Vampire Lane (13 page)

“It’s okay, Mindy,” Blake said as he put his arm around her.

He guided her down a hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. When they reached the end, Blake knocked and waited for an answer to enter. Mindy didn’t know what she expected, but he wasn’t at all scary looking. He had a sweet boy next door look to him, except pale.

“Please sit,” he said in a British accent “I am Krispin Cortina, the Head Officer. I hear you have a rogue to report. How dreadful.”

“Mindy was taken,” Blake said

“Poor thing. The rogue took you, terrible just terrible.”

Mindy looked at the handsome man. So pale, just like the secretary, but his kindness seemed fake and she didn’t like him. “Maybe we should just go to the police.”

“You could do that, but they would just end up calling me to deal with this monster, anyway.”

“It’s okay, Mindy, just tell him,” Blake said reassuringly.

Mindy went through the whole story, how she met the vampire and what he did to her. She couldn’t give much detail on the location of the house she was kept at, but she told him what she remembered.

Krispin sat back in his seat. He seemed to be thinking. “I would really like to help you two, but you haven’t given me much to work with. I will put out an alert on a rogue with that description you have given me.”

“What about a sketch artist?” Blake asked. “She could tell someone what she remembers and they could sketch it out.

“That would be ideal, but the council doesn’t give me a budget for that kind of thing. I barely have enough to pay my officers.”

“I will pay the artist,” Blake added. “Call, now!”

“Well, you are a man with determination. It will only take a few minutes to get him here.”

***

Blake sat with Krispin while Mindy was in the next room working on the sketch. He didn’t like the vampire. He spewed falseness and he hated fake people. As a Fae, his people routinely used a mist to make themselves look more normal to humans. Blake thought it was stupid and a waste of energy and refused to do it. He did dye his hair black for a time when he was bounty hunting, but gave that up months ago. Now he just lived in the swamp, trying to figure out his next move whatever that may be. He couldn’t help but to scowl at the vampire. He was just like the rest of them, pretending to be on good terms with humans, but really all they wanted was to feed and kill them. He couldn’t figure out why a vampire would want to target such a good person like Mindy. She was kind, innocent, and beautiful.

Mindy came in the door, followed by the sketch artist. A short woman with a short of masculine haircut in gender neutral clothes of black pants and a white blouse. She followed Mindy in the room, and put the finished sketch on Krispin’s desk. He looked at it momentarily, and then looked back up.

“I can tell you I don’t know this one, but if he’s in town, we will find him.”

“Do you think this is related to the dead woman at
Bite Me
?” Blake asked. “I got the mass text,” he added.

“It’s possible, but we won’t know more until we find him and question him. Mindy should stay with a friend or relative for now. He may try and track you down and finish what he started.”

“I don’t really have anyone. I just moved here from Ohio for a job, at a nursing home. I guess I can go to a hotel for awhile.”

“No, you can just stay with me. You will be safer with me.” As soon as Blake said it, he wished he could take it back. What was he thinking? He could not have her living with him.

Krispin clapped his hands and stood. “Well, now that’s settled, off you go. I have to get this out to all my officers and a massive text alert to all the local vampires. I have your contact info; I will call you when I know something.”

Blake took Mindy by the arm and led her out the door. “Don’t worry, we will catch the creep.”

Mindy looked up at Blake. He could tell she did not really believe him, and that hurt, because he just wanted her to be safe from anything like that happening again.

Chapter 27

Natasha’s Past
You put the dates on the other flashbacks but not this one… why?
1851

Natasha finally managed to get the appointment with the elusive Godfryd. From what she gathered, he was a German immigrant. She hoped she could use that fact that they were both from other countries to bond with him. She just hoped it was enough to convince him to fund the food program. She waited what seemed like at least an hour and it was already well past midnight. Finally, the door opened and a man entered. He was very tall compared to all the other men in town. He had black hair with dark grey eyes. He wore all black and had on a cape. He had on expensive looking gold jewelry, as well. She had never seen anyone who looked like him. Most of the men in town either had on suits or grubby jeans for mining. He sat across from her and stared into her eyes. It was creepy and mesmerizing at the same time.

“I am Mayor Godfryd. I was told you are a very persistent young woman who needed to speak with me.”

“I am, yes. I mean, yes I am. I work at the schoolhouse and we have some very bright and wonderful kids. Many are not able to afford to eat breakfast, or even a lunch. I would like to get city funds to feed the children. I already discussed it with Mr. Smith, and he would be helping me with the entire thing.”

“Natasha—may I call you Natasha, Ms. Wasko?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I understand the need. Unfortunately, we just don't have the money. This city is full of people looking for the American dream. Many, like ourselves, from foreign countries. Well, the dream isn’t like what people think. It’s hard out there; many people are dying from disease and other unnatural causes. This is a rough town for kids to grow up in, and there’s just not much I can do to help.”

Natasha listened to his speech, but was not really buying it. He didn’t look like he missed many meals, so why wouldn’t he help? It was for the good of the town.

“Tell you what, Natasha: let me think about it and come back tomorrow, same time, and we can talk about it some more.”

Natasha walked out of the office and toward her house. The walk home was only two miles, but her feet already ached from a long day at school. She finally reached the house and locked the door behind her. She hated living alone and wished her father would move back in with her. She didn’t even bother starting a fire in the fireplace. She was beyond tired, and she fell into bed, wrapped up in her blankets, and fell asleep.

