Chapter 3
This was just too insane for words. It must have been a full moon tonight. In fact, come to think of it, it was a full moon. Always could count on that to bring the crazies out of hiding. Crazies, cons, and bounty hunters, it would seem.
"Well, I'll keep my eyes pealed," Seth said casually, hoping for dear life that Gretchen didn't recognize him.
"You do that, Jacob. Rumor has it he came into here tonight. You know what he looks like?" Gretchen asked, not a tone of suspicion in her voice. He could just tell; she was clueless. Good.
"I uh... I know what he used to look like. He's probably in disguise by now," Seth replied bluntly.
"Yeah well, that's what I meant. Do you know what he looks like disguised, because all I have is a 5-year-old sketch of him, and from what I've been told, it isn't a very good likeness." She took another swig of her second Corona for the evening.
Seth shook his head, disbelieving this whole scenario. "He could look like anybody. Hell, he could even look like me," he said cautiously. 'Take the bait. Take the bait,' he was thinking to himself. 'Put yourself in the mix and she won't suspect you.'
Gretchen gave him a deep once-over. She raised her brows and smirked. "Yes, I guess he could. Except, his face in the picture bore a much more vengeful expression. You seem way too kind to be him," she replied off-handedly.
He grinned serenely. "Well, thank you for that. Guess you don't know me very well." He smirked. God, this was actually starting to be amusing. On one hand, Seth felt guilty about being so deceptive with this woman. She too was very kind, it seemed. Then again, he knew he had to protect himself, and Seth was always up for a challenge.
Gretchen giggled. She was getting drunk. Even better. Less on the ball that way. "Well, I know a kind face when I see one," she admonished, lifting her bottle to him. He nodded in concurrence.
"If you say so," he retorted blankly.
Just then, the jukebox was turned off by one of the bar employees, who then headed for the small stage in the corner, taking the mic.
"Guess it's time for the live music?" Gretchen inquired. Seth nodded, looking at his watch.
"Yep, they never miss a beat here, literally," he replied, glancing over at the stage.
The staff member had introduced the band, and with that, the curtain was pulled. Both Seth and Gretchen gasped when they spotted who'd been standing on the other side of that curtain. It was the same fucking band from the Titty Twister! They were the only ones Seth and the gang hadn't killed that night because they disappeared into thin air after giving their captive audience a "fuck you everyone, good night!"
Gretchen latched onto Seth's arm. "Oh my God. We need to bail, and like now!" She said fearfully into his ear.
"I'm with ya on that one. Let's blow," he said warily as the vampire band started to play a hip Mexican salsa tune. Folks got up and started dancing. Oh, little did they know what was going to happen to them! Both Seth and Gretchen began to feel extreme guilt. The customers had no idea. The band members looked like normal Mexican natives. For now, anyway.
"On second thought, Gretch, just be cool for a minute. We run out now, that fucking band and all the other vamps in here are gonna know something's up," Seth warned, giving her arm a squeeze as it was still locked with his. Damned shame she was a dyke. She felt nice against him.
Gretch. Only a few people in her life had ever called her that. She liked it. The Gretch was her favorite brand name electric guitar. Most folks called her Gret for short, but she enjoyed this nice, kind man who'd been through the same hell as her, calling her Gretch. Damned shame he was a man. She really liked him, already.
"You're right, Jake." She replied. Since he'd chosen to call her by a nickname, she felt inclined to do the same. Her way of saying it was all right that he'd called her that.
"Yeah, just kick back, finish your drink. These bastards don't turn unless there's blood shed. So far, we're good." Seth said didactically.
How did this Jacob know so much about these vampires anyway? Very odd indeed. Gretchen continued to take swigs of Corona, pretending to enjoy the music and have a good time. Neither she nor Seth knew just who was and who wasn't a vampire. It was eerie. For all they knew, they could have been the only humans in the bar. She finally let go his arm and he sighed. He'd been enjoying the feel of her skin on his. It surprised him. He hadn't wanted her to let go. He then did something else which surprised him, and her. He reached down and took her hand, clasping it firmly in his. She didn't pull away; she instead pressed a bit, giving him permission. Both of their palms were quite sweaty, out of fear.
Gretchen quickly finished her Corona with her free hand, as Seth guzzled his last shot of whiskey. He threw a 50 down onto the bar in a gesture of generosity, hoping the bartender wouldn't consider him cheap and decide he and Gretchen would be the first meal of the evening. "Come on, let's schmooze on outta here, slowly," Seth warned, eyeing the entire bar suspiciously. Still holding her hand tightly, he guided her away from the counter and onto the dance floor. "We're gonna have to make this look good," he said. "Can you salsa?"
"Could Mitch Williams hit a bull's ass with a banjo?" She countered wittily. Seth laughed. They began to dance about the floor. He was pretty good; she rocked the place. Hell, Gretchen had learned from Santanico. Naturally, she would be a great dancer.
