Eternal Service (42 page)

She unhooked the whip from her back. She may be coming to her end, but she knew a few things. First, he was toying with her, like a cat playing with a mouse before its demise. Second, she suspected the pain affected him more than he would admit. All the curses in Russian were probably him voicing his pain. And lastly, she wasn’t going to be a hapless victim again. The man that attacked her all those years ago was human; she had no doubt about that. Her current adversary may be immortal, and the biggest villain she ever fought, but he wasn’t going to win tonight. This battle may claim her life, but it was going to take him down as well. The bolt was tearing more and more into his flesh. Soon it would shred the organs in its path as it worked itself out the other side. The bolt would kill him long before it worked itself out.

With all her strength, she flexed the whip in the air. A snap was supposed to occur, but her feeble attempt didn’t even come close to doing so.

He pointed at her whip and laughed. His laughter intensified as he neared her. She noticed how much he aged in just the last few minutes. A pool of purple blood stained the alley where he stood. She only had to survive a few more minutes. She looked past Zmiya and saw Raymond still lying on the pavement. Perhaps she still had time to save him, if she could somehow kill Zmiya.

His laughter continued. His endless, evil, maniacal laughter enraged her. She was done being toyed with. She took a deep breath and clenched her teeth. She flexed the whip again through the air. This time a snap sounded and the leather separated from the silver. The whip coiled around Zmiya’s neck and sizzled on his skin. Alex’s palm burned as the whip’s handle was whisked from her hand and flew into the air. As the thought of her only weapon, and her only hope, left her, the whip flew into an air–conditioner and caught in the fan. Zmiya was thrown back as the whip lapped around the fan blades and tightened its hold on his neck, subduing him.

There was no time to lose. Alex quickly recovered her SBC Launcher and ran up to Zmiya, swearing at him with her every breath. Zmiya’s hands and feet were still mobile and she dared not get too close. She aimed the SBC Launcher at him as she approached him and shot three silver bolts directly into his chest from point–blank range.

Blood spilled from her opponent, but there was something else that she noticed. The dim lights from the building reflected off a shiny surface from around the Zmiya’s neck. A necklace. A violent yank on the necklace snatched it from his now frail and aged neck.

“Come here!” he bellowed at her. Blood spat from his mouth as he choked out the words.

She felt the pain of him trying to compel her. “Nyet!” was her reply.

He screamed at her, but the words were weak as they left his mouth. She took the SBC Launcher in her hand and smacked him in the jaw to get him to shut up. She watched as he turned to dust where he stood.

Dust was all that remained. Even having read how vampires died, it still shocked Alex to see it with her own eyes. The son of a bitch had barely died, and his ashes had just touched the tops of her shoes, as she turned and ran towards Raymond. He remained still full bodied and alive. He would not be turning to dust if she could help it.

She watched as Raymond struggled to regain consciousness. As he sat up, he stumbled, aging a few more years. He fell back down onto his back just as Alex reached him.

“Raymond. We got him. We got Zmiya.” She ignored the pain from her ribs and helped Raymond sit up.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Call the team. Have them send out help.”

Alex had heard four shots and had seen bloodstains on Raymond’s shirt. She ripped the suit jacket and tore the shirt. She noticed four entrance wounds, but only two bullets exited his body. Wasn’t his body supposed to regenerate? Bullets shouldn’t have this much effect on him. She retrieved six syringes of blood from her purse and administered them. With each syringe, she noticed a surge of energy from Raymond, followed by red human blood pouring from his wounds. She helped him to stand and struggled maneuvering him down the alley and into the Jag.

Now that Raymond wasn’t lying on the cold ground, she dialed Ben’s number and instantly the vampire gave status. “All is well at the hotel,” he said out of breath. “We got the third one, finally.”

“Raymond was shot,” Alex blurted out as she got herself into the car.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “There should be blood in his pockets and blood in his car. Bullets come right out Alex, don’t worry. Bring him back to the hotel. We have more blood here too.” He took a deep breath, “Get back here, Alex. We need to regroup.”

“OK” She hung up the phone. This was normal? Raymond’s body oozed blood all over the place. Blood now pooled on the seat of the Jag. She could see why Dixon wanted to retire. It was only her first week on the job, and already her nerves were shot.

Just then, Raymond collapsed into a convulsion.

The four syringes of blood from the car and the two from Raymond’s pockets were fully exhausted. Raymond’s convulsions stopped and he was aware of the situation. He gasped, “We have to go, Alex. I need more blood.”

Alex slammed on the accelerator and sped out of the alley. She wasn’t all that familiar with this area of town. It had been neglected for years, and certainly not a place she ever visited, so she had no idea exactly where she was. No one was on the streets, which was good since she was running all traffic lights and speeding like crazy.

Could she convince Raymond to feed off her? Did she even have enough blood to give him? How could she drive and feed him at the same time? Her mind raced as she turned down one street and then another, trying to find a way out of this area.

She ran several red lights as she sped towards any familiar street, trying her best to remember which way she had come. She didn’t know how to use the GPS in Raymond’s car, but felt relieved when she turned the machine on and found her address pop up as the last address punched in. She let out a sigh of relief when the device showed they were not far from her house.

Raymond slid in his seat as she careened around a corner. She hadn’t taken the time to buckle herself in, let alone Raymond. She looked over at him and realized that he now appeared older. She needed to call for help.

“Ben! The blood isn’t working!” she said the second he picked up his phone.

“Where are you?”

“I have him in the car. He’s been shot.” Alex took her hand and balanced Raymond as she made a quick turn to get onto the interstate.

“How many bullets did he take?”

“Four. Two looked like through–and–throughs … so he still has two in his body … in his chest actually. I don’t know what to do.”

