The Vampire Council: Case File:1 (16 page)

Tessa drops her annoyed angry woman status and begins to realise what occurred. ‘You got hungry, didn’t you?’ She asks with a soft gentle tone to her voice. Jeff didn’t answer in words he just nodded his head slowly. Tessa walks the few feet towards Jeff. She gives him a hug, speaking softly into his ear. ‘Just think about the positive. They’re both still alive and well. No harm will come to them, the council will protect them from our world, it’s what they do, they’re superb at it and considering you’re with me most of the time, I’ll protect them from you.’

That last point Tessa made just played on repeat in Jeff’s head as Tessa releases him from the hug. ‘I wanted to kill them Tessa.’ His voice shakes.

‘I know. Could you not control it?’ Tessa asks still with a sympathetic tone to her voice.

‘The hunger itself, it’s like a separate entity within me. It completely took over. I had no control. I could’ve killed them, I wanted to kill them.’ Jeff holds back more tears. ‘Not only kill them, but tear their bodies into pieces. Drinking every last drop.’ His eyes stare at Tessa.

Silence falls between both of them as the eeriness of Jeff’s stare doesn’t sit well with Tessa as she slowly begins to move her left foot behind her.

‘Scrape scrape scrape goes the meat from the bones. Drip drip drip goes the blood from the veins. Delicious, isn’t it Tessa.’ Jeff’s eyes begin to flash between bright and black once again, this time with Tessa as a witness.

‘Jeff? Control it. Don’t let it control you. You control the curse. Not the other way round.’ Tessa shouts as she stops her left foot and begins to slide her right foot backwards.

‘Sniff sniff. I smell blood. A familiar smell. I remember the taste being delightful.’ Jeff snarls through gritted teeth.

‘It’s me Jeff. My blood. You’re sensing me.’ She begins to back off quicker.

Jeff slowly edges towards her, his eyes have now frozen as a pit of darkness. ‘I’m going to fuck every hole in your body, right before I riddle you with more holes, fucking them all! Getting your blood all over me, rubbing it into my skin. Licking it from your body, before I eat you out… From the inside.’

‘Jeff don’t do this. Don’t let it do this to you. Your family Jeff, think of them.’ Desperately trying to get Jeff to remember something about his life.

Jade. Lisa.
‘Gone. All gone. Left me. Saw this.’ Gesturing at himself. ‘This is who they were scared of. The One. Me.’

‘They’re not scared of Jeff. They’re scared of you. Jeff I know this isn’t you. They love you. They would never leave you, no matter what you’ve become.’

Love. Jade. Lisa. They’re a part of me. My life. Me. I am me. All of them. The world.
Jeff collapses to his knees, his head spinning around. ‘This isn’t me.’ He whispers.
Fuck them all. Do it! Fuck them all!
The voice screams before silencing once more.

‘No it isn’t you. This is you. You’re Jeff!’ Tessa retraces her footsteps back to Jeff’s side.

‘Yes.’ Jeff states whilst staring dead ahead.

‘Yes exactly. This is the Jeff everyone knows and loves.’ Tessa smiles. Then slaps him across the head. ‘So no more of this.’ She grabs his arm and helps him to his feet.

‘I feel all light headed.’ Jeff states as he leans forward holding himself up with his hands on his knees.

‘Just shake it off and
let’s get out of here.’ Tessa explains.

As Jeff rights himself he turns to the direction of the door leading back into the building to see Vaelen standing in the doorway. ‘
Erm Tessa.’ He utters.

‘What now?’ Tessa asks in a huff. She also clocks on to Vaelen. ‘Well look who it is.’ She states with a grin suddenly appearing on her face.

As Vaelen walks out from the doorway and onto the roof he quickly pulls out his gun and aims it at Tessa. ‘Now what do you plan on doing with that?’ She asks creepily still with a grin on her face.

‘I believe we both know why this must happen Tessa.’ Vaelen sternly says with a complete straight face.

‘How did you know I was here?’ She asks, with her grin beginning to fade.

