The Vampire's Pet: Part One

While Kier lay bleeding on the floor, his face mushed against the marble, I listened to the vampires debate the rules about pets and whether Evan would be angry.

“When’s he scheduled to arrive?” Gerard asked.

“Tonight,” the other thug said. I named him “moustache” because of the neatly trimmed moustache on his upper lip. I named the third vampire Baldy because he had a shaved head. They all dressed in a similar manner, in black, with jeans and black windbreakers, as if they were ATF or FBI.

They turned to look at me with what felt like anger. I realized I was a complication for which they hadn’t planned.

Moustache seemed to be the superior, for he strode over to me and stood before me with his hands on his hips.

“What’s your name, cherie?” he said in a voice that sounded tolerant, if a bit frustrated.

“Calla,” I said, my throat dry from fear. “Calla Franklin.”

“Who are you?” he said, gesturing to Chelsea.

"Chelsea McDonald."

"Kier has two pets? My, he worked fast…"

“She’s mine,” Gerard said with a shrug. “I’ve already claimed her as a spoil.”

With that, Moustache left us, leaving through a side door. Baldy motioned to two vampires, who took hold of Kier under his arms and began to drag him towards the back of the house. One of the other men escorted Chelsea. I walked between them and Gerard.

I glanced around, wondering whether I could escape and what I’d do if I could. There was a lot of security. I noticed guards at the door and walking around the perimeter of the building when we drove up. There was probably no escape, but still, I tried to memorize the layout of the house as we passed through a long hallway to the rear of the building and to a set of stairs leading to a basement.

The building was old, with stone walls and smelled of wet rock and damp wood. We passed a furnace room and I saw inside a huge boiler heating system, with pipes clad in aluminum. The next room was a set of jail cells, complete with iron bars, a single toilet and a cot inside each one. The guard unlocked one of the cells and pushed Chelsea inside.

"You're staying in here until we come to get you."

She sat on the cot. The other guard opened a cell and threw Kier onto the cot as well.

“What are we going to do with her?” one of the guards asked.

“She’s his pet, so she goes in with him," Gerard replied.

“But he’ll feed off her and regain his strength,” the guard, his voice doubtful.

“Rules are rules,” Baldy said, his hands on his hips. “She’s his pet. By all rights, she has to be in with him.”

“You,” Baldy said to me. “In with him.” He motioned to the cell and I went inside.

“Can you take these off?” I asked, hoping he’d free me so I might be able to escape. “I need to use the toilet.”

Baldy shook his head in disapproval, but complied, using a knife to cut the plastic ties. “Don’t try anything funny. There are guards outside the door and cameras watching you. You can't escape so don't bother trying.”

He pointed to the ceiling. There, I saw a video camera pointed into the cell.

“I don’t get any privacy when I have to use the toilet?”

“Get used to it,” Baldy said, shaking his head. “I don’t know how long Mr. MacLaughlan will keep you and Kier here so you better just ignore it.”

I glanced up at the camera and sighed heavily. I’d hold it as long as I could. I did not want to be watched when I was using the bathroom.

Instead, I went right over to Kier and checked him out. He looked terrible, his face deathly white – even more so than usual. He was unconscious, or seemed like it, his breathing so slow I was afraid he was dead dead.

“Kier,” I said softly, turning his face to mine. “Are you awake?”

I saw his eyelids flutter and knew he could hear me, but perhaps he was too weak to speak.