In a calm voice, Ben said, “Relax. The Jag has extra blood in the glove compartment. I need you to give him that blood. Once he has it in his system, the bullets should work themselves out, even if they’ve fractured. It’s only two bullets, he’ll be fine.”

“I gave him the four syringes of blood from the car already, plus what he had in his pocket, and the six I was carrying on me. They don’t seem to be working!” she screamed into the phone.

“Okay. Relax. Let me talk to him.”

“You can’t. He’s unconscious.”

“What? Alex, vampires don’t just lose consciousness. Two bullets shouldn’t be this critical. Where exactly are you?” he growled.

“I have more blood at my home. I got a shipment this morning. I’m taking him there now.” She hung up without giving Ben another chance to speak. Raymond’s aging had not slowed down with the twelve syringes of blood in his system, and now his beautiful black eyes were shut and he was unconscious. She pulled the car over on the shoulder of the interstate. She had to get more blood into him and right now. She opened her car door and rushed to his side of the car. “Raymond! Wake up!” He lay motionless. Alex put her wrist up to Raymond’s nose. “Smell. There’s more blood. Here.” There was no response from Raymond. His fangs were fully extended, so she took her finger and pierced her fingertip. She had to put her finger in his mouth so that the blood could drip down on his tongue. Hopefully, this would be enough to stir him back to consciousness.

She felt his tongue move against her finger. “That’s right Raymond. There’s more blood. Wake up and feed.” His eye lids opened. He was weak and his aging was showing once again. He looked about seventy years old. She brushed her forearm against his fangs and cut into her skin so he could see and smell the offering. Even as weak as his body was, his impulse to feed took over. He pierced his fangs into her arm, in an almost savage manner. His fangs ripped into her flesh and searing pain swept over Alex. This was so unlike the dozen or so other bites he had done to her earlier all over her body. This one hurt like hell. She resisted the urge to pull away, as well as the urge to scream out in pain.

Raymond recoiled from her arm and Alex realized that even as weak as he was, he was picking up her thoughts. He could sense her pain. She shoved her arm back onto his lips and concentrated on just one word over and over again. “Drink. Drink. Drink. …” He responded and bit into her arm again, he drank deep and swallowed over and over. His eyes half shut as he did, but as more blood entered his body the more aware of his surroundings he became. He opened his eyes and looked at Alex, immediately pulling her arm away from his fangs.

“I’m taking too much. I could kill you.” He gasped. Her blood trickled down his lips and onto his chin. “Leave me. I don’t want to kill you.”

Alex ignored his plea. “Drink more, Raymond. I want you to drink more blood right now.” She positioned her arm directly under his fangs once more, but he refused to drink again from her arm.

Alex started to feel weak from the blood loss, but she had to get him to her home for more blood. She pulled her arm away which caused her skin to tear even more. “There’s more blood at my home. We’ll be there soon. Hang on.” She closed his door and ran towards the driver’s side of the car. She tore a strip of cloth from the hem of her dress and wrapped the makeshift bandage on her wound to halt the bleeding. The fabric sopped up the blood and was soon drenched. She added another strip with pressure, and then started driving.

She sped down the road with her blood dripping down her arm and staining her clothes and the car.

“I love you Alex.” It was the last thing he said before convulsions hit him again and he lost consciousness once more. That’s when she screamed.

“No,” Alex screamed. “This is not Raymond’s day to die.” After racing past other motorists and running more red lights, Alex found herself back in familiar territory. The Jag sped down her street, and she screeched to a halt half in her driveway and half on her front lawn.

She reached for the door handle that was slick with her own blood. She pulled at the lock and then hurled herself from the car. Her arm dripped with blood on the pavement as she ran to Raymond’s side of the car. She managed to open the door and pull him half out, but knew it would be a struggle to get the man inside her home, to where more blood would be.

“Raymond,” she said forcefully, “Wake up.” She placed her left arm around his waist, her right under his left armpit, and gave a tug. The wound on her arm ripped open even more causing blood to gush out, and the pain from her cracked ribs felt agonizing. Her blood splattered on Raymond’s shirt, the leather seats, and down to the floor. Alex felt dizzy. She took a deep breath. She knew she was losing too much blood, and she needed help.

Her purse was now stained in crimson red, and the bag lay on the floor by Raymond’s feet. She bent down and stretched herself over his body and reached for it. Her right arm felt too damaged to do much, so she tugged at the zipper with her left fingers until the purse finally gave way. She groped for her phone, but couldn’t find it. She pulled at the purse to bring it closer, but the bag was now pinned under Raymond’s foot.

Sitting halfway up, she searched Raymond’s coat pocket. Inside she found his phone.

“Come on … Come on … ,” she said into the phone as the listened to the rings of the number she had just dialed.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“Sterling!” she yelled into the phone.

“Alex?”

“Your father’s been shot. He’s dying. You need to come help me. I’m at home. I have more blood in the house.”

“Sulie and I are on our way. Ben said my father has bullets still lodged inside him. They will work themselves out. Don’t panic Alex.”

She ripped away the rest of Raymond’s torn shirt. His thick purple blood had matted with the hairs on his chest. She ran her hand up and down inspecting him. Something was wrong, and when her finger grazed a raised bump in his abs, she bent down lower to get a better look at it. “There’s a bullet coming out!” she yelled.

“Good. That’s very good. Once it’s out he should heal. There’s a bag of blood in the trunk of his car.”

Alex removed the bullet. Its mushroomed head was blunt. She tossed it onto the dashboard, untangled herself from Raymond’s lap, and ran to the trunk of the car. There she found a pint of blood. Bagged, not syringed.

“I got the blood,” she said as she scurried back to Raymond. Sweat dripped from her face, matting her hair onto her cheeks.