‘I was coming here to meet Jeff to have a little chat.’ Vaelen answered.

Tessa sharply looks at Jeff in disgust at the fact he had set her up. Jeff knew that this is what she thought from just her look. ‘Trust me Tessa this wasn’t meant to happen like this. I didn’t mean to phone and bring you here!’ Jeff tries to explain.

             
‘No it was just pure luck that I was running a little late due to a mishap that happened earlier. I would’ve liked to have wrapped this meeting up quick so I could get back there and help sort it out. But since I’ve now come across you, I might as well kill you before heading back.’ Vaelen explains.

             
Jeff quickly pulls out his gun and presses it against the back of Vaelen’s head. ‘Put the gun down.’ Jeff asks with anger in his voice.

Vaelen turns his head slightly to look at Jeff, ‘you’re a good rookie Jeff, don’t do this. You won’t win.’ He states calmly but with a hint of malice.

‘I think he may with me on his team.’ Tessa chuckles as while Vaelen was facing Jeff she had pulled out her pistol and is now pointing it at Vaelen’s face. ‘Now do as the man says and put down the gun. Pretty please?’ She asks with a smile. Vaelen slowly bends his knees as he lowers himself and places the gun on the floor. ‘Now slowly come back up.’ Tessa demands this time without a smile.

‘Jeff you have no idea how much trouble you’re going to be in. Once the council finds out you’ve been working with a known rouge they will execute you on sight.’ Vaelen explains to Jeff but
with keeping his back turned to him and facing Tessa instead.

‘I know about the corruption that’s happening from inside the council. And I think I know who may be behind it.’ Tessa states whilst lowering her gun, believing this will trigger a more settled atmosphere between them all. It does as Jeff lowers his too but still keeping it in his hand just in case.

‘I’m listening.’ Vaelen folds his arms.

‘Oh no I’m not going to spill anything until you agree to help us.’ Tessa turns her back to him.

‘I can’t work with a rogue. I have to think of the consequences.’ Vaelen gets slightly annoyed with Tessa’s games. She had always messed with Vaelen from the very first day she was recruited. She knew how to push his buttons, and this he did not like.

‘No one will ever have to know. And once this whole thing is sorted out you can take all the credit for figuring it all out and saving the council. How does that sound old man?’ She chuckles.

Vaelen thinks for a moment. Running all the consequences though his head, thinking on his toes of a way in which he can stay one step ahead of Tessa at all times. Not again will he be tricked by her. His strong posture diminishes as he believes it’s the only option. ‘Fuck! Fine, who is it?’ From the instant he opened his mouth he filled with instant regret inside. But knows he must stay head strong.

‘Well I have information that Dirk is planning something. It’s called The Ana Programme. All the rogues I work with along with myself cannot find any piece of information about T.A.P apart from the name. That’s it. I tried to infiltrate it and become a part of it but he saw right through me and that’s when I bumped into your little recruit here’ Tessa points to Jeff and then shrugs as she has no more information to give Vaelen.

‘That’s not a lot of evidence to go on. But I thought Dirk would have something to do with it. It’s like 1813 all over again.’ Vaelen looks at Tessa for clarification. She nods in agreement. ‘Still, we have nothing to go on. We can’t just take him in. He’s higher than all of us in the chain of command.’

‘That’s why we need your help, and more time.’ Jeff butts in on Vaelen’s trail of thought.

‘Fuck the time!’ Vaelen checks his watch. ‘Shit I have to go.’

Confused by what Vaelen is in such a rush for Jeff asks, ‘what’s going on Vaelen?’

‘Go down to reception, ask Rita which room Will is recovering in and he will tell you everything.’ Vaelen picks his gun from the floor and tucks it into the back of the waistband of his trousers. ‘Tessa, I’m trusting you on this. If I can trust you, we have a deal on me working with you.’

‘You can always trust me baldy. So a deal it is.’ She smiles. Vaelen nods with a snide look on his face.

‘What do you mean Will’s recovering?’ Jeff spurts out still confused by what Vaelen is saying.

