Fate of the Vampire (24 page)

“Oh,” I said, upset but trying not to overreact. I didn’t want to let on that Tiburon’s only taxi driver was probably in a shallow grave somewhere, drained of all his blood.

The pain in my shoulder lessened a little, and I was able to think a little straighter. “What’s wrong with Liz?”

“It’s that psycho,” Fred told me. “He thinks he’s a vampire or something. He keeps drugging us and draining our blood. I think he drinks it.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to sound like this was new information. “That is pretty sick.”

“He’s almost drained Liz,” Don added. “I don’t think she’s going to last much longer.”

“Okay,” I said, putting my bag on the ground. “Then let’s get you the hell out of there.” I unzipped the backpack. “I brought a crowbar and some bolt cutters. Unless you happen to know where the psycho keeps the keys.”

“Aurora,” Fred said, his voice sounding sharp and frightened.

“What?” I asked, looking up, confused by his tone.

“The psycho keeps the keys in his pocket,” a deep male voice snarled from somewhere behind me in the dark.

I thrust my arm in my bag, hoping to grab one of the makeshift stakes, but I wasn’t nearly fast enough. Jessie’s grandfather snatched me up by the collar of my coat, my feet dangling off the ground, and gave me a good shake. He kicked my backpack to one side. “I see my grandson’s little friend has decided to pay a social call,” the vampire said with an amused sneer.

“Leave her alone,” Fred shouted, striking at the vampire with his rock.

In only an instant
, Grandpa Vanderlind dropped me and grabbed Fred’s arm. He began twisting it, causing the boy to let out a sharp howl of pain, the concrete chunk slipping from his fingers. “I thought I told you,” the old man snarled, “I don’t like back talk from my food.”

“Stop it,” I said, jumping to my feet. The vampire smacked me back down to the ground. “Stop it!” I shouted. “I’ve come to make a deal with you.”

My words penetrated the killer’s brain, and he released Fred. Thankfully, Don was there to immediately catch him and pull Fred away from the bars. “What was that?” the vampire asked, turning to face me fully.

“I came here to offer you a deal,” I said, getting to my feet.

“What makes you think you’re in any position to make a deal with me?” the senior Vanderlind asked. I’d lost my grip on the flashlight when I scrambled for the stakes in my bag. It had somehow landed tilted at an upward angle, so its beam cut a diagonal line of light across the tunnel allowing me to see a portion of the vampire’s face. His skin looked like wax that had melted and then hardened again in uneven dollops and blobs.

“I know you promised Jessie that if he gave me up, you wouldn’t hurt me,” I said, getting to my feet even though my legs were shaking. “But I’m here to make you a counter offer.” My stomach quaked
, and I steeled myself for what I had to say. “I will give myself to you as a companion or for one night of feasting or however you see fit to end my life. I will even write a note to Jessie explaining that I willingly made this agreement.”

“In exchange for these mortals, I suppose,” Grandpa Vanderlind said, jerking his head in the direction of the iron bars.

“Yes, I want you to let them go,” I told him. “But that’s not all.”

The vampire released a small, incredulous laugh. “You want more than that?”

“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “I want you to stop hunting anywhere near Tiburon.” I knew it was ridiculous to ask him to stop hunting in general, but I hoped to at least keep my town safe. “And I’d like to send my mom a note or something so she doesn’t have to spend the rest of her life wondering what happened to me.” At the mention of my mom, my voice wavered a little, but I managed to hold back my tears. I knew my death would devastate my mother, but at least she wouldn’t suffer the way Grandma Gibson had by spending the rest of her life wondering.

“Aurora, don’t do this,” Fred said from where he was crumpled on the ground cradling his arm. “If you found us
, then the police can find us, too, and send this nut job to jail.”

“It’s not like that,” I said to him, amazed at his valor even when it might mean the loss of his own life. He really was the stuff of heroes. I hoped that he and Blossom would find each other after I was gone. “I wish I could explain, but you’re going to have to trust me that this is the only way.”

