she hollered.

“Tomorrow,” Shaun responded.

“I want more.”

“There’s something else you can do,” said Shaun firmly.

“What?” she asked.

“I need to know the way is cleared all the way to Nevada,” said Shaun.

“The roads aren’t cleared,” she answered. “There are many cars in the way. Where are you going?” she asked.

“I told you, I can’t tell you,” he replied. “The bus is no good to us if cars are in the way.”

“What are you asking me to do?” asked Sharon.

“Move them.”

She growled.

“You and the others have the strength,” said Shaun. “Do it for me.”

She chuckled and stared at him, wanting so badly to break through the window and feast on him.

“Will you do it or not?” he asked.

“Just be here tomorrow night,” she said. “With another cup.”

“Bring Kylie too,” said Shaun pleadingly. “So I can see her again.”

She flew off into the night.

CHAPTER SIX
Deception of a Vampire

The next morning, everyone sat at the dining table eating breakfast. Terry and his bikers stood around everybody, holding a plate of pancakes. They were dressed down in faded jeans and black biker boots. Terry, Curtis and Trent wore bandanas around their heads. Mark, Brody, Billy and Shane wore sleeveless denim jackets that had a biker rocker patch stating ‘
L.A. Riders North
’ on the back near the top. There was an image of a demonic skull on the rocker with hellacious gaping jaws below the name of their gang. Each of them had tattoos on their arms. Some of the tattoo images were of naked women and inappropriate for the children.

Shaun approached the door leading into the dining and kitchen area. He paused and watched Terry and his boys dominating the atmosphere with their biker garb. He cringed watching Terry loudly telling his stories of biker shows and contests. Terry finished his story with a punch line. Everyone broke out into laughter. Shaun noticed Chris was especially intrigued with Terry and the others. This worried Shaun. He was concerned about the negative influence they were going to have on Chris being the young, impressionable age that he was.

“There’s the man of the hour!” said Terry, referring to Shaun as he walked in.

“Good morning everybody,” said Shaun. 

“Rise and shine, beautiful,” said Trent, grinning with a mouth that was missing some teeth.

“How did you guys sleep?” asked Shaun.

“Like a baby,” Terry answered.

“You guys got any plans today?” asked Shaun, hoping Terry would say
yes
.

“Matter a fact, we do,” answered Terry.

“Where you guys going?” asked Chris, highly interested.

Terry rubbed his beard as if he was trying to think of something to say.

“We’re getting low on the
special
water supply. I thought we’d check a few of the churches in the west side of the city,” answered Terry.

“That’s a great idea. I feel like you guys are a cavalry of reinforcements and safety here already,” stated Harold, smiling. Betty placed another plate of pancakes in front of him.

Shaun was relieved. He knew they would be gone most of the day. There was something about the bikers that deeply troubled him. Until something happened, he knew he had to put those thoughts aside and just be open minded and positive. 

“Smells great, Betty,” said Shaun watching over her stove top symphony with a warm smile.

“Sit down now. Yours are just about ready, Shaun,” Betty responded.

“Thank you,” he replied, taking a seat at the table.

Betty, Ni and Kim were smiling making breakfast for everyone. They enjoyed cooking for a large family.

“So can I come, Terry?” asked Chris. “I can ride bitch.”

“Chris!” Harold blurted, disapproving of his profanity.

“What?” said Chris. “These are my new homies. It’s how we talk, bro.”

Terry glanced at Curtis who shook his chin indicating Chris shouldn’t go with them.

“Maybe next time, bud,” said Terry.

“Ah man, c’mon!” pleaded Chris.

“Tell you what. If we find something, we’re going to box it up today. We can use an extra set of hands on the next run. Deal?” asked Terry.

“Deal,” said Chris, fist bumping Terry.

Shaun grew more suspicious of Terry and his posse.
“How do you box up holy water from a church? Why don’t they want Chris to go? What will they be really doing out there?”
he thought.

“Where are the churches you’re going to?” asked Shaun.

“I told ya. West side,” Terry responded.

“Torrance? Carson? Compton? Long Beach?” asked Shaun, trying not to look like he was probing them. “Maybe it’s in one of my old neighborhoods?”

