It's funny the things you think about as your conscience crawls its way up out of a drug induced haze. Even before I was fully awake I knew exactly where I was. I could feel the nasty wooden divide on the old couch King had 'oh so gently' placed me on earlier pressing into my back. Part of my mind was screaming at me to wake up, something is terribly wrong. Yet another part was wondering if I had dreamed it all and I would open my eyes and see Zoe peering back at me. Some weird déjà vu syndrome thingy I guess. Then the pain came, slowly at first. Starting with the dull ache in my leg and then the piercing pain of my cracked rib as the last of the drug finally wore off.
"There's no place like home, there's no place like home" I would have tapped my heels together to add to the effect, but no amount of wishful thinking was going to get me out of this one. So I took a somewhat painful deep breath and opened my eyes; and oh did I wish to god I hadn't!
"Welcome back Aideen" he said.
I sat up quickly, too quickly. The pain in my chest causing me to see stars briefly; and there he was, standing no more than five feet from me, the master demon from my personal never ending nightmare.
"Doctor Flinders how wonderful of you to join us" I glared up at him, sarcasm dripping from every word.
He smiled in response. "You always did have such a wonderful way with words my pet" and he stepped in as if to brush my hair from my face.
"I am not your pet" I hissed at him and smacked his outstretched hand away, which was closely followed by the sound of many firearms being aimed in my direction. Chuckling quietly the good doctor stepped back out of striking distance and smiled smugly at me. Under normal circumstances one might mistake the good doctor as a distinguished gentleman like one out of those old movies with Audrey Hepburn or Doris Day; the kind of man that aged well and just screamed respectability. He was tall and lithe with dark hair that was greying at the temples, he had an expressive face with a strong jaw, many women could be forgiven for thinking him at the very least handsome; what gave away his lack of a soul were his empty blue eyes, devoid of any emotion. No facial expression he made was ever reflected in those eyes.
"I see you've made some new friends" I flippantly remarked making an arc with my arm to indicate the large semi circle of vampires that were also present in the room; quickly counting in my head about 20 in my line of sight.
"I'm not the only one, it seems pet, you've been a busy girl since we were last together" he crooked an eyebrow and then using a couple of fingers directed someone off to my right to come forward. He then took a seat on the couch to my left. King, the doc and Whistler were brought out of the shadows and tossed on the ground between us.
" What have you done to them?" I snapped angry that he could see the worry on my face and hear it in my voice.
"Nothing" he said sounding mildly insulted at my accusation. "They are just taking a little bit longer to shake off the sedative than you" then almost as if on cue King groaned and started moving. Half a minute later Whistler's eye's flittered open and then the doctor groaned softly.
King sat up suddenly and the vampires around us moved in closer making their presence known. King froze and his eyes slitted as he took in his surroundings, his glare finally coming to rest on Flinders.
"Okay two questions, one, who the fuck are you? and two, can I get the number for the guy that does your hair, cause I was thinking of getting a trim...." King was cut off when one of the vampires went to smack him in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle but he didn't quite get there; King swung around fast as lightening grabbing hold of the weapon and ripping it out of the vampires hands aimed it at his would be attacker. Whistler was almost instantly crouched by his side with a small knife in her hand that the vampires had obviously missed.
