Your Red Always (30 page)

Startled, I spring up from the mattress like a jack-in-a-box as a gust of wind blows at my back. I turn to see the open window swinging back and forth, slamming against the rotten frame. With quick footing, I dash over, and push the old single pane window shut. My chest puffs out as I take a step back, specifically recalling that window being closed. I’m sure there was no breeze. Though, I am very sleepy, maybe I didn’t notice it. 

I pick the phone up from the frayed mattress. It’s 1.45am; I’ve managed one hour’s sleep. He hasn’t called or messaged, and it’s driving me crazy. Sara, perhaps he’s contacted her again. She seems to be his first port of call.

“Crap.” I flip the light switch up and down by the door, but the powers out.

Cautiously, I make my way down the creaky stairs, using the flashlight app on the phone. The storm outside batters the house, and the creepy noises it’s creating, is not helping my nerves right now. 

The front door suddenly flies open. With a pounding heart I stumble back, gripping hold of the flaky paint spindles. There’s no one there. Just leaves and rubbish blustering around in the turbulent weather.

The window upstairs, and now the front door. I have the volatile feeling that something isn’t right here, and I’m beginning freak-out. Sara would not have left that door open, not now she know who’s behind all this.

I take the plunge, jumping down the last three steps through the bluster. I slam the door against the frame and put the latch on lock. My legs shake and I’m finding it hard to move. Hasty quivering breaths and squeaky steps. If there is anyone down here, they must be hard of hearing if they haven’t sense me already. My chest fills to full volume as I suspend myself in tense thought.

I decide call Adrien, pushing my shoulder blades up against the door so I can see in all directions around me. As soon as I tap on his name, a loud bang comes from the other side of the wood, and shunts me a good foot. 

“Shit!” I trip, dropping the phone. Dammit, it’s smashed. It’s in bits.

Terrified, I feel my way through lounge, running my hand along the back of sofa. I stub my big toe hard on the concrete step and stumble into the kitchen. It throbs as I hobble, looking for safety. 

It’s a bit brighter in here, with the moonlight shining through the windows. I hop to the table, gripping the edge, when a shadow sweeps with speed by the window above the sink. Oh shit, there’s someone out there. 

The figure appears again, moving even faster this time. What, or whoever it is, is playing games with me. Trembling, I make my way to the work surface and drop down to the floor to hide behind the counter. Something touches my head. I look up to see it’s a drawer handle. Please, please, let there be a phone in there, or a gun, anything useful that will keep me alive. 

I shift sideways and hoist my hand over my head. I gently pull the drawer open and rummage blindly. I grab a weighty object, not sure what it is, so pull it out. It’s quite large and cold to the touch. I look down, clutching it to my chest. It’s a cleaver knife, and it’s sharp, this will have to do. 

I rotate onto my knees and lift myself so I can peek over the worktop. The dark figure is now stood there, bold as brass, staring right in. I drop back down, my lungs crushed in panic. 

With the cleaver knife in my hand, I scuttle to the door and through to the lounge. I don’t want die tonight; I have to find somewhere to hide.

I manage get to the bottom of the stairs. “WHAT THE…”

I’m wrenched high by my scruff so my feet dangle. I can’t breathe. I can’t see. Fearful tears hinder my view as I hesitantly turn to the side. It’s not Laurie. Hell, I have no idea who this is. Apart from noting his black eyes, and concluding he’s Vampire about to attack me with his pointed teeth.

“Let me go,” I cry, as the tall scruffy Vampire’s open jaw journeys to my neck.

Do it now Liz… use the damn knife
. 

With my numb fingers holding the handle for dear life. I pull back my arm, then swing it out with all my strength while wiggling my body. The blade sticks an inch deep into the back of his neck. I’ve never heard a sound like it. A painful screech so high-pitched it pops my eardrums. He drops me to the floor, spinning violently, trying to pull the cleaver knife out of his neck.

I race to the door and fumble with the lock as he nears me, coated in his own runny blood. As I open, he reaches out for me with his dirty fingers. As I turn to run outside, I come face to face with another. A female with a foul grin showing.

