CHAPTER EIGHT

When cornered an animal faces its enemy. It hisses and bites if necessary. But at the bottom of it all, it's scared. Scared of what might happen to it.

I remember that as I watched the TV back at The Manor. Caim and Mattie were lounged on the large sofa, hands locked together absolutely at ease with one another.

On TV a dog was abused but it still had enough energy to put up a fight. Its captors had cornered it with those reinforced dog leads, and were trying to get it round the snarling dog's head.

I remember Mattie said something which made Caim and I look at him in horror or shock and we tried desperately to argue against what he had said.

Looking back at it now I could argue and reason my way out but this was my test. After two years of training if I didn't do this, it would be a waste of my life.

But taking another life…

I examined Mattie. His face gave nothing away and neither did his body language.

So I stared straight into his eyes hoping that this would at least get to some part of him, "Mattie, do you want me to be your feeder?" I felt a slight thrill when I heard my voice didn't fail me followed by the disappointment of picking this time to ask.

It caught him off guard as his eyes widened. "Of course."

"Advanced or not?"

"Either."

Shit. He won't say now. If he did it would be about Caim.

"Oh and here," He patted his pockets for something before taking out a piece of paper. A picture. "This is his image." Holding out for me in front of the light the missing brick created, I saw a blown up face of a man staring back at me with short black hair that didn't reach his shoulders and with brown eyes which smiled at me. He had high cheekbones and his skin had no blemishes, no spots, no imperfection.

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. Taking a life even if he did bad stuff… that just sat really badly with me.

Mattie looked at his phone. "I'm not trying to force you but this is part of your training, Alice. This is one of the most important things you will have to face if you want to be an advanced feeder. Harding will need to die before the party ends tonight."

You say that but then say a time?

"What happens if I don't pull the trigger after that?" My voice was just a whisper. It was a good thing Mattie had good hearing. I don't think I would have the courage to even repeat it.

"I will be your insurance." It was a definite answer.

"What happens after? Won't all hell break loose?"

"No. I have everything covered."

"Okay." Argh. It feels like I'm going to be sick.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me okay? Just call my name."

I nodded as he descended the stairs before looking at the sniper already set out for me. A brick has been chiseled out of the wall and it lay next to the gun.

I looked away stumbling to what I thought was a pile of rubble and was dry retching. I only thank God nothing came out because I don't think I could take the smell.

Collapsing on my knees as I wiped my mouth on the back of my sleeve I thought, what the fuck? Caim did this right? Mattie must have killed countless of people. Get your act together! They're still… I struggled with the words. They're still 'normal' considering the things they have to do. They both laughed in front of me many times. A real genuine laugh that looked like they were just living the moment… and Mattie… I looked at the stairs. Mattie is still next to me poking fun when I feel so overwhelmed with this things I have to accept because of Caim.

It was only then I realised I didn't blame Caim for my life so far. Or rather I'm glad that he made this decision. It was selfish of him but… but… what? I didn't know how to answer that.

The beat of the music changed so I looked through the scope, maneuvering it so I had a picture of what was happening.

The room was large. There were two floors but the second floor gave a clear open planned view of the first floor. On the first floor a kitchen was just under the second floor separating the main room from the main room an island running parallel to the floor. People there laughed and talked. Some were snorting drugs. Some were eating. Next to it was the main room. Sofas crowded a TV screen which played some weird and random decorations.

There wasn't much on the second floor. I couldn't see much because so many people were there. Most had cocktails in their hand or hands. At this range I couldn't tell who was a vampire or not.

Harding was on the sofa in the main room, an arm around a blonde with a dress that looked like it was too small for her. I mean really her boobs look like they were going to pop out at any second. He was just generally having a good time and occasionally his drink (he held it with the arm around her), would spill on her dress but she didn't mind. She just took his glass and spilt it on her lap saying something to him which made him give her a seductive look. Ugh. Double ugh to the type of women he's into.

My finger trailed along the trigger. I wonder what he did...

I breathed slowly something Sarah taught me when I started to learn to shoot. Cleared my overactive head of thoughts which made me doubt myself and what I was doing to land myself here about to murder someone.

As I aimed my cross hair on his head, his gaze shifted to a man in black. I assumed it was his security. It was a bit weird seeing none when I first took a look of the place.

The man leaned down to his shoulder to whisper something. I'm not sure. I had a bad feeling about that so I took a shuddering breath, finished lining up my aim and shot Harding in the head. Through the shattered window which now looked like a fly's eyesight, the after shot picture could just just be made out.

Harding rolled back on the sofa as the blood splattered on his lady friend and on the bodyguard. It covered the sofa and the rest of his drink flew behind him. I imagined it smashing just like the glass. She screamed scrambling away from his body bringing in a whole new level of panic and hysteria as other people realised what had happened as they rushed to the doors. People from the balcony stared which made me think they were vampires.

Something grabbed my arm. I almost screamed had the hand muffled my mouth. Shocked I saw it was Mattie. "We have to move fast!"

Practically dragging me away from the gun, he started to tuck the whole thing away in a sports bag. He also replaced the missing brick in the wall. In the next minute he took my hand and we headed out.

People were still screaming as they raced out of the apartment. Still keeping tight hold of my hand, it looked like we were going to go but I held back.

"What's wrong?" He said as he looked at me darting glances at the people. "Police will be here, I can hear them."

"Won't they see us?" I pointed to the running guests.

"No, not in this state."

Beneath all the noise I couldn't hear the sirens but considering Mattie has significantly better hearing than I, I had to take his word for it.

Still holding my hand, he tugged me sharply out on the pavement to run with the crowd. As we turned a corner I saw the red and blue flashing lights of the ambulance as it raced past.

I couldn't forget that face. The splatter of the blood and the face that came with it. It flashed every time I blinked.

"You need to keep your eyes open." Sarah said. "But you need to be careful with that in the long run."