Terry paused and looked back at Shaun. He could tell Shaun was the
busy
body
of the group and liked to ask questions. It made Terry uncomfortable. He didn’t like it.

“You grew up on the west side?” asked Terry.

“L.A.P.D. for fifteen years,” Shaun answered.

“You were a cop?” asked Shane.

“Yep.”

“My granddaddy was a cop. He worked highway patrol for twenty-six years,” said Shane, lighting up with pride, grinning at him.

His grin bothered Shaun. It reminded him of the effects that excessive drug abuse, mainly methamphetamines, have on a person’s oral hygiene.
I’ll bet Shane is toothless from smoking too many damned drugs, no doubt,
he thought.

“Nice Shane,” Shaun responded. “California Highway Patrol was a great agency.”

Terry was even more uncomfortable around Shaun. It made sense. Shaun was the fearless protector and may even cause them problems if he had to.

“We’re checking churches in Inglewood,” said Terry.

“Inglewood,” said Shaun. “That’s near the water. You should be able to get there okay on the Santa Monica freeway since you’re on bikes.”

Terry didn’t respond. He was trying hard to tolerate Shaun’s nosiness.

“Well guys, let’s saddle up,” said Curtis.

The bikers put their plates down and began to leave.

“Thanks for the chow, Betty,” said Brody.

“Yeah, appreciate,” hollered Billy.

“Good stuff, man,” stated Trent.

Shaun watched Mark closely. Mark stopped at the doorway on his way out and looked Kim over as she was wiping the stove down. He gave her the eye and smiled at her. Kim noticed him, smiled, but looked away. It made her feel uncomfortable.  Shaun noticed this and knew that Mark had nothing but sex on his mind. Shaun wanted nothing more but to say, “
What are you staring at, loser? Keep heading out that door,”
but he stayed quiet. Mark left. Shaun felt the problems multiplying. He feared the tension was building between him and Terry’s posse. 

***

It was almost four p.m. Shaun, Yuri, Thai, Chris and Tommy were at the entrance of the tower cleaning up the mess of demolished cars. Chris and Tommy were picking up pieces of ripped car doors and making a pile of them. Thai and Yuri were sweeping up bits of glass. Jones stood at a corner of the building, mumbling to himself.

Shaun struggled to get in the driver seat of the Lamborghini, having a crushed in roof. He tried to turn the key in the ignition. It revved but didn’t turn over. Thai and Yuri stopped to watch Shaun.

“Well?” asked Thai.

“Nothing. It’s not turning over,” said Shaun. “If I get it into neutral, maybe you guys can help me wheel it around the corner.”

The sound of the bikers’ motorcycles came up Grand Avenue. Of course, they were the cliché Harley Davidsons. Shaun watched Terry and his guys drive up to the entrance. They all wore sunglasses and tried way too hard to look like bad asses.

Shaun noticed a few of them had a medium sized box fastened to the rear of their motorcycles with a bungee cord. It was peculiar.
What do they have in the boxes?
Shaun wondered.

Terry looked at Shaun for a moment, putting his bike into
park
and shutting it down. He noticed Shaun in the destroyed Lamborghini.

“I hope you ain’t planning on picking up any chicks in that, Shaun,” said Terry jokingly, dismounting his hog and chuckling at himself.

“Better be a good date, Shaun, or she’s likely to bite your head off,” said Trent, snickering.

“Nothing to date out there but vampires,” Shaun responded sarcastically to enhance the pun.

“You could always call those hotties that nearly bit a chunk out of your neck on the freeway,” said Mark just to be a smart ass.

“You mean before we saved his butt,” said Billy trying to rub it in.

A few of the bikers laughed. Shaun faked a phony chuckle. His disdain for them was growing. He didn’t like their snide, cocky attitudes. He could tell there was definitely a brotherhood between them. They were a clique, everyone else was an outsider.

“Hey guys. Can I help you bring in some stuff?” asked Chris, rushing up to Terry as if he were his dirt gopher.