Grandpa Vanderlind was rubbing his chin, thinking over my offer. “I have to admit,” he said, “I have rather been wondering what you taste like. Your demands are impertinent for a mortal, but not outrageous.” He nodded his head decisively. “I agree.” With that, he pulled a large key out of his pocket, stuck it in the lock, and gave it a twist. The cell door swung open. “Listen up, children,” he said, like an old-fashioned schoolmaster addressing an unruly class. “You are free to go.”

“I don’t think Liz can walk,” Don said, helping the struggling Fred to his feet. “We’ll have to carry her out.”

Fred shook his head, obviously in a lot of pain. “I don’t think I can lift her.”

“I’ll help you,” I told them, stepping forward.

“Don’t think I’m that foolish,” the vampire growled.

“You have my word,” I told him. “I’ll just help them out of the tunnel
. That’s all.”

“Do you really think I would take the word of a mortal?” Grandpa Vanderlind asked as if I was being completely irrational even though we had just agreed that I would sacrifice myself for my friends.

I shot him a flat look. “You could help carry her if you’re concerned about me trying to escape,” I pointed out.

“Fine,” Grandpa Vanderlind said impatiently. “You may carry her.”

I hurried into the cell and scooped up Liz’s legs as Don lifted her by her armpits. Her head lolled back and forth, her eyes cracking open. “Aurora,” she said. “He got you, too?”

“Everything’s going to be okay,” I told her. “You’re going home now. It’s all over
, and you’re going to be fine.”

Don turned to look at the vampire as we bundled Liz out of the cell. “How do we get out of here?”

“Just go up that way and climb out one of the drains,” the vampire said, impatiently flapping his hand in the direction that was away from the castle.

The four of us started heading the way he indicated. “Just remember,” the vampire said, jerking at my shoulder. “If you even think of trying to run, I will suck dry every person on this planet that you’ve ever met. And the first one will be your mother.”

“Grandfather.” I heard Jessie’s voice shout from some distance down the tunnel, back toward the castle. My heart leapt into my mouth.

“What are you doing down here?” the elder vampire demanded. “How did you even find this place?”

“I looked under the nose,” Jessie said, striding toward us rapidly. “Daniel and I found it when we were kids playing in the dungeon back in Budapest. It’s really not that well concealed.”

“Under the nose?” I couldn't help but ask. Even through my terror and heartbreak, I still wanted to know what he was talking about. “There’s
a nose in the dungeon?”

“Yes,” the old man replied impatiently. “The release button is under a rock that looks like a nose. You gained access through the emergency release. And thanks for that, by the way. I’m going to have to hire a paver to get that stone back in there again.”

“You’re welcome,” I mumbled.
So there had been an easy access to the tunnel
, thought a portion of my brain that had somehow distanced itself from the horror and was just watching like an impersonal observer.

Jessie got right up in his grandfather’s face. “What is Aurora doing down here?” he asked. “We had a deal.”

“That’s true,” Mr. Vanderlind agreed. “But then your sweetheart made her own deal.”

“No,” Fred grunted. He was leaning against the bars on the outside of the cage. “It’s a bad deal.”

“Aurora?” Jessie flashed me an alarmed look. “What did you agree to?”

I set Liz down. I couldn’t keep supporting her weight while we were just standing there. Looking at the floor, I said in a very small voice, “I traded my life for theirs.”

“No!” Jessie shouted.

“Too late,” his grandfather cackled. “We’ve already made the agreement. She came to me of her own accord. I used no influence on her.”

“Aurora,” Jessie gasped. “What have you done?’

“Don’t you see?” I asked, losing the battle to keep my tears in check. I knew I had to go through with it, but Jessie being there made it a million times harder. “I couldn’t have them die because
of me. This is my fault. He’s grabbing teenagers because of me.”

“Actually, it’s not your fault,” Mr. Vanderlind assured me. “I simply enjoy the taste of young blood. I had something completely different planned for you.”

“You can’t do this, Grandfather,” Jessie said. “I want you to know that if you kill her then that is the same as killing me.”

Mr. Vanderlind laughed. “Do you think after decades in a wrecked boat floating around the Atlantic
and baking in the sun, I didn’t plan your death a thousand times?”

“He would have found a way to kill me anyway,” I told Jessie. “At least this way
, my friends get to live.”

