Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (7 page)

“So what?” K asked. Her smile could be felt through the phone. She wanted to hear what Zack thought of her.

Zack spoke again without thinking. He held his head as he said the words. “So amazing. You're a dream. I wouldn't have thought you would ever talk to me. Of all people at the club that night. I can't begin to compare, let alone think about giving you my number.” Zack rambled, honest in his half awake state.

“But I knew you wanted to, though. That’s what counts, Zack.” K was flirting with Zack, but he didn’t notice.

“So ‘K’-“ Zack was timid.

“It’s Kyli.” She said energetically.

“What?” Zack wasn't expecting her to say it so quickly.

“My name, it’s Kyli.” She said again.

“Kyli what? What’s your last name?” Zack was probing too fast too soon.

“Back down, Speedy. You haven’t earned that privileged info yet. We'll get to proper introductions on the second date.” Kyli was pushing the issue in her voice with a commanding tone. She wanted Zack to know her boundaries upfront.

Zack's head was splitting open now. He thought of the nightmare he just had. “So Kyli, how did you get my number?” Zack was getting paranoid.

“You’re paranoid, Zack. Relax. You gave me your full name when we met, and there are not that many Givers listed in Gainesville, Florida.” Kyli was being smug. She knew that Zack was startled for some reason. She was getting his goat on purpose. For the moment, it was well worth causing a bit of irritation on his part. “Besides, if I did kidnap you, I’d leave a mark. Somewhere hard to see, someplace difficult to reach.”

“Like what?” Zack's eyes lit up. He checked his arms and legs for anything unusual.

“A set of two red marks on an unknown location, somewhere interesting on your body.” Kyli was flirting heavy now. Suggesting things that a steady couple might find regular, but not two strangers as they were.

Zack quickly looked over his body again, feeling for any raised bumps or bruised areas. “Wait, you mean like a bite?” Zack didn’t know what to think. He knew he wasn't into masochism, so he wanted to clarify things before they went any further.

“No, like two lips pressed against your skin from fresh red lipstick of course. That’s all, Zack. What did you think I meant?” Kyli was toying with him again. Trying to provoke a candid response from Zack.

It worked. “I thought you meant you wanted to bite me.” Zack blurted out.

“No, but I can do that if you want me to.” Kyli’s voice suddenly became somber and faintly seductive. She was serious in her off kilter offer.

Zack was quiet on his end of the line.

Kyli spoke up. “Zack, do you like music?”

Zack was hesitant, not knowing what Kyli might say. “Of course, who doesn’t? What kind of music?” He had a feeling there was a chance of landing a date in the near future.

“Classical musical goblets.” Kyli spoke with an enticing whisper. It sent chills down the back of Zack's neck.

“Musical glasses you mean? I’m really not that into-“ Zack was cut off.

“-Musical goblets, NOT glasses.” Kyli corrected Zack with assertion. “The musician is named Demetrius Del Marin, and he
is
quite good at what he does. I think you'll like him. He’ll be in town for a string of concerts soon. The next one will be in a few days.”

“I’m not sure, I need to check what I’m doing.” Zack didn't adore classical music. Frankly it put him to sleep. He was thinking of a proper excuse to change the current venue of their date.

Kyli heard the pause in Zack's voice. She pounced on him with force. “Zack, you’re telling me that you want to reject a proposal from a tall, beautiful girl you met recently. Only because you don’t like the event?”

The phone went dead, Zack didn’t know what to say. He knew this was a trap, everything screamed trap. Kyli had placed him in a sling and was ready to send him flying if he didn't say the right thing. Zack knew there was only one way out alive. He didn’t want to give Kyli the satisfaction of twisting his arm into a flat ‘yes.’ Zack wanted to retain a little of his pride as a man. He liked the idea of going to a movie, something that involved violence was always a good choice. Zack wanted something to test if Kyli enjoyed the same things he did. Zack was hoping to play it safe for their date.

Kyli changed the question. “Zack. Can you do something for me?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Zack was timid about saying yes to an open request. Considering what Kyli had said so far, his fears were valid.