I soar up the stairs. The adrenalin charges my muscles. It’s the only thing that’s keeping me moving. 

I get to the landing on my hands and knees, noticing the Vampires have strangely vanished. So awkwardly I rise to my feet. I have no weapon, no phone, and if those Vampires are Sang, I have no chance of defending myself against their speed and strength. 

My hands tremble against the wall as I sob. I don’t know what to do. Sara has gone. Adrien isn’t here. I’m done for. I’m going to die. I’m going to be bled out and feasted on if I don’t figure a way out of this. 

I open the first bedroom door on my right, praying for a place to hide.

“Oh god!”

Sara’s right in front of me, half-naked and gagged. Her wrist are bound with rope tied over the ceiling beam, stretching her body so she sways on her toes. Her eyes widen at the sight of me, and she begins to grunt aggressively. She’s been cut over and over again. How the hell did I not hear this happening? I should have never allowed myself to fall asleep.

I race across to her, scouring the room for something to cut her down with. She hums loudly through the grey duct tape. I pick up a shard of mirror from the floor, then rip the tape from her raw mouth.

“Get… get out now,” she gasps. “Run fast, and don’t stop.” Her chin flops to her chest.

I can’t leave her like this, they’ll kill her. I raise up on my toes and scrape the mirror across the toughened rope.

“Laurie,” she struggles to speak. “Is here… go!”

I continue to slice at the rope despite her warnings. Even if I did go, I’ve got no chance alone.

The stairs outside creak. Someone is coming and they are in no rush. Sara jiggles away from me, but still I scrape away frantically.

“Fuck… hide,” she grits.

I keep hold of the mirror. The only place I can see that I have time to get to, is behind the open door. 

With every muscle tense and my chest full, I halt in a static state in the corner with my nose pressing against the crumbling wood. The floorboards beneath me shift. I know it’s him, Laurie, I can sense his vile aura.

“Not too good at covering you tracks Miss Lovell,” he says. “I can hear you holding your breath.”

I try very hard not to let out the air, whether he can hear it or not. My heart rate is slow, forceful, and I feel lightheaded.

“Are you going to keep me waiting all night?” His cold tone asks. “I suggest you make this easy on yourself.”

   
I hang back in panic: thinking, sweating, and trembling. All I have is this shard of mirror to protect myself with. Any second he’s going to move that door to get to me. 

I make a decision. Bit by bit I move the door, keeping the glass down behind my thigh. I peer out to see him before Sara, maliciously running his hand over her face. She spits at him. He doesn’t react. He simply takes a tissue out from his grey blazer and wipes. I will myself. He’s not looking. I could just dive on his back and stick him. 

He takes out a Ditale ring and slices deep across Sara’s breast.

“She doesn’t taste the same as before.” He bends and sips her. “Pity your Knight in shining armour turned her… took her.”

I had no idea Adrien turned Sara. But right now I don’t care. The only thing that’s important, is getting the hell away from him. 

As fast as my human body allows, I leap across the room and plunge the mirror between his shoulder blades. I thrust it so hard, it slices into the palm of my hand. I release and trip back, clenching my bloody hand before my waist. He doesn’t move, flinch, or wail in pain. He simply elevates his hand over his shoulder and slides the mirror out of his jacket with ease.

“Laurie,” Sara says. “Don’t… he will kill you, regardless of the consequences.”

It was a mistake thinking I could stop him. Sara can see his face, and I know now my looming death is only seconds away.

I make a break for it through the door, and down the lobby. I get as far as the first step and see them waiting for me. The two Vampires that attacked me downstairs. I have nowhere to go, no way of getting passed them. 

I cry in terror and fight to free my arms as the female takes hold of me. I’m being hauled back to Laurie, aggressively. I scream and scream, in the hope someone outside will hear. It’s the only thing I can do now.

I twist and turn, pull and yank, but I can’t shake them off as they hold me in front of Laurie. He studies me, his expression reserved. He doesn’t blink, just stares straight into my fright.

