Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"None of that, now." The revenant's voice was wet and gravelly, but with a cultured edge that somehow made it all the worse. This was no "Night of the Living Dead" mindless monster, but a thinking, planning creature. "Master says you must be brought back to him intact, but he didn't say anything at all about still breathing. Be a nice little Renfield and come quietly." A knowing smile spread unevenly across his dead face. "You know you want to."

"You don't know anything about me!" He didn't. She was sick, that's all. Infected. Nothing at all like this diseased monstrosity in front of her. Over his shoulder she could see Jack toss the second revenant across the room to crash into the glass bookshelves there. It got to its feet with no grace but an alarming amount of speed. Jack snarled, exposing sharp white fangs, then launched himself at the monster.

Monster? Who was the monster? Revenants had no say in what they were. In fact, they had been created to defend humanity. Defend it from the leeches that preyed on innocent humans. Vampires were the true monsters. Killing for food. For sport. They had forced the Church to create the revenants, hadn't they? She smiled as the revenant caught the vampire in mid air and slammed him down through the coffee table. Wood shards flew everywhere. Had it been enough? No, the monster was stirring, infernal eyes glowing.

"Yes." A cold hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Now you see, little sister."

She did. Her hands clenched into claws, eager to rend and tear. She took a step forward, her stomach growling. Growling? That was strange. She'd just eaten, hadn't she? Halfway across the room the revenant slashed across the vampire's abdomen and blood flew. Her stomach contracted painfully at the sight. Confused, she looked down at her own belly. Was she ill? An instant later something slammed into her, throwing her to the floor.

"Natalie, are you all right?" The weight disappeared and a second later there was the sound of breaking glass. "Why are you still here?"

Natalie, are you all right? Nick's face, swimming up through the confusion in her mind. Nick, so warm and kind. How many times had he said those words? And now Jack, who she hadn't even known a day ago. Both vampires. Both…monsters?

"No. I mean, yes, I'm okay, Jack." She shuddered, wanting to cry, vomit, and scream all at the same time. What was happening to her?

"Then get out of here. I can't protect you. Get to sunlight. To people." The vampire she'd so loathed a moment ago was still apparent in his face, but the words were ones of warm concern. He was trying to protect her. Natalie struggled to her feet, her mind reeling. She tried to cry out a warning, but couldn't make her voice work as the revenant who'd attacked him grabbed Jack and swung him around. "Go!" he cried out. Then both were flying across the room and she was alone.

Almost. The revenant who had spoken to her before now gripped her arm. "Time to go, dearie. Amos will be done with the boy before long, but my master is very eager to meet you. Shall we?" He pulled on her arm, half-dragging her toward the kitchen. She let him take her halfway across the large kitchen before she reached out and grabbed hold of the stainless steel island in the center of the room.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Horrible, alien thoughts still swam thought her head, but Natalie knew that they weren't hers. The revenant pulled with more force and she bit back a cry as her torn shoulder protested, but she didn't let go. He bared his teeth in a gesture of frustration and she had a second to wonder how she could ever have felt kinship with the thing before she was thrown against the sink countertop. Porcelain bit painfully into her side and she struggled to take a breath.

"I beg to differ. It's good to see a girl with spunk, but this has gone on too long." He ducked and the ceramic bowl she'd thrown at him went harmlessly over his head. "Time to go, Renfield."

"Stop calling me that!" She threw everything on the countertop at the thing, but it kept coming. Natalie found herself backed into a corner as the revenant slowly approached. It was a little wary now, and seemed to be keeping a close eye on her right hand--her throwing hand. Resting that hand on the counter where he could see it, Natalie opened a drawer at random and pawed through it frantically. A flamethrower would be too much to ask for, but a meat cleaver would be nice. "You know, I'm just the sort of person to carve up a dead guy like you," she warned, gesturing at him with her right hand. Her left hand identified a screwdriver, rubber bands, a small tin of some liquid, a pair of scissors, a lighter. Wait a minute. Back up. Hazy memories of her grandfather. He'd smoked cigars, and used a lighter like this one. The tin felt familiar, too. Grandfather had used something like it, warning her to stay away while he filled his lighter. His lighter. Lighter fluid!