“Reach down, deep down, far down, into that happy place. It’s where you keep all your pride, desire, and courage.” Kyli could hear that Zack wasn't taking her seriously. “Try, for real. Please reach deep, far down into that special place and locate your balls for me. You know, your manhood. The ones that are attached to you. Because if you don't find them fast, this is going to end real quick.”

Zack couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. Kyli's voice seemed serious enough. At the same time he felt that she was poking fun at him and calling out his insecurities.

Kyli was and it was working exactly as she had planned.

“What the hell?” Zack complained.

“No, WTF. 'What the fuck' is what you should be saying.“ Kyli said it nonchalantly.

“I know what that means, Kyli. You don’t have to spell it out for me. Of course I want to go out with you, I just don’t want to go there.” Zack blurted out how he truly felt. He was suddenly being honest with her again.

It took Kyli pressing Zack's buttons, but she was able to force him into leveling with her. “Then consider this making up for running out on me last night. You'll come with me to the concert because that's something I want to do. Treat me right and I'll do something you want me to do. Or at least go where you want me to go.” Kyli sighed and then paused as if she had come to a decision. “Now you have to go.”

“Why is that, exactly?” Zack was intrigued. He didn't want to go. The concert sounded boring regardless of how intriguing Kyli was. He wanted to be closer to her. Zack was getting comfortable with her.

“To see if you can look at me and what I’m wearing. Instead of staring at my body and thinking that's okay.” Kyli told Zack.

Zack’s throat became tight.

“If you can keep your eyes on the performance, we might even see each other for a third date.” Kyli was being strategic with Zack.

Zack coughed, clearing his voice. He was thinking that this was all too fast. Too good to happen to him. “Why me? Why did you approach me last night? What made me so special?” It was nagging him, Zack felt something was strange about the way Kyli introduced herself. First coming out of the blue, then continuing to pursue him.

“You’re different Zack.” Kyli spoke softly, slowly. She was thinking of his face. How he looked broken and all alone.

“How different can I be? I’m not tall, I’m not well spoken, and I’m certainly not attractive. How exactly did I catch the eye of someone like you? Please let me understand why.” Zack was laying it down. Kyli was a Gothic goddess to him. There was no good reason for her to be interested in him.

“You’re more special than you know, Zack. Eventually I’ll have enough time to explain why. We’ll talk about all this soon, on some dark, cloudy night a few weeks from now. After we can get to know each other better. In the meantime, know that there is a reason I find you interesting. Let’s leave it at that.” Kyli chuckled.

“What?” Zack wanted to know what was so funny. He was beginning to feel alienated.

“Besides, you are cute.” Kyli said as she thought of Zack's face.

The sound of rain fell against the bedroom wall. It began to storm. A sound that Zack had become used to having no windows in his room. Zack had more than relaxed by the end of the conversation. He wanted to talk more, Zack wanted to ask if Kyli enjoyed the same things he did. He wanted to find a middle ground to talk about that was away from classical music. Regretfully, Zack wasn’t able to muster the gall to tell Kyli she was as beautiful as he thought she was.

“You still there?” Kyli’s soft words rang through Zack's mind, down to his toes in a soft, pleasant chill.

Zack wished that he could say ‘I’d rather be there.’ He was ready to. Zack was on the edge of returning the notion of flirtation Kyli was sending his way. He tried to speak and couldn't.

Five cold fingers of an unknown left hand clamped Zack's neck tight. They kept him from saying anything at all. The vice on his throat was inhuman, incontestable. Not stone, but cold indomitable flesh. Zack turned his head towards this unknown figure. As much as he could with the pressing grasp preventing him from talking.

The scent of damp wool clothing filled Zack's nose. A tall man of six foot, in a flat black suit stood behind his left shoulder. He had short, and very dark black hair. His olive skin was starkly perfect of what Zack was able to see. Half of the man's face was obscured by the shadow coming from the cracks of Zack's bedroom door. He seemed very focused, very absolute in his actions as he held Zack in place. The man’s eyes were dark, almost red to Zack in the dim light. He appeared to be Italian. He had a clean shave and was dressed like a bible salesman. The only thing wrong with him was his collar. A dark red stain of dried blood cascaded down his pressed white shirt.