“She’s right, you know,” the grandfather admitted
. He was obviously feeling cavalier. “She’s much more perceptive than I gave her credit for.” He turned to address me. “I can see why my grandson was so taken with you. You really are quite a charming creature. I will keep my promises to you.” He tried to suppress a small chuckle before adding, “Some of them, at least.”

I felt my stomach drop. “Which ones were you planning not to keep?” I managed to ask between trembling lips. I wondered if my mom would be safe or if I needed to warn her to move far away from Tiburon in my farewell note.

He smiled at me, one of his fangs glinting in the beam of the flashlight. “I guess you’ll never know.”

“You bastard!” Jessie shouted, lunging for his grandfather.

“Stop right there,” the elder vampire demanded. “I am your maker. You will not lay a hand on me. I command you.”

Jessie froze as if he’d instantly been turned to a pillar of stone. His grandfather smiled. “That’s better. I won’t tolerate any nonsense from you. Do we understand each other?”

Although Jessie’s face stayed distorted with rage, his hands dropped to his sides. The words “Yes, Grandfather,” were torn from his lips.

“You need to stop all this nonsense over a mere mortal right now,” Mr. Vanderlind said, sounding more like a fussy old Englishman than a ferocious member of the undead.

“Yes, Grandfather,” Jessie repeated, even though he shot me an expression of sheer torture.

“Your little mortal and I have made an agreement,” the elder Vanderlind continued in a voice that sounded like he was reasoning with a small child. “And we are going to keep it. Now,” he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at Liz on the ground. “I’m famished, so pick up this girl. Let’s get these children out of here so I can eat.”

“Yes, Grandfather,” Jessie said for the third time, although choking on the words like sawdust in his mouth. He obediently bent and scooped up Liz.

“All right. Everyone move along,” Grandpa Vanderlind said, herding us up the tunnel. When I stooped to pick up my backpack, he barked, “Leave it!”

Don bent over and snagged the flashlight. He kept the beam pointed a few yards ahead of Jessie’s feet, not realizing that vampires could see in the dark. Or maybe he just didn’t understand that Jessie was a vampire.

“Why did you do this?” Jessie asked me in a low voice as we walked along.

“How could I not?” was all I could think of to say in reply. I had a question of my own for him. “Did you know the kids were locked down here? Did you know this whole time?”

He shook his head. “I checked after Colette’s funeral. It was empty. I only thought to look now because …” his voice trailed off. Glancing in his grandfather’s direction, he tried again. “Because a friend told me that you were good at solving puzzles.”

I imagined that Viggo must have rousted Jessie from his coffin. I was very glad I had sent the giant my jewelry. I hoped he and Gloria
would be able to get away.

We walked for a dozen yards in silence. Fred was in front of us cradling his arm. Don was off to his right but a little behind, trying to aid Jessie with the flashlight. I was to Jessie’s left, closest to the patches of sunlight that flashed
past from the drains, and Mr. Vanderlind trailed behind his grandson by several yards.

I felt sick to my stomach. I knew I’d made the deal, but I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to just hand myself over to quench the thirst of a crazed vampire. Unfortunately
, I couldn’t think of how to escape. I needed a plan and just plain couldn’t think of one. I had to get Fred and Don and Liz clear first. I knew that part. Once they were safe then I would have to try something. I glanced in Jessie’s direction. I wondered if there was any possible way he could help me. I knew he would try if there was an opportunity, but his grandfather’s control over him seemed to be ridiculously strong.

“Those are nice earrings,” Jessie said in a casual voice, interrupting my thoughts. My hand flew to my right ear. I had forgotten I’d put the silver earrings on. Jessie continued with, “Do you have anything else like that?”

“Uh …” I mumbled, processing what he was asking me. He wanted to know if I was carrying any other weapons. I thought about the makeshift stakes that were still scratching at my back. “Yes,” I told him, trying to keep my voice neutral. “You know how I like to keep things under my belt.”

He gave a small nod. “I love a woman who knows how to accessorize,” he said
, keeping his voice low.

As we made our way up the shallow incline, the storm drains got closer and closer together, allowing more light to filter in. Jessie pressed against the wall and hurried through the light created by each drain. I could hear him inhale sharply whenever he was even in the proximity of direct sunlight. I took off my coat and draped it over his head to give him more protection. His hands were mostly shielded by Liz’s body.