Trying to keep her expression terrified, Natalie struggled to pop the top off the canister of what she prayed was lighter fluid. Vampires could be hurt by fire, and Nick, at least, had shown some aversion to it even when not directly threatened. Even if there wasn't enough to do the revenant serious injury, there might be enough to distract it long enough for her to make it out the rear door. The kitchen opened into the homes' backyard. She was willing to bet she could still scale a six foot fence, given enough incentive, and nothing beat a shambling zombie when it came to incentive. She got a little fluid onto her fingers, but at last the tin was open. Trying to hold it upright, Natalie scooped up the lighter as well with a little difficulty. There was a loud thud from the next room, and then silence.

"There, you see? It's done. Now come along, Renfield." He extended one pale, mottled hand. Natalie reached out with her right as if to take his. His gaze shifted downward just a little. Saying a quick prayer, Nat swung her left hand up and around and squeezed.

It couldn't have gone any better. The beginning of the stream caught his extended hand and arm, then spattered onto his chest. Her left arm arched upward, and the rest of the fluid shot directly onto his face and hair. He clawed at his eyes, mostly in surprise, she thought. The hands came down almost immediately and he glowered at her hatefully. He opened his mouth and she struck the flint of the lighter. Bringing her arm back down, Natalie tossed the lighter at the revenant.

The fluid caught with an almost soundless whoosh of rushing air and the revenant screamed, staggering backward and slapping wildly at the growing flames. The movement only made the fire grow more quickly. In an instant he was a torch, arms waving wildly about his head as he careened blindly around the room, shrieking.

"Natalie!"

It was Jack, standing in the doorway to the living room. He looked he'd been on the losing end of a fight with a threshing machine, but smiled reassuringly as he gestured for her to join him. Taking one longing glance at the back door, Natalie edged carefully around the revenant and joined him. Together they watched as the revenant fell to its knees, keening softly. A moment later it fell forward and lay still on the tile floor.

"Come on." Taking her hand, Jack pulled her gently down the hall into the master bedroom. "The cops'll be here any minute." Releasing her hand, he opened the closet door and shoved aside a rack of neatly pressed suits. "George is going to be so pissed. Want to bet he never leaves me his key again?" Not waiting for an answer, he knelt and felt around on the thick shag carpet. There was a muted click, and part of the closet floor lifted upward. Jack pulled it up the rest of the way, revealing a dimly-lit passageway, complete with ladder. "You first."

Natalie looked doubtfully into the hole. The light from the room lit only the first six feet or so of the passage. Going down that ladder would be like descending into a strange (and possibly dangerous) cave.

"It's okay. This is George's bolt hole. It'll open up into the sewers. I think."

"You think? That's not very reassuring." Holding onto the door frame, Natalie stepped gingerly onto the first rung of the ladder. It held her weight without shifting, and she began to descend it, hoping that she was doing the right thing.

"Well, George and I never got around to the details." He waited until she was down several feet and then stepped onto the ladder himself. The darkness around her was close and stale. A few more steps down and Jack pulled the door down behind them and the darkness was complete.

"Jack!"

"It's okay. Any second now…" he paused, and dim lights appeared along the wall of the tunnel at regular intervals. "Thought so. George doesn't like the dark very much."

"A vampire who doesn't like the dark?" Anything to keep her mind off what had just happened, and what was still happening. Though the revenant was gone, the hungry, restless thoughts still prowled through her mind, telling her that she was a fool to trust the vampire, any vampire. Which was crazy. Some vampires could be trusted. Nick, for one. Nick would never do anything to harm her. She was sure of it.