Sara’s weak. She’s being bled out through at least thirty punctures wounds on her body, and needs blood to heal. She tries to tussle with her bound wrists, but only manages a few feeble shakes.

“Leave her Laurie,” she says weakly.

“Hmm, why would I resist such a perfect offering?” He squeezes my cheeks. “Warm, wet, and best of all, Adrien’s.” He pushes my face back. “It’s worked out well, me having to complete the task I set out for that idiot friend of yours.”

“Why are you doing this?” I weep.

“That is purely between Adrien and me … Oh, and few others,” he says coolly. “Let’s just say, things are going to be changing around here, thanks to you.” 

He presses his nose on my cheek and inhales. I angle my head but can’t move away from him, and I see the meaning of pure evil in his eyes.

“You’re a jerk,” Sara laughs in pain. “You’re a greedy son of a bitch. If The Order find out you’ve been turning street trash to use in your little power up mission, then…”

“Then what.” He spins to her sharply. “Kill me? You have no idea what’s going to happen,” he smirks. “What is the point in being so powerful if we have to hide in the dark like rats? You’re forgetting Sara, I deserve my time. I have stood by him since we were reborn. And before, when he took us into that battle, holding information from his soldiers. His rank came before his friends, and he was the one who got us all killed… I’m owed.”

“And Connor,” she yells.

“Hmm, yes, that was unfortunate,” he shrugs. “He wasn’t willing to see the bigger picture. Regrettable, but it had to be done.”

“You bastard,” Sara splutters.

He turns his attention back to me. Pins and needles spread down my arms, caused by the Vampire’s strong grip. I clamp my teeth down, trying to wrestle loose.

“Then he had to be all noble and take my Red.” He rips open my shirt and the buttons roll across the floorboards. “He took the one thing I had for myself, like he was some god. He had he kneeling before him for forgiveness. All because Sara and I had a connection.” He ogles Sara briefly. “Believe me Miss Lovell, there was once a time when Sara was a lot less vocal. Sweet young thing who fulfilled me.”

I watch as Sara hangs her head. “You sucked me dry,” she murmurs.

“Oh, that was just a bit of fun,” he says, while repulsively fingering my face. “Before Adrien charged in, I had great plans for you. Now it looks like you will have to do instead.” 

He stares and reaches for my torso nearly drooling over me. I winch at his cold wicked touch. He places his silver ring on his thumb. I compress my lips together, scrunching my eyes tight. I cannot bare to see. His touch on me is hideous, each finger insistent on groping, slinking around my back. My lungs inflate rapidly as a sharp painful sensation suddenly digs into my skin below my ribs. Sara screams at him as I cry out in pain. 

Stupidly, I look to see him on his knees, his mouth nearing my ribs. He laps up my blood with his tongue in indulgence. I gag, but nothing comes up. I feel sickened; my skin is swarming with aversion. God please help. I’d rather die than have to go through this.

He looks up at me. “Hmm, you have a distinctive flavour, young, supple, sweet. You’ll do nicely.” He stands, licking me from his lips. “Tie her to the bed. Be careful not to damage her.” The Vampires drag me across the room.

“GET OFF ME.” I kick and scream, using all the energy I can muster to try and get free as I’m thrust down hard onto the mattress.

“Laurie, I’m going to kill you,” Sara shouts. “I’m going to do it the same way you did me.”

He laughs. “You’ve always been the sexiest bitch I’ve known Sara. But you must conduct yourself in an appropriate manner. You know how I like to punish a Red. You know what tools I have to do so,” he leers. “You’re going to have a front row seat. And if you’re on your best behaviour, I might even let you sample Miss Lovell here.”

“You twisted sick fuck,” she grunts as I’m pinned down.  

My boots have been yank from my feet, and my left wrist and ankle have been secured tight to the bedframe. So screw this, I’m going to make it impossible for them to do my right side. Laurie observes, getting off on seeing me struggle. He glowers and rubs himself briefly. I look away. He disgusts me the dirty bastard.