***

Shane raced out of the abandoned house with vampire speed. He needed to find Mindy, but he didn’t know how. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Mindy’s phone. He looked through the contacts, but all the numbers were from Ohio. He finally came across one that had a local area code, and he dialed it then hung up. It was a nursing home. Why would she have the number of a nursing home? He looked up the address and figured it was a start. He was determined to find her one way or another. He was about to run again when he had an overwhelming need to go to
Bite Me
again. He wanted to see that waitress, Maureen. She looked so much like his fiancée from before he died; she was beautiful and he could tell immediately she was different. He hated most women, just looking at them. With her, not as much. As much as he tried to hate her, he didn’t.

Shane walked inside
Bite Me
. It wasn’t as busy as the night before, but he stood around and tried to see if Maureen was working. He sat at a table and hoped it was one of hers. He watched her help the other customers, flirting with the men and joking with the women. He wanted her to come to him, to be friendly with him like she was with all the other customers. Maureen started walking toward his table and stopped as she looked at him. He just waited. She would come to him; he knew she had to.

“Hello, I’m Maureen. I will be helping you tonight.”

“I know your name, Maureen,” Shane replied.

“Yeah, that’s right. I bumped into you the other night. Sorry about that again. What can I get you?”

“I would like whatever blood drink you have on special.”

“Coming right up.”

“Maureen?”

“Yes.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Maureen smiled nervously and walked off with her order.

Shane watched her at the bar, waiting for the drink he ordered. Maybe if he took her to Godfryd, he would forgive him for losing the other one.

“Here is your drink,” Maureen said, putting it down.

“Thank you, lovely.”

“I’m going on break, so if you need anything else, Tanek or the other waitress can help you.”

“Since you are on break, could I ask you to join me? I would love to get to know you better.”

“That’s really sweet, mister, but I already have plans to sit with my girlfriend.”

Maureen ran off quickly, and Shane could tell she was scared and nervous. Why would she be scared of him? He was nothing but kind and polite to her. Most women loved him and never showed any fear. Why did she seem scared when the others never did?

Chapter 28

Natasha had decided to work from home after the couple days in a row of working the bar. She needed a night at home in her PJs. Maureen was gone at work, so it was just her alone in the house. It was nice being home by herself. Between Tanek and Maureen, she didn’t have a lot of alone time anymore. She went online to check out some ghost tours for her and Maureen. She promised her a day just the two of them and she would keep her word. She opened her laptop browser and typed in
Ghost Tours.
Natasha was shocked how many there were in New Orleans. There were numerous types of tours—Cemetery Tour, Voodoo Tour, Ghost Tour, and even a Vampire Tour. She couldn’t decide, and just randomly picked one and paid online. Natasha printed the tickets and decided to leave them on Maureen’s bed as a surprise when she got home. Now that she finished planning her night, tomorrow she got back to her paying job, entering payables for Tanek. She took her computer to the living room where she decided to watch some TV while she worked. She was flipping past one bad TV show after another when her doorbell rang. She had no idea who it could be as everyone she knew was either working or sound asleep.

Natasha opened the door to find her sire, Godfryd, standing there against the door. She had a hard time seeing him look almost normal without his cliché cap and black clothing. Maybe he was finally trying to blend in.

“Natasha, my favorite child, may I come in and speak with you?”

Natasha groaned, but stepped aside to let him inside. These visits were not something she wished to encourage. She really would need to tell home to bug off for good this time. “Sit, Godfryd, we need to talk.”

Godfryd smiled his sinister smile. He probably thought she was going to go with him. That was definitely not the case. Natasha waited for Godfryd to be seated. She didn’t know how to do this, to break up with her sire so he would never bother her again. “I have put a lot of thought into what you proposed, and I’m sorry. I just can’t leave. I love my home, my job, and friends. There is no reason for me to go with you.”

“I need you, Natasha. The rest of my children are bumbling idiots. I have called each of them back to me, one by one, hoping to find a competent companion. None have the intelligence or the cunning wit you have. Together, maybe we can teach them, or perhaps dispose of them and start anew with an entire fresh crop of baby vamps.”

Natasha listened, and the more she listened, the more she decided he hadn’t changed at all; he was just a different kind of crazy now. “I understand, Godfryd, but my circumstances have changed. I’m engaged now to a wonderful man. I am finally going to have something close to the life I have always wanted.”

Natasha could see he was getting agitated, so she stood up and backed away from him. “You released me, Godfryd. You can’t make me go with you.”

“Not in a sire child way, no, I cannot. What you forget is that I am still a very old and strong vampire, and I will have you, willing or not.”

Godfryd stood up and, using his vampire speed, was on her, holding her tight. Natasha couldn’t free herself of him. “Let me go!”

“You will come with me, Natasha, even if that means carrying you off and forcing you to stay.”

Natasha was still in his grip and couldn’t loosen herself. She had to think, think of a way to get out of the situation and fast. “You’re right, Godfryd. I should have just gone with you. I see that now, but I can’t just leave.”

“You’re lying!” he spat out. “You’re trying to trick me.”

“Sire, I’m sorry I was resisting. I wanted to see how much you really wanted me. I had to test you.”

Godfryd loosened his grip, and she was finally free of him, but she knew he could easily overpower her again. She had to think about what to do.

“Well, I can’t just leave this second. If I do, everyone will be looking for me, my fiancé, my friends, my roommate. I have people who will worry about me.”