"Even we need a little light to see," Jack explained. "We're as blind as you are in pitch black. One reason why I've never understood why some guys like crypts and coffins. Yuck." The easy, casual discussion soothed her frayed nerves. "George got locked in somebody's crypt for a week. No light, no sound. He's been a little spooked ever since. So I kind of figured that even his emergency exit would be well lit."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." The light was reassuring, but not much more than that. She could see only a few feet past her shoes, and could barely make out Jack's face above her.

"That's because you don't have our eyes. To me, this is as bright as day." He chuckled. "Well, not that bright. Hasn't struck me blind yet. You'd better slow down. We should be coming to the sewer pipe soon."

"I think I can smell it." Dank, slightly foul-smelling air drifted upward toward her. In the silence Nat could hear the trickle of water. "Not the way he usually travels, I take it." The suits in the closet had been of the thousand dollar variety.

"Nope. This is strictly an emergency affair. For when they guys with the torches and pitchforks come calling."

Her foot sought the next rung and found only air. "I think this is it."

"The floor is only about five feet below. Think you can drop that far, or do you want a hand?"

Dropping into blackness and landing on unforgiving cement was more that her poor body could take at the moment, Natalie knew. She'd gotten their vile thoughts, but apparently not their strength or immunity to pain. Like just wasn't fair, sometimes. "I'm not sure that's a good idea right now. Would you mind?"

"Catching the fair maiden? Not a chance." Nat felt the rush of air on her back at Jack let go of the rungs and dropped past her to the cement below. Her ears barely caught the sound of his quiet landing. "Just let go. I'll catch you."

Before her mind had a chance to object her body took over and let go of the rungs. A brief rush of cool air and Natalie felt cool, strong arms around her. He set her carefully on her feet and then stepped away, looking up and down the narrow corridor while she adjusted her clothes and patted vainly at her tangled hair.

"This looks like part of the Danforth Street subsidiary. If I remember right, going west should take us out near the High Park subway station."

"And from there?" Run, her mind whispered. Run to him. She knew now that it wasn't Nick that had been calling, but it no longer seemed to matter.

"There's a hideout near there that should give us some time. I need to find a safe place to put you, Nat. This fight has gotten way out of your league."

"Hey, I'm in this fight, remember? And I've done all right so far!" Anger rushed through her, and she couldn't have said which part was hers and which the infection if her life had depended on it. "Don't you dare talk to me like, like…" Nick, her traitorous mind suggested. Nick, who tried so hard to keep dear sweet Natalie from knowing more than she should. Nick knows best, Natalie. He'll keep you safe. And safely ignorant.

"Easy, easy." Jack was looking at her warily. "I'm not trying to talk down to you. But you're just, well, you're a mortal, Nat. With a mortal's strength. Believe me, if you've got any suggestions on how to cap these guys and find their master, I'm all ears."

"And who was it that said that strength is nothing? I—oh, forget it." The anger disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and she managed a faint smile. "Let's find this hideout of yours. And then we need to talk."

###

The sewer pipe had gone from narrow to downright small, and it was a relief to be able to stand upright again. Natalie stretched and took a deep breath. She'd never thought she would find subway air pleasant, but after the sewers it was like a breath of fresh spring air. Beside her, Jack was looking around carefully. There were a couple of dozen people standing around waiting for the next train, but no one seemed to be paying any particular attention to them. He nodded, and gestured for her to follow him.

At the edge of the station Jack took another look around and then jumped down into the tunnel. Carefully avoiding the tracks, he gestured for her to follow. Too tired to object, Natalie did so, and was caught by the waist and lowered easily to the ground. They walked a few paces and then Jack stopped, frowning.

"It should be right here. Ah. Here it is." He reached down and pulled an old metal ring. A heavy metal grating gave way, and he leveraged it up high enough for her to slip beneath it. He followed a moment later, letting the grating fall shut with a heavy metal clang.

