Chapter Five
"Where's Melanie?!" Sonya barked at Camille as they sped out of the parking lot and past the bus where flashes repeatedly went off as a detective and a police photographer captured frame after frame of the bloody evidence of the murder of pop star, Taylor Hanson.
"She said she wanted a snack." Camille replied.
"Oh, great." Sonya sighed.
"Try the nearest 24 hour McDonalds. She usually picks somebody up there." The girl suggested.
Sonya shook her head and floored the Volvo S.U.V. they drove and within moments they were pulling into the lot of the closest set of golden arches they knew of. There, Melanie stood with two girls—in her hand she held a red coca cola t-shirt, convincing the girls it belonged to Taylor. Of course, the beauty of it was, it really did. With a look from Sonya she rolled her eyes and walked over to the car. "Now, what are you two doing out at 3:40 in the morning in the hearse?" she smirked.
"Well," Sonya stated, "it appears that little Camille may have drunk from our boy more than she was letting on." And she looked over at her as she said it.
Melanie laughed, "Really? Why, you little glutton!" she pointed at Camille as the girl tried to look innocent. Melanie turned and threw the t-shirt to the excited girls, "You be here tomorrow night, and I'll bring the Danny's Music Box one—but, it'll cost ya…." She said to them as she climbed into the car, and they left the squealing girls behind.
"So, what's up?" Melanie asked.
"Don't you all feel it?" Sonya asked, maneuvering past the cars that blocked her way.
"I don't feel anything." Melanie said, gazing out the windows.
"That I can believe." Sonya said, "But, don't you feel him? He's coming back. I'm not sure how or why, but he is."
Camille turned to Melanie, "We've gotta get those crime scene photos—are you up for it?"
Melanie smiled, "Regular or digital?"
Once they'd dropped Melanie off in the hotel lot, the two went after the ambulance. Because it was carrying a dead body and not a living patient, the EMT's didn't use lights or sirens. Sonya hoped it hadn't reached it's destination yet. Undoubtedly, the importance of the person would make the authorities want an autopsy performed immediately and Sonya couldn't bare to think of Taylor waking up just as some masked medical technician cut open his chest. She'd never understood the need for such things when it was obvious a person had died from a large rip in their throat, but nine times out of ten, insurance companies or loved ones wanted to know the exact cause of death. "Sonya, I thought you killed him." Camille broke through her thoughts.
"I did." She answered.
"Then, why's he coming back?" She said, actually sounding worried.
"Oh, now you think about it, huh? I told you—if you drink over and over from them, eventually, they'll turn. Your saliva, your blood, whatever other fluids you may trade with them—" she said and she glared at the girl, "all that stuff adds up and you end up with a nice new addition to the family. Why did you think we were trying so hard to kill him tonight?"
Camille shrugged, "Because you wanted him for yourselves." She pouted. Before Sonya could answer, they saw the ambulance stopped at a red light a block up.
"We'll talk later." Sonya said as she stepped on the gas.
~~~~
Melanie had found the two men to be extremely easy. In her handbag were two rolls of film and one very expensive digital camera. Plus, she had a full stomach to boot. Not as tasty as vintage '83 rockstar, but she wasn't picky. She watched the comings and goings of the parking lot as she waited for Sonya and Camille. She'd assumed they'd be leaving, so she'd taken the liberty of grabbing their clothes and such from their room. She watched Isaac, Diana and Walker all get into a car and leave, going in the same direction the ambulance had gone. She smiled thinking they'd be in for a surprise when no one could locate the body.
~~~~
Camille sat in the backseat as Sonya drove back to the hotel. Carefully, she pulled the sheet away from Taylor's face. "You are so beautiful." She whispered, "I'm glad you came back." His eyes were open and his lips slightly parted. She pulled the sheet down further, "God Sonya! I'll bet that's gonna leave a scar!" she exclaimed.
"Well, sorry—I guess I wasn't thinking Camille. If I'd known you'd already turned him, I wouldn't have bothered." She said sarcastically. "Did he drink from you?" Sonya asked.
"No." Camille answered quietly. She reached down and closed his eyes, "How long will it take?" she asked.
Sonya sighed, "It depends—it can take as long as three days, but after the last 24 hours he's endured, it might be faster. Geez, I can't believe that poor thing could even walk after you, me, and Melanie all drank from him in one day. He was definitely turning." She said as she pulled into the hotel lot, then around to the back.
Melanie darted out of the darkness and jumped into the front seat when the car stopped. "Did you get it?" Sonya asked.
"Yeah, pull up over there," she said pointing, "I got our stuff, too."
Sonya did as she said and she jumped back out again. She grabbed their bags, opened the hatch and threw them in. She then reached over the backseat and roughly grabbed the body from Camille's lap and flopped it over into the back. "What are you doing!?" Camille growled.
"Well," she replied, "this place is crawling with cops, I don't think it's a good idea to drive around with a corpse in the backseat." She then proceeded to smash him into the corner by the spare tire and toss their bags on top.
"Melanie!" Camille cried, "Don't hurt him!"
Melanie shot her a look, "He's dead." She said.
"Yeah, but still, don't break his neck or his arm or anything—it'll hurt when he wakes up."
"If he wakes up." Melanie said.
"He will." Sonya muttered.
~~~~
"What do you mean it's not here?!!" Walker shouted at the nurse.
