Chapter 4 - Vampire hunters in Santa Monica

More than six months had passed since Louis got blooded. He hadn't talked to me about Cyrus –– his brother –– after his dream, and I thought it was better not ask him anything. I had the feeling that his brother were a vampire, just like me. But this feeