They made it to Bakersfield by the time the sun began to rise and they found a dingy hotel deep in the city between two large office buildings to bed down for the day. David didn't really want to stay in a hotel, it just meant another paper trail but gone were the days of staying in a blocked off cavern. If Max could do it though, so could David. Max had even owned a business yet David had always struggled to see how he did it without being found out. David took a look at the young girl at the reception and smiled.
'Dwayne, go get a room.' Dwayne walked in and the girl just about fell over looking at him and Dwayne looked back at David grinning, she was just his type and David knew it. Before long the girl was leading Dwayne to his room and the others reached over and got themselves keys to their own rooms. David held on to Star and pulled her into his room with him, despite everything he was strong in his conviction to complete at least one of his objectives for the night, he was going to celebrate regardless of the Police attention Alan had created but they were going to have to be as low key as possible from now on, at least until they could blend into the madness that was Las Vegas. David would be able to relax there, the place was still full of show men and freaks and no one would take a second look at him and his band of merry men there.
Stepping into the room, Star headed straight to the bathroom for a shower and as there was no radio in the room, David flicked on the TV to find a music channel. He didn't like watching TV, he was more of a music man, or movies if he had to watch anything, he much preferred doing things than watching things. The 6am morning news was on and his attention was caught by the news anchor speaking of a body being found in the parking lot of The Saw Mill bar in Santa Carla. The blonde described the scene and said Alan's name and that they were investigating his movements and looking for anyone who had spoken to him or seen him speaking to anyone that night. She moved onto the next story and David switched the channel. They didn't mention Edgar but he wondered how long it would be until they had spoken to him and what he would say, Edgar was his brother after all and David couldn't see him holding back. He relaxed a bit, at least the cops were still as useless as they'd ever been and by the time they'd had any leads, he'd be long gone. Once they were in Las Vegas, they'd be fine, and they'd just keep moving east until they reached Miami if they had to. As long as no one said Alan had been speaking to Star because that would be more than a small problem considering.
Star returned from her shower fully dressed and sat on the small couch in the room away from him. David pulled out a joint, he was anxious and needed to chill, and he began puffing away trying not to think of their situation. He was tired but looking at her all soft and warm, he wasn't too tired to cement his bond with his new vampire muse once more and told her to come to him. She looked nervous and took a few seconds before she moved to the end of the held out the joint to her but she declined.
'It will make you feel better about everything.' Again she shook her head. 'It will make me feel better.' He insisted and after scrutinizing him, she conceded. He watched every move she made as she placed the joint to her lips and he waited for the smoke to take effect.
'Have another.' He urged and she did and as she passed it back to him he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. He felt her stiffen and pull back slightly and he intensified his gaze into her eyes and used his influence on her. He laid it on thick, thicker than what he was expecting he'd have to which gave him a flash of annoyance.
'Come to me Star.' He said in his cool calm voice and he had her whether she wanted it or not, she was folding under his control. She went to her sire and she straddled him on the bed and he smiled at her and made himself comfortable. He still felt an underlying reluctance but he didn't care and he put his hand behind her head, pulled her down on top of him and he kissed her. In that one move she relented and she was his for the taking.
David was awake before he opened his eyes, he'd awoken to the low sound of the TV. A different announcer was reading the nightly news and he was reporting on the body found in Santa Carla and the belief that the Police had that there was either another body or the perpetrator had been injured as there had been two types of blood identified at the scene. They had sent the sample the top US Haematologists to look over for an answer. They were searching local hospitals in Santa Carla and San Francisco for any unusual admissions. They said they had spoken to the deceased's brother but were still interested in speaking to anyone else with any knowledge about this attack.
'…and in a related story, two trampers came across an unconscious man near Boulder Creek this morning. The Police are unsure if the man, identified as Gabriel Thompson, is connected to the incident in Santa Carla but they are doing DNA testing and will speak to him once he awakens. He has been flown to San Francisco hospital in a critical condition with severe blood loss and his family are on their way from Huntington Beach.'
Gabriel Thompson. Laddie. David's eyes shot open and he sat up, disbelieving what he'd just heard. Glaring at the TV he saw images of San Francisco hospital and heard the man once again asking for the public's help if anyone knew of Gabriel's movements the previous night to contact the California Police department. He was at San Francisco hospital. Hospital not morgue. What the fuck? Laddie was alive. Star hadn't turned and Dwayne hadn't disposed of the body, he'd just left him out there to be found. What they fuck was wrong with him? With both of them? David was furious. He stared at her and for a split second he turned and was ready to rip her head off but he knew he couldn't leave any more evidence and he got up and left without speaking to her. He went to get the boys up and after thundering in to both Paul's and Marko's rooms and demanding them to get ready, he broke the hinges off the door to Dwayne's room and told him under no uncertain terms to get up before storming out.
'We're leaving.' He abruptly told Star upon getting back to the room and he grabbed his jacket and stood at the door impatiently waiting for her to join him. He was definitely not in the mood for any kind of small talk and marched her outside, demanding she get on his bike, and he revved his engine loudly as he waited for the boys to appear. The boys came out and got ready to leave and even they were uneasy about the mood of their monosyllabic leader so they followed his instruction without question and they left Bakersfield without feeding. The boys were expecting David to be happy after last night's events but with the speed and aggression he was riding, something was very wrong.
David led the boys up highway 15 and up the 127 to the Nopah Range and parked his bike away from the parking area. When all their engines had ceased, David got off his bike and took his gloves off, placing them on the seat of his bike.
'When I gave you the gift of immortality, I told you there were rules you had to abide by to maintain not only your anonymity, but all of our security.' He looked from brother to brother as he spoke. 'They are simple rules to not draw any attention to us and I thought you all knew them well. We live in the shadows and don't make relationships no matter what happens to us, we live off the radar without creating records or paper trails. And we don't leave our kills out for anyone to find, especially in this century.' In a lightning fast move David launched at Dwayne pinning him up against a tree with his teeth bared and a deep growling emitting from his throat. 'So what the fuck were you doing leaving Laddie out to be found and taken to a hospital?'
'Hospital?' Dwayne managed through David's strangulation hold.
'Laddie is alive in San Francisco hospital surrounded by Police.' He roared throwing Dwayne roughly against another tree. David turned and was on both Paul and Marko just as fast digging his nail deep in their shoulders. 'And while I'm at it, you two left a body out AND let a witness go. Witnesses don't live, especially when we have killed his family member and that witness has tried to kill us once already. You fuckwits have been fatally sloppy and now we have a massive mess to avoid.' He spun on his heel dropping the men and stared pure evil at Star. 'And everything is your fault.'