They were in a narrow passageway that lead to an even narrower doorway. Both looked decades old and unmaintained, but the door opened soundlessly when Jack turned the knob. He poked his head in and then gestured for her to follow him in.

The room was about ten foot square, with metal shelving along one wall that had nearly rusted away completely and a wooden file cabinet that she wouldn't have leaned against on a bet. Several old and ratty-looking blankets lie crumpled on the stone floor, and on one of them an old man lay shivering. Jack nodded to the old man and kicked some of the unused blankets away, then gestured for Natalie to join him as he slid to the bare floor, his back to the wall.

"It's okay. No one knows about this place but us. The Community, I mean." Natalie nodded wearily and leaned against the wall, letting it support her as she slid to the floor.

"What about him?" She nodded at the old man, who was watching them with too-bright eyes.

"He's one of us."

The old man cackled. "Oh I am, so I am! Not that many would claim membership in any club that I was a member of." He sniffed, and when he smiled again there were fangs in it. "Say, boy. You got any to spare? I haven't had anything so sweet since the summer of forty-nine. Or was it fifty-two? I forget." He was looking at Jack with a mixture of hope and greed.

"Back off." Jack still looked entirely human, but the warning was unmistakable. With a start Natalie realized that the old man hadn't been asking for spare change.

"Okay, Okay. Be like that. Time was, everybody pulled together. Now it's all me, me, me. Why, when I was…" Still muttering to himself, the old man rolled over, pulling his collection of blankets tight around his shoulders.

Jack saw her surprised expression and grinned. "Yeah, we're not all handsome police detectives. Or even high-paid computer geeks."

"That's kind of reassuring, somehow. So this is a vampire hideout?"

He nodded. "The closest one I could think of. I'm sure there are nicer ones, but I haven't been in the city all that long. This ought to keep us safe enough for a while. Though I'd feel better if I knew how they found us at George's."

Natalie found herself rubbing at her inflamed neck wound and made herself stop. "Could the Hunter have traced us through your computer? I mean, he found you at your place, didn't he?"

"Well, somebody found me there. Whoever it was didn't bother knocking, and after what I'd just seen on screen I wasn't in the mood to go see for myself."

"Oh, Jack. All of your work," Natalie said sympathetically.

"Maybe not. I had time to set the security protocols. Anyone who tries to hack in will be in for an unpleasant surprise." He sighed. "But, yeah, I'm looking at lots of down time if they just trashed the place. Don't think that's how they found us, though."

"Why not?" The restlessness was getting stronger, as was the feeling that Nick--or someone--needed her, was calling to her.

"I underestimated him once. But there's maybe a handful of people in the world who are better at sneak than I am when I set my mind to it, and even I couldn't have traced us in the time he had."

"Maybe he's better," she said lightly. He responded to her light teasing with a smile of his own.

"Not a chance, he said modestly." Jack grinned. "I may bite at social stuff, but when it comes to computers I'm about the best there is. Though, speaking of that…" Something shifted in his eyes and then was gone.

"You need to feed."

"Yeah. I'm okay right now, but I can't heal this kind of damage without a little help." He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "And I have a bad feeling this is just getting started."

"Well, I'd offer, but…" She tried to make a joke of it and failed. It would be ironic to survive two revenant attacks only to be drained and killed by her 'rescuer.'

"Yeah, probably not a good idea right now. I'm just too damned weak to have enough control. Be a poor repayment on Nick's friendship to kill his girlfriend."

"And I wouldn't feel too good about it myself," Nat added dryly. Something about what he'd just said had peaked her interest, but she was too tired and confused to figure out what.

"Go figure. Anyway, don't worry about it. I've gone a lot longer than this on low rations. Good thing George was so well stocked, though. What we need to do is figure out what we're going to do next. You sounded like you had some ideas."

"Actually, no," Nat admitted. "I just can't stand the idea of being left out. Nick, well, let's just say I've been left in the dark a lot. And this does concern me directly, you know." The infection or whatever it was, was growing worse. And she was rubbing at her neck again. Natalie jerked her hand away and sat on it. "Even if it didn't, it would be a poor repayment on my part to leave you all alone in this after all you've done for me. Or is there someone else you can call?"