"Now, just keep inching your way towards the door," Seth instructed. Gretchen nodded. But it was easier said than done, for a bar brawl had broken out amidst all the laughter and dancing. Two large men were yelling and shouting, cursing at each other, as one picked up a chair and threw it upon the other. Great, not only was it a full moon, and they were in a bar full of potential vampires; not only was Gretchen the bounty hunter in search of Seth, and not only were they both doubting their seemingly platonic intentions toward each other, but a fight had broken out and they found themselves stuck in a blockade of onlookers. Could it have gotten any worse?
Evidently, it could have... because it did. The two brawlers had struck blood when their fists collided. Dear Lord. They HAD to get out of there! But it was sadly too late for Seth and Gretch. As they broke free and headed for the front door, to their horror they saw it had been locked and bolted shut. A large man was standing in front, licking his chops and shaking his head.
Seth immediately grabbed Gretchen by the shoulders. "Ok, you have about 30 seconds to listen to me before this whole place turns... I'm Seth Gecko. I'm your bounty. I've got a gun on me, and I know how to take these fuckers out, but you have to do what I say, when I say it!" He shouted.
"You're...? Oh Christ! I should have known. Damn me for being such a stupid fucking..."
"No time! Gretch. Do you hear me? We have ZERO fucking time here. Now, this place has to have a back room somewhere. Help me find it, NOW!" He bellowed. He had shook her so forcefully she actually felt a twinge of pain in her spine.
"But Jacob... Seth... there's something you need to know about me too!" Gretch shouted fearfully.
"Not now!" He replied, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her across the dance floor toward the back corner of the bar. Sure enough, the dancers, band, employees, and some customers began to transform. God, they were so fucking beastly!
"Seth, Seth! You REALLY need to know something!" Gretchen screeched. But it had fallen upon deaf ears, because dear Seth was now on a mission. They found the employee lounge with little effort. It was marked so on the door. They burst in, bolting shut the door with anything they could find... furniture, anything that wasn't nailed to the floor.
"If this place is anything like the Twister, there should be a fucking arsenal back in here," Seth said, feeling a hint of encouragement that they were alone and for the moment, safe. They switched on the lights and located some old crates hidden in the back. They ripped them open and began rummaging through them like scavengers. Sure enough, there were plenty of guns and ammo to do the trick. "Lock and load, Gretch. No time to be a pansy now," he threatened.
"I'm not a pansy anyways, Seth," she hissed, angered over the fact that she now needed the help of her bounty to get free. Her thoughts were racing. She had come to like him. No, she wouldn't be able to turn him in after this one. She only hoped the moonlight wouldn't catch her any time soon...
This was just too insane for words. It must have been a full moon tonight. In fact, come to think of it, it was a full moon. Always could count on that to bring the crazies out of hiding. Crazies, cons, and bounty hunters, it would seem.
"Well, I'll keep my eyes pealed," Seth said casually, hoping for dear life that Gretchen didn't recognize him.
"You do that, Jacob. Rumor has it he came into here tonight. You know what he looks like?" Gretchen asked, not a tone of suspicion in her voice. He could just tell; she was clueless. Good.
"I uh... I know what he used to look like. He's probably in disguise by now," Seth replied bluntly.
"Yeah well, that's what I meant. Do you know what he looks like disguised, because all I have is a 5-year-old sketch of him, and from what I've been told, it isn't a very good likeness." She took another swig of her second Corona for the evening.
Seth shook his head, disbelieving this whole scenario. "He could look like anybody. Hell, he could even look like me," he said cautiously. 'Take the bait. Take the bait,' he was thinking to himself. 'Put yourself in the mix and she won't suspect you.'
Gretchen gave him a deep once-over. She raised her brows and smirked. "Yes, I guess he could. Except, his face in the picture bore a much more vengeful expression. You seem way too kind to be him," she replied off-handedly.
He grinned serenely. "Well, thank you for that. Guess you don't know me very well." He smirked. God, this was actually starting to be amusing. On one hand, Seth felt guilty about being so deceptive with this woman. She too was very kind, it seemed. Then again, he knew he had to protect himself, and Seth was always up for a challenge.
Gretchen giggled. She was getting drunk. Even better. Less on the ball that way. "Well, I know a kind face when I see one," she admonished, lifting her bottle to him. He nodded in concurrence.
"If you say so," he retorted blankly.
Just then, the jukebox was turned off by one of the bar employees, who then headed for the small stage in the corner, taking the mic.
"Guess it's time for the live music?" Gretchen inquired. Seth nodded, looking at his watch.
"Yep, they never miss a beat here, literally," he replied, glancing over at the stage.
The staff member had introduced the band, and with that, the curtain was pulled. Both Seth and Gretchen gasped when they spotted who'd been standing on the other side of that curtain. It was the same fucking band from the Titty Twister! They were the only ones Seth and the gang hadn't killed that night because they disappeared into thin air after giving their captive audience a "fuck you everyone, good night!"
Gretchen latched onto Seth's arm. "Oh my God. We need to bail, and like now!" She said fearfully into his ear.
