Chapter Four

At four o'clock Annabelle was ready outside the club, the club itself only closed in two hours time, but the band left at four. The recorded music sounded from inside, there was still quite a lot of people. Annabelle pulled her red hair under the cap she wore, it was of a white material.

"Oh sorry, I haven't told you that we're meeting at the back. Come on around with me," Nika told her.

When they turned the corner a group of teenagers were seated onto motorbikes, there were about twelve in total. Boys and girls dressed in black, Annabelle felt herself out of place being the only standing out person.

"What is the little angel doing here, is she supposed to be the first one we hunt down?" asked Rupert, Rick's twin.

"No dear, she is one of us," Annabelle could see what a surprise it brought to all the faces, apart from Vadim's and Yuri's.

"Annabelle helped me to get rid of a vampire hunter. So as to be extra careful we have to go one at a time, by different routes," continued Nika, she waved for the first pair to leave.

"Nika if you didn't notice Annabelle doesn't have a bike. I could take her with me…"

"Yura, you're on my bike and we're going together, if you forgot," the next pair of bikes left, leaving four bikes behind: on one Rick with a violet hair girl, on a second his twin brother with a blonde, and Yuri and Vadim on separate bikes.

"Well, she has to go with you Vadim, even if you don't like it," Yuri said, as Nika indicated with her hand for the twins to leave.

"Sure, I don't really mind," said the singer, "if she doesn't mind my guitar case on her shoulder," Annabelle then noticed a case on a belt going other his neck and shoulder.

"I don't mind," she said.

"See you there, Vadim take care and please take the road first from the motorway to the right, going around the city, to confuse others."

"A7?"

"Yes we're on M6, if anything needed, others are on the similar ways, good luck," and Nika jumped onto the bike with Yuri already on top and they sped away.

Vadim got off the bike and put it against the wall, he took off the guitar case, "you're not really dressed for a hunt?"

"I didn't know I'd get invited."

"It's just that white attracts quite an attention in the night, here you better wear this," he took off his black, leaver jacket and gave it to her.

"Thank you," she put both things on.

"Well hop on and hold tight, we got a long journey ahead." he was already on it.

Vadim was a tall young man, if you could call a vampire by that, he looked eighteen and belonged to one of the old Russian, lamia families. He had dark short hair, a bit longer than most human boys had, muscular features, natural vampire pale skin and blue eyes. He was wearing black jeans and a jumper on top, the same colour, he rarely smiled.

They didn't speak at all, first he headed by a motorway, then took the first right turn and was going along it. The sun was beginning to appear on the horizon, "What's the time?" he asked.

"Five to six."

"What! We supposed to be already there and…" he said as the notice board blinked at his left, "where the hell Oak Lawn lies. We're supposed to be at Chicago, not in the middle of nowhere!"

"We just have to turn around and go back," she proposed.

"No way, by the time we take the alternative road we'll reach the spot by nine - no one will be there. Is it A7 at all?"

Annabelle looked at the sign when they passed it and said: "no it's A17."

"Great, why do they leave notices with pealed off paint. We just have to find some breakfast and then go back, pity for not getting to the hunt. I have no idea when the next one will be organised, with lots going for an international exchange. Great!"

They went for another mile, but only found a family having picnic, to which Vadim said that he didn't like attacking kids or in front of them. They finally reached a motel by the road, having a man worker there.

"Hello sir, do you have any children?" asked Vadim, going inside.

"No," answered a surprised worker.

"How bad, this one wouldn't be enough."

"But you said you didn't like attacking children."

"When I see them, but to pity my appetite is alright I guess," to what he smiled wickedly, "Sorry sir, but we lost our way and instead of a good supper, we'd get you for our breakfast," and his long, sharp teeth closed on the man's throat. He didn't take much blood, only the amount he needed and then let Annabelle have her share. They left the man laying there unconscious, they knew they took not much, so the man would be awake in a day with a headache and a memory loss.

And they were on their way back home.

Author note: the towns exist, but the roads are fictional, as for me not being ever in America, nor being a great geographical genius.