Mr. Vanderlind, on the other hand, simply walked through the light. His skin smoked a little, but he quickly healed after he returned to the shadows. “You’ll have to learn to toughen up,” he said, ripping my coat away from his progeny and flinging it on the ground. “A few years at sea should do the trick.” I shivered, wondering what future the senior Vanderlind had planned for his grandson.

We were getting pretty close to the surface. The sewer drains were only about six feet above our heads. It was still fairly dark in the tunnel, but the light from outside was much stronger. I could tell Jessie was really suffering, but he didn’t make any more sounds of discomfort.

“Everyone hold up,” Mr. Vanderlind commanded. He walked over to some rungs sticking out of the wall and looked up. “I want to be done with this little drama. You children can go up here.”

Don and Fred stopped. Don directed the beam of the flashlight toward the ceiling revealing a manhole cover. I couldn’t tell where we were in relationship to downtown Tiburon, but I assumed we were getting closer.

“I don’t think Fred can climb up there with his arm,” Jessie said.

Fred was a very athletic person
, so I thought he probably could even with a broken arm, but I assumed Jessie had his reasons for saying that he couldn’t. I quickly slipped over to stand at Fred’s side. Wrapping my arm around him, I said, “You can climb up there, can’t you, Fred?” while simultaneously tracing the word “no” on his back where no one else could see.

Fred gave me a quick, penetrating glance, then squinted up at the manhole. “I’m in so much pain
, I’m about to pass out,” he said. “I can barely walk. There’s no way I can climb up there.”

“Well then
, Jessie will lift you up and shove you through,” Grandpa Vanderlind growled.

“Grandfather, you’ve already put these children through so much. We are so close to the end. Why don’t we just let them out there?” Jessie asked.

“Because it’s three in the afternoon,” was the elder vampire’s reply. “Are you really that eager to gaze upon sunlight?”

Jessie shrugged. “I can take it if you can.”

The old vampire glared at his grandson. He had been challenged. It was a foolish challenge, but most challenges that men make are pretty foolish. “Fine,” he snapped. “Then you can open the door for them if you’re so eager to step out from the shadows.”

That didn’t sound good. I wanted to live, but I didn’t want to get Jessie killed in the process. I stepped forward to face Mr. Vanderlind. “I can open whatever door you need opened,” I volunteered.

“That won’t be necessary.” The elder vampire rubbed his chin, looking me over. “You really are a remarkably brave young woman. Is this a modern thing? Are all young ladies these days like you?”

I could see Jessie out of the corner of my eye whispering something to Fred. “Yes,” I said, a bit louder than the occasion called for, my voice echoing slightly in the tunnel. I needed to keep talking.
I needed to create some sound cover for Jessie. “Women aren’t fainting and waiting for men to save them anymore. We know how to fight. We know how to take care of ourselves.”

The vampire chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. That will make hunting so much more fun.” He turned to the rest of the group. “Let’s go. I should be resting in my coffin not herding about a bunch of teenagers.”

As we continued walking, Fred came to keep pace at my side. I wondered what Jessie had said to him but didn’t dare ask. The tunnel got very dark again, and there was a sudden steep rise that didn’t make sense to me. At that point, I thought we’d have been at surface level. Don directed the flashlight in front of us, and we appeared to be coming up on a wall. But it wasn’t made of cement. The wall was made out of wood.

“This is it,” the elder Vanderlind said. “Jessie, get the door.”

Jessie obeyed, gently setting Liz on the ground. “Don,” he called. “Please come hold her head.”

As Don crouched to comply and Jessie walked over to the wooden wall, Mr. Vanderlind said, “Hold on a minute. I’ve just thought of something.” He snatched the flashlight out of Don’s hands then pointed at Fred. “You. Go stand with your friends.” When I made a move to join the other mortals, he told me. “No. You stay back. I want you to remember everything.”

Mr. Vanderlind held the flashlight up to his face so that Fred and Don could see his eyes. “Wake her up,” he said, pointing at Liz. “Slap her in the face if you have to.”

Fred and Don were more gentle than the vampire would have liked, but they managed to roust Liz to at least some level of consciousness.