‘I told you, go ask him, he’ll explain it all.’ Vaelen leaves swiftly through the doorway and heads down the stairs to get to the lift.

Jeff quickly turns his head to Tessa. ‘What is going on?’

Tessa lets out a big sigh, ‘go ask Will.’ Tessa runs to an edge of the rooftop that looks over an alley and jumps off.

              Jeff still tries to put pieces together and struggles as his mind has been through so much during the day’s events. Everything is a blur to him. He walks though the doorway with determination and shuts the door behind him.

CHAPTER 21:

OUT OF THE DARK

V
aelen parallel parks his car in between the cars of Katie’s neighbours. When he left the neighbours were still not in, but considering the time of the day he expected them to have returned from whatever they were doing whether it be work or something personal related. He switches the engine off before removing his seatbelt. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes momentarily he contemplates the decision he had made earlier. Putting trust into someone such as Tessa is one thing, but full knowingly putting not only his job but his life on the line is another. Tessa had always messed with Vaelen’s head. Not always intentionally but there was something about her Vaelen could not understand. Being with the council for as long as he has, he cannot think why anyone would turn against it. Not only is that practically signing your death wish but why would anyone turn their backs against an organization that keeps the peace and oneself protected. Upon opening his eyes he turns his head to the right and looks at Katie’s front door.

             
At this moment in time there are a team of four vampires from the council who’s specific job it is to clean up these types of messes. He can’t help but think that this team haven’t had to clean up a mess of this nature since…
The past is best kept that, the past.
He thought. Vaelen looks at his reflection in his rear view mirror as he composes himself ready to enter Katie’s house once again. Having to deal with Jeff and Tessa left him no time to compile any thoughts as to what to say or discuss with her. Through training Vaelen had seen how frail and fragile Katie had been. She is still a young lady. In a way he felt sorry for someone like her to be dragged into the council. Not only the council but a council in which is slowly falling apart around them. Vaelen knew about Katie’s past, the deal with her father’s disappearance and her mother’s drug and drink addiction. A lump grew in his throat as these thoughts crossed his mind. His thoughts then suddenly switch back to the council and of what Tessa had told him.
The Ana Programme? What are you planning Dirk? Does Leofric have anything to do with it?
Why would Dirk align himself with one of the most feared vampire hunters. Or why would Leofric work for a vampire. He dismissed any idea that this attack on Katie’s mother as nothing more than vampire hunters becoming more ruthless with their prey and has no discernible connection with Dirk’s so called programme. Vaelen claps his hands to snap himself out of his train of thought and exits his car to face Katie once again.

             
Before leaving earlier he remembered Katie standing in her bedroom staring at herself in the mirror with a gun pressed against her head. He managed to talk her into handing him the gun, but hoped that his instructions for the cleanup crew to keep an eye on her hadn’t fell on deaf ears. He had taken Katie’s keys from her before he left so that he could let himself through the front door on his return, he searched his trouser pockets as he reached the front door. He pulled out the keys from his left trouser pocket and a key ring dangling from the keys caught his attention. The key ring was roughly an inch long and was of a photograph of Katie and her mother. Katie looked considerably younger in the picture and both her and her mother had smiles on their faces. Vaelen could only assume that the original photo must’ve been taken by Katie’s father due to the pair’s happiness. Maybe this key ring belonged to him before his disappearance. Vaelen dismissed the thought quickly to focus on the task at hand as he pushed the key into the locked and turned it. He opened the door just a crack and slipped through leaving little room for his big frame to limit vision into the house just in case anyone was to be watching. As he shut the door quietly behind him he looked into the living room and saw no one except the equipment and change of clothes from the crew. Just as he turned to continue down the corridor one of the clean-up crew hearing the front door closing came out of the dining room area and made his way to Vaelen. The man was no more than five foot seven tall, had a skinny physique wearing an all in one white cleaning suit very similar to those worn by forensic teams. His scraggy blonde hair was kept in place by what was basically a shower cap. When reaching Vaelen he removed his goggles and mask so he could speak with Vaelen and get him up to speed.