Shaun watched Terry glance at Curtis again with that strange look as if he were checking for Curtis’ approval. Curtis shook his head implying it wasn’t a good idea.

What the hell are they up to? Why don’t they want Chris’ help?
Shaun wondered.

“We got this, Christopher,” said Terry, brushing him off. “Thanks for asking, buddy,” he added, carrying a box through the entrance doors.

Chris looked at Shaun with disappointment. He felt rejected.

Shaun didn’t say anything but hated Chris trying so hard to kiss up to Terry.
Maybe Chris will realize Terry isn’t interested in his friendship and it’ll help him grow up a bit
, he thought.

***

It was almost dinner time. Betty, Ni and Kim had prepared a wonderful meal

made from Spam, pork and beans and canned veggies. The table was nearly set. Everyone was there ready to eat except for the bikers.

“Will somebody go tell Terry and his guys dinner is ready?” asked Betty.

“I got that,” Shaun answered, getting up from the table.

“Tell them to wash up too, will ya, Shaun?” asked Betty. “They’ve been outside probably touching their greasy motorcycles.”

“Sure thing, Betty,” Shaun replied, casting a grin.

***

The elevator doors opened on level seventy-one. Shaun was surprised no one was in the large room. He expected to see them lying around, napping, watching TV or something.

“Terry?” he called out but there was no answer. “You guys? Where you at? Dinner’s ready.”

No answer.

Shaun walked down a hallway and looked in some other rooms. Nothing.

He walked around the spacious floor but there was no sign of anybody. He knew they were there, being so close to night time.
They would be stupid to be outside this hour
, he thought. He heard something at the other end of the floor. It sounded like a movie was playing on a TV in one of the larger rooms.

He walked around another corner. Brody was sitting in a chair just inside the doorway as if he were keeping watch like a guard dog. Brody stared at Shaun coming down the hallway towards the room. Shaun was picking up bizarre signals from Brody. It was creepy the way Brody just sat there watching him draw closer to the room.
What the hell they doing in there?
Shaun thought. 

“Hey Brody. Dinner is ready. You guys coming up?” asked Shaun in a friendly tone.

Brody didn’t answer but just sat there, staring at Shaun coldly with his foot next to the door. Shaun glanced into the room. He saw Mark, Trent, Shane and Billy sitting against a wall. They appeared stoned out of their minds. Their eyes were half open and glazed over. Their mouths were slack-jawed. They moved their heads slowly towards Shaun and stared at him. They didn’t say anything. They were in too much of a stupor.

Shaun noticed there was a pornographic movie on their flat screen TV that sat on a table. A man was with three women in bed doing erotic positions. He now knew these guys were the trash he suspected them to be. He looked back at Brody with disapproval.

“So, what’s going in here?” Shaun asked him with a stiff upper lip, despite he knew exactly what they were up to.

Brody didn’t answer but stared at him with a dull expression for being the outsider he was.

“Brody! Shut the damn door!” Terry shouted from an unseen part of the room. “We’re still putting this together!”

Brody slammed the door shut harshly in Shaun’s face with his foot. Shaun stood there for a moment trying to take in the mountain of disrespect that was just thrown at him.
No way that just freaking happened. Drugs? Porn? Seriously? These sons of bitches have got to go,
he thought.

***

It was two in the morning. Shaun lay wide awake anxiously waiting to get the report from Sharon. He was desperate to know if the roads were cleared yet.
What if Terry was right? What if the vamps killed off everybody in Vegas? The whole thing would be just a waste of time,
he thought. Shaun didn’t care. He was on a mission to get out of L.A. The last thing he wanted was to stay at the tower with the trashy bikers who just wanted to ride their bikes, sit around and consume the rest of the food supply while they smoked drugs. Shaun felt anxiety knowing conflict was clearly on its way with Terry and his guys. It was just a matter of time. It was time to see Sharon.

***

Mark lay on the floor near the other bikers. He tossed and turned. He couldn’t sleep. The sounds of the vampires outside were too disturbing. He got up and paced the floor. He stepped out into the foyer area where the elevators were. He walked up to the windows and looked at the night city. He watched swarms of vampires flying through the air out the windows.