"Well, the ambulance crew called in and said the call was a prank—they're on another call now."
He closed his eyes, willing himself to remain calm. He felt like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His tears had subsided finally, but only because he knew Diana was incapable of anything right now, and arrangements had to be made. He would take time to grieve after everything was done. "That's not possible." He told the woman, "I saw them take my son's body and put it in the back of that ambulance. I saw it." He said, his voice breaking.
"I don't know what to tell you sir, I'm sorry, but that's what they told me."
He looked back at his wife—for the first time ever, he thought she looked old. The light was gone from her eyes. Isaac was like a zombie, it had taken four valium to calm him and still he was a mess. The EMT's had wanted to transport him as well, but he refused. Walker didn't know if he could stand to tell them this latest piece of news, but he had no choice, they had to know.
~~~~
Melanie yawned, "The sun's almost up, we gotta find a place to crash Sonya."
Camille was already in a deep sleep in the back seat. "Yeah, I know." Sonya replied, "I saw a sign for a Motel 6, it's off the next exit. We'll stop there."
Within five minutes, they were pulling into the parking lot. Sonya went inside, paid the clerk in cash, and came back out with the key. They drove to the side of the building their room was located on and Sonya backed the car in so they could unload their cargo easily. As Melanie roused Camille, Sonya pulled Taylor's body out from under everything Melanie had piled on top of it. Camille watched sleepily, "Are you sure he's not dead?" she asked, grabbing her bag.
Sonya hoisted him over her shoulder. His arm flopped out and she cringed, "He's not stiff, is he?" she asked.
Melanie giggled, "I don't know, is he?"
Camille bristled, "Shut up." Then she slid the card in and they went into the small room. Sonya dropped the bundle down on the bed. Immediately, Camille curled up next to it and again pulled the sheet away from his face.
Sonya stepped next to the bed and bent down over him. She gently turned his head and looked at his throat. He was covered in dry blood and she wrinkled up her nose at the smell, "We gotta get him cleaned up or he's gonna start to reek." She said. She then looked at the other girls. Both were already sleeping the deep sleep that overtook their kind when the sun rose over the horizon. "No, no—it's ok, I don't mind doing everything." She said, though she knew they didn't hear her.
The younger the vampire, the more the sun took it's toll on their energy. At 212 years old, she was easily able to stay up an hour or two after sunrise and longer if she had to, though it was a struggle. She kicked off her shoes and went into the bathroom and ran warm water into the tub. As it filled, she went back to the bed and picked the body up again and carried it into the bathroom. Then, she took the sheet off, shaking her head when she saw all the blood. As she gently lay the body in the water, she could see the face of his mother. She took a washcloth and carefully washed the blood away.
Her mind wandered then, thinking about her own children—dead and gone now for more than a hundred years. She'd kept track of her grandchildren and great grandchildren for a long time until she just couldn't take it anymore. Perhaps, she thought, that was what made Melanie and Camille so cold—they'd never had children. In fact, they'd been so young when they'd died, they'd not even had time to experience a real, loving relationship. Sonya knew that every person was some mother's child and they deserved to be treated with respect, whether they were a housewife, a criminal, a lawyer, a wino—even a politician. The old ones knew it. They also knew it was necessary, because a trail of dead, mutilated bodies would eventually lead to humans knowing that vampires walked among them. That was not allowed and carelessness of that sort would gain one a visit from a rather scary character carrying a warning from the higher ups.
She herself had been sent to watch over the two young reckless girls and she doubted the elders would approve of their current situation. Melanie killed without a thought—it was almost a comfort to Sonya that she had failed in her attempt to kill Taylor. She'd had plenty of time, Sonya knew it, so the fact that she hadn't gave her hope that the girl was learning, changing. Camille wasn't as likely to kill, but she thought nothing of playing with her victims. A cruel game of cat and mouse that Sonya knew would eventually catch up to her. In fact, it already had.
She looked at the face of the boy in the water. He could have been asleep. Technically she supposed, he was. And it was unlikely he would awaken before nightfall. By then, they'd have him safely in his own bed in Tulsa. She didn't expect the family to show up there for a long time. It was perfect. And it would lessen the shock for him when he did wake up. It was always better if they could come around slowly, at their own pace. She'd not been witness to many awakenings, but enough for her to know that anything could happen. She was a little worried, males tended to be very strong physically. In life, Taylor had been very muscular and healthy and she knew the change would accentuate that. He would probably be able to overpower the three of them if he believed he could. Fortunately, he would more than likely be afraid of them and they could use that to their advantage.
She lifted his hand out of
the water, "What nice hands you have, Taylor." She said as she wiped
between his fingers. "Hmmm, shall I wash your hair?" she asked.
Of course, he didn't answer but she stood up anyway and took the tiny bottle
of shampoo from the counter and poured it into her hands. "I should
have been a nurse." She said to herself as she went about her task.
Once she was satisfied that he would be presentable, she pulled the plug,
then carefully pulled the body from the tub. "Geez, you're slippery!"
she said as she put him down on the towels she'd laid out. After
he was all dried off, she ran a brush through his hair, then gently lay
him down on the bed next to Camille. "Not that she deserves to have
you there…" she said, looking at the girl disgustedly. She
then lay down on the other bed, pushing Melanie over to the other side.
She went to sleep, her mind still going over and over all the things they'd
need to do the next evening.
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