"I'm with ya on that one. Let's blow," he said warily as the vampire band started to play a hip Mexican salsa tune. Folks got up and started dancing. Oh, little did they know what was going to happen to them! Both Seth and Gretchen began to feel extreme guilt. The customers had no idea. The band members looked like normal Mexican natives. For now, anyway.
"On second thought, Gretch, just be cool for a minute. We run out now, that fucking band and all the other vamps in here are gonna know something's up," Seth warned, giving her arm a squeeze as it was still locked with his. Damned shame she was a dyke. She felt nice against him.
Gretch. Only a few people in her life had ever called her that. She liked it. The Gretch was her favorite brand name electric guitar. Most folks called her Gret for short, but she enjoyed this nice, kind man who'd been through the same hell as her, calling her Gretch. Damned shame he was a man. She really liked him, already.
"You're right, Jake." She replied. Since he'd chosen to call her by a nickname, she felt inclined to do the same. Her way of saying it was all right that he'd called her that.
"Yeah, just kick back, finish your drink. These bastards don't turn unless there's blood shed. So far, we're good." Seth said didactically.
How did this Jacob know so much about these vampires anyway? Very odd indeed. Gretchen continued to take swigs of Corona, pretending to enjoy the music and have a good time. Neither she nor Seth knew just who was and who wasn't a vampire. It was eerie. For all they knew, they could have been the only humans in the bar. She finally let go his arm and he sighed. He'd been enjoying the feel of her skin on his. It surprised him. He hadn't wanted her to let go. He then did something else which surprised him, and her. He reached down and took her hand, clasping it firmly in his. She didn't pull away; she instead pressed a bit, giving him permission. Both of their palms were quite sweaty, out of fear.
Gretchen quickly finished her Corona with her free hand, as Seth guzzled his last shot of whiskey. He threw a 50 down onto the bar in a gesture of generosity, hoping the bartender wouldn't consider him cheap and decide he and Gretchen would be the first meal of the evening. "Come on, let's schmooze on outta here, slowly," Seth warned, eyeing the entire bar suspiciously. Still holding her hand tightly, he guided her away from the counter and onto the dance floor. "We're gonna have to make this look good," he said. "Can you salsa?"
"Could Mitch Williams hit a bull's ass with a banjo?" She countered wittily. Seth laughed. They began to dance about the floor. He was pretty good; she rocked the place. Hell, Gretchen had learned from Santanico. Naturally, she would be a great dancer.
"Now, just keep inching your way towards the door," Seth instructed. Gretchen nodded. But it was easier said than done, for a bar brawl had broken out amidst all the laughter and dancing. Two large men were yelling and shouting, cursing at each other, as one picked up a chair and threw it upon the other. Great, not only was it a full moon, and they were in a bar full of potential vampires; not only was Gretchen the bounty hunter in search of Seth, and not only were they both doubting their seemingly platonic intentions toward each other, but a fight had broken out and they found themselves stuck in a blockade of onlookers. Could it have gotten any worse?
Evidently, it could have... because it did. The two brawlers had struck blood when their fists collided. Dear Lord. They HAD to get out of there! But it was sadly too late for Seth and Gretch. As they broke free and headed for the front door, to their horror they saw it had been locked and bolted shut. A large man was standing in front, licking his chops and shaking his head.
Seth immediately grabbed Gretchen by the shoulders. "Ok, you have about 30 seconds to listen to me before this whole place turns... I'm Seth Gecko. I'm your bounty. I've got a gun on me, and I know how to take these fuckers out, but you have to do what I say, when I say it!" He shouted.
"You're...? Oh Christ! I should have known. Damn me for being such a stupid fucking..."
"No time! Gretch. Do you hear me? We have ZERO fucking time here. Now, this place has to have a back room somewhere. Help me find it, NOW!" He bellowed. He had shook her so forcefully she actually felt a twinge of pain in her spine.
"But Jacob... Seth... there's something you need to know about me too!" Gretch shouted fearfully.
"Not now!" He replied, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her across the dance floor toward the back corner of the bar. Sure enough, the dancers, band, employees, and some customers began to transform. God, they were so fucking beastly!
"Seth, Seth! You REALLY need to know something!" Gretchen screeched. But it had fallen upon deaf ears, because dear Seth was now on a mission. They found the employee lounge with little effort. It was marked so on the door. They burst in, bolting shut the door with anything they could find... furniture, anything that wasn't nailed to the floor.
"If this place is anything like the Twister, there should be a fucking arsenal back in here," Seth said, feeling a hint of encouragement that they were alone and for the moment, safe. They switched on the lights and located some old crates hidden in the back. They ripped them open and began rummaging through them like scavengers. Sure enough, there were plenty of guns and ammo to do the trick. "Lock and load, Gretch. No time to be a pansy now," he threatened.
"I'm not a pansy anyways, Seth," she hissed, angered over the fact that she now needed the help of her bounty to get free. Her thoughts were racing. She had come to like him. No, she wouldn't be able to turn him in after this one. She only hoped the moonlight wouldn't catch her any time soon...