"The Vampire Reinforcements? Nope, afraid not. I've only been in Toronto about a year, and, as you might have guessed, I don't make friends that easily. George and Nick are about it, and George is out of town on some sales trip." And Nick was who-knows-where, he didn't have to add. Somewhere along the way she'd lost her purse and cell phone, so she'd have no idea if--no, when-- he did call.

"There is a nightclub. The Raven. I should probably give them a call, warn them that there's a Hunter around. Doubt that anyone there would help out of the kindness of his heart, though."

Janette sprung immediately to Natalie's mind, but then again Janette wasn't wild about her. Natalie had gotten the distinct impression that the French vampire didn't approve of their search for a cure. And Nat thought there was a hint of jealously there, too. No, Janette wouldn't be the one to call on.

"Well, we've done all right so far," Natalie said. "Guess it's just you and me, partner." She offered him her hand, and Jack shook it formally. At his touch waves of nausea and hunger flooded her senses. Natalie snatched her hand free and stood up on trembling legs. There was a roaring in her ears, and her stomach bent in on itself in insistent demand. The hunger became all she could feel, all she could think of. From far away she heard someone whimper, and then there was a gust of sour air as someone rushed by her. In the next instant she was in the passageway, snarling wordlessly as she chased after her prey.

She nearly had him at the grate, where he had to take the time to shove it out of the way before fleeing into the station. In the end all she had was a piece of rotted cloth and the enticing scent of fear. Vampire fear. She pulled herself up easily, her eyes following her fleeing prey with no difficulty. He hadn't leapt up onto the station walkway, but was running down the tunnel. She cut the distance between them easily. A moment later she had him by the filthy shirt and he was falling, narrowly avoiding the potent third rail. Natalie stood over him, savoring the moment. In another second the terrible hunger would be sated. She would bathe in his blood, tear his flesh with her teeth. She would—

Rough hands spun her around. Someone was speaking, but more interesting was the smell of this new prey. Younger, fresher, without the taint of blood cut with cheap wine. She bared her teeth, growling. This one was faster, and avoided her biting attack. Hands shifted to her head and she lashed out with her own hands, wanting the tender meat so close to the surface.

"Natalie!" An unwelcome presence forced itself into her awareness. Green eyes stared into hers, compelling her attention. "Natalie, listen to me! Listen to me." The last had the sound of command. She knew about commands. About power. Her hands stilled their attack.

"This isn't you, Nat. This isn't you. You can fight it. Do you hear me, Nat?"

"Mm--mmm, I, I can't," she whispered. "It's too strong." There was wetness on her cheeks, and her vision trebled. "It's too strong, Jack! Get away from me before I hurt you." Something inside her gleefully looked forward to it.

"And I thought I'd be the one saying that. Now, listen, Nat. You can fight this. It doesn't have to beat you. Remember what I said? You're strong. Stronger than this. Don't let him win, Natalie."

"You don't understand. It's gotten so strong—" Her hands clutched at him without strength. Her whole being trembled with dark need. She hung onto her awareness by the thinnest of fingernails.

"I don't? Natalie, this is what we all go through. What we go through every day. And you're as strong as any of us." His grip on her head was gentle now, as was his voice. "Stronger than most. You can do it, Nat. I know you can."

The black urge to rend and tear swept over her again and she cried out as if in pain. It was pain, of a sort: a need so intense that to refuse it caused physical agony. But Jack was right. It was an outside thing. Something that struggled to cover her will, her mind, with its own. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The hunger was still there, as was the insistent beckoning. But she was there, too. Natalie Lambert. Healer, not killer.

"Okay." It was barely a whisper, but at her words Jack released her head and drew her into his arms. She went readily, weeping.

End of Chapter Four