David gunned it up the hill, the bike's engine roaring as they came around the curve. He'd driven like a bat out of hell, running stop signs and ignoring traffic lights. There wasn't time to obey laws, especially if he was going to be dead soon.
The back tire fishtailed slightly as he slid the bike to a stop in the parking strip in front of Max's house. There were lights on inside. "Who's in the house?"
Beth shook her head. "I don't know, at least one of the ghouls? They wouldn't let any kids stay here unsupervised."
The blonde vampire climbed off David's bike, David following her lead across the wooden bridge to the entry of the home. Beth paused, her arm blocking David's path.
"What?"
"The door. It's open." Beth spoke quietly, nodding her head in the direction she wanted him to look. David could see the front door was ajar, light spilling onto the front porch.
"Shit." David's features shifted, eyes yellow, fangs extended. He held Beth back as he passed, taking the lead. The two vampires crept silently towards the door, David's talons at the ready. He pushed the door open wider, both sneaking inside.
Walking along the entry hall, both were on high alert for any sound, any sign of life. The house was deathly silent. No talking, no chatter, no television or music. Nothing seemed to be making noise except for the appliances.
"This isn't good." Beth whispered. David held up a hand to silence her, just before he walked around the corner into the living room.
He stopped abruptly, seeing the back of a head. Someone was sitting on the sectional. He tried to remember the guy's name. Barry? Chris? Chuck?
"Charlie?" Beth called softly. David frowned as the blonde vampire pushed past him and went around the couch. She put a hand out, touching the youngest ghoul's shoulder "Charlie!" Beth looked at David, fear in her eyes, as Charlie's body slumped sideways.
"Don't touch him!" David snapped, hurrying around the side of the sectional. Beth stepped backwards, looking in horror at the hand she had touched the ghoul's shoulder with. David eyed the body. Charlie's eyes and mouth were open wide, blood trickling from the corners.
David realized there was a bloody trail that ran down Charlie's shirt onto the plush white carpet. It was like a less grotesque version of what had happened to Marko. The ghoul had exsanguinated, just the same.
"Damn it!" David swiftly kicked the couch, the force of impact pushing it backwards, jostling the corpse. Beth screamed and ran towards the dining room. David rushed after her.
The blood pool covered most of the table, dripping slowly off the sides, making puddles on the tiles. Jake and Sophia were still in their chairs, bodies pitched forward to lie on the top of the table. There were plates, cups, silverware on the table; they had obviously been eating a meal when it had happened. Their eyes were open, like Charlie's, with similar trails of blood from the corners of their eyes and mouths.
Beth turned, grabbing onto David, burying her face against the front of his coat. David scowled darkly while looking over the death scene, his arms at his sides, hands balled into fists.
"What the hell is going on, Beth!"
"I don't know." Beth whispered against his chest, gripping the leather lapels tightly in her hands. "It's the blood. It must be Max's blood."
David snarled softly, his features still vamped. The smell overwhelmed him. He tried to use his supernatural senses to pick up on anything that could help them understand what had caused the ghouls' deaths. Beyond the blood, he could smell…
"Pepper. Marko said the blood tasted peppery."
"What?" Beth craned her neck to look up at David.
"The first bottle he drank from, the one we thought went bad. He mentioned it had a peppery taste."
Beth frowned. "There's a shaker of pepper on the table but that wouldn't cause them to bleed out like this. They weren't vampires, they were ghouls! I need my books… Maria!"
The blonde vampire shot out of the room, leaving David behind. "Beth, wait!" The head vampire ran after her, finding her standing in the doorway of the bedroom Maria had claimed, staring in. "Beth!"
"It's okay, David. She's not here." Beth stepped through the doorway just as David caught up. The vampire peered into the room. It was empty, at least of the head ghoul. All the furniture was there, the bookcase and desk, Maria's clothing. Beth was already pulling out books, tossing them on the bed, collecting everything she thought she might need.
"Is she at the video store?"
"Call the number, find out!"
David grabbed the phone from the nightstand, punching numbers into the keypad. The line connected but all he heard was ringing. "She's not answering."
"We'll have to go there. If she collapsed in the store…"
"Leave the books! We'll come back for them!" David shouted, slamming the receiver down. All they'd need is to find the police on the scene, investigating a bleeding out or dead Maria, a store of horrified witnesses being interviewed…
The vampires dashed out of the bedroom and back out the front door. Beth stopped to lock it with her key. David was already on his bike, revving the engine, by the time she crossed the bridge.
Beth jumped on the back of the bike and the two vampires tore off, racing towards the video store.