Zack felt a sense of foreboding emanating from him. He knew this was not a good time to panic. Frankly, Zack was too frightened to panic. His only thought was to not provoke this stranger. Zack slowly lowered the phone to his lap. He knew this person didn’t want to kill him, at least not for now. Otherwise he would have been attacked sooner and might have been killed before the end of his conversation with Kyli. This man wanted something from him. Zack sat still, thinking it was best to let him do what he wanted. The tall man stared at Zack, examining his face.

Zack gently squeezed the phone to press a button or two with his thumb as he hung up. A small signal to Kyli that she might check on him. Being that Zack still had something to say, there was a chance that his intention might be received in the right way to save him from whomever this was. Then if Zack was lucky, she would go looking for him. Zack wanted as much insurance as he could get before he went down this path forced upon him.

The stranger's grip loosened slightly. Zack stood up. Knowing that his every action was being watched carefully. As Zack's point of view changed, more light shown on the man's face. A blood red color had filled his entire left eye. The pupil was translucent against the rest of the eye. Only the black iris remained normal.

An overwhelming fear consumed Zack. He flinched, fighting a strong sensation to run away from this terror standing in his room. As quickly as he moved, Zack was struck in the side of the head. Zack could see no movement from this man as he fell to the floor. There was no pain, no understanding that he had actually been injured at all. He was simply attacked and collapsed.

Zack's world went black.

* * * *

Zack could feel a rigid metal chair. Thick, old ropes restrained Zack's chafed, swollen wrists. He awoke to a black bag covering his head and neck. Shielding Zack from the cracks of light that entered the room. Trickles of hope to help him decipher where he was. A chill leaped up Zack's spine from the cold chair. His hands were bound tightly enough so that he wasn't able to move. Zack felt fresh duct tape pressed over the rope. His feet were tied in the same manner and attention to detail as his wrists. Zack attempted to scream. The movement caused pain. Pulling at the hair on the back of his neck. There was a thick layer of duct tape around his entire head and mouth.
As his for left his mind, Zack's memory had come back.
The last moments in his room returned. Zack had been kidnapped.

The slow sound of calm breathing caught Zack's ear. He was not alone in the room. It was coming from behind his head, just a few inches from Zack's right ear.

“You are Zack Michael Giver.” A gruff voice spoke into Zack's ear.

Zack began to chew the tape at his mouth, he managed to tamp enough of it down to speak. “Let me go. Please. I'm just an innocent kid.” Zack said while trying to hide the trembling in his words. The chair shook, tapping on the concrete ground, attesting to Zack's unease.

The man suddenly ripped the loose bag off Zack's head. With one motion, the tape at Zack's mouth was cut. He was standing in front of Zack now. It was the same man from Zack’s room. There had been no sound to relate his sudden movement. One moment he was behind Zack, the next, in front. A fact that troubled Zack further.

Zack could see more of the man's face. The room was far brighter than Zack had imagined. The added luminance showed a level of detail in this man that wasn't present in Zack's room. Every feature of this kidnapper was strange. His short black hair was cut well and neatly, his eyebrows were thin and seemingly plucked. Outside of his nearly solid red eyes, he could have been a male model. His body was long and fit. His fingers like strong needles with sharp short tapered nails that were surprisingly dirty. He had taken off the jacket to his black suit. The white undershirt was plain, pressed, and tailored. The dark red stain still showed starkly on the perfect white collar. Suggesting that the suit wasn’t originally his to begin with. Zack looked into the man's eyes. Blood red from the iris outward as they were in the dark. However, in the light they seemed to be fresher, as if they were bleeding inside. Tears of blood that never let themselves cry. It was a solid hue of unrelenting color from the center to the edge. A glass red that haunted Zack, they were transparent. He was the vision of nightmares standing a few feet away from Zack. He looked like a demon, searing with anger.