The senior Vanderlind’s eyes began to glow like hot coals. His voice became soft and coaxing like a pervert offering candy to a child. I knew what he was doing. He was using his influence over my friends. I turned my head away and shut my eyes as he said, “As soon as you leave here, your memories will start to fade. You’ll know that something unpleasant has happened, but you won’t quite be able to remember what. By the time you reach help, it will all be so very cloudy, like a bad dream after you wake up and get out of bed. You’ll know you were frightened, but you won’t quite remember why.”

“The police will want to know something,” Jessie informed him. “You have to give them some type of excuse.”

“Fine,” Grandpa Vanderlind said, sounding very put upon. “You were kidnapped and blindfolded. You don’t remember anything about your captors beyond that they were men. They didn’t abuse you in any way, and then you woke up one morning and they were gone.”

“But what about Fred’s arm? What about Liz?” I demanded, my eyes still closed. “They can’t say they weren’t abused when they obviously have injuries.”

“Just say you can’t remember,” the vampire snapped. “People will ask you questions about what happened, but you can’t remember.”

“When it comes to a story, you’re really quite the craftsman,” Jessie said in a dry tone.

“Enough of this nonsense,” Grandpa Vanderlind snapped, his temper rising. “I’m not here to coddle mortals. Just open the damn door and let’s get them the hell out of here.”

I cracked open my eyes as I heard Jessie moving toward the door. Fred and Don were rubbing at their eyes as if they’d just woken out of a sound sleep. Liz was very still. She looked dazed
, and I wondered how long she had left if we didn’t get her to a hospital soon.

There was some clanging as if Jessie was trying to get some machinery to move that hadn’t moved in a long time. “Do you know what you’re doing?” his grandfather snarled.

“No,” Jessie snarled right back. “I’ve never done this before. Would you like to come over here and help?”

Mr. Vanderlind did the opposite of stepping forward to help. He actually retreated a few yards back down the tunnel. “Just figure it out.”

After a bit more struggle, Jessie began turning something that made a steady clicking noise. The wooden wall seemed to quiver for a moment, then something broke loose and it began to move, rising and folding like a garage door. Sunlight began streaming in.

“Jessie,” I exclaimed, dashing forward. “Get back. I’ll open the damn door,” I said, shoving him away from the light. He stepped back to stay out of the full glare of the sunlight but stayed as close to me as he possibly could.

I looked down and could make out a small metal crank with a wooden handle. I grabbed it and tried to give it a turn. It was much more challenging that I had anticipated. Jessie had appeared to be doing it with very little effort, but I had to brace my feet and really put my body into it. The door rose an inch and then another, the light from the afternoon sun pushing the vampires back a half step at a time. I built up a bit of speed at the crank, and the door rose higher and higher.

Don went to get to his feet, but Jessie yelled at him to “Stay with Liz,” causing the boy to sink down to the ground again. Fred came up by my side and stood very close to me even as the light pushed Jessie further away.

“Are they really vampires?” Fred asked.

I nodded, staying focused on the crank.

“So you could walk out into the sunlight and there’s nothing they could do to stop you?”

“It will be dark again in a few hours
, and then there would be hell to pay,” I told him, breathing a little heavy from my efforts.

“Isn’t it better to take your chances than to just hand yourself over?” he wanted to know.

“I wouldn’t just be risking me,” I informed him. “I’d be risking the lives of everyone in Tiburon. I’d be risking my mom. I’d be risking your parents. Everyone.” I finished hoisting up the door and locked the crank in place so it wouldn’t come crashing down again.

Jessie stood on the very edge of the sunlight. I could tell that even the indirect sun was causing him pain, but he still stood there. “Go with him,” Jessie said. “Go now.”

“No,” I said, whirling around to run back into the tunnel.

Fred caught me by the wrist with his good hand. “Aurora, this is our only chance. We have to go now.”

I couldn’t break free. Fred’s grip was like iron. “Stop it!” I shouted at him. “Let me go!”

“No!” Fred shouted back.

“Go,” Jessie said to me imploringly. “Just go with him.”

“Fuck this,” Don said, getting to his feet. “You do whatever the hell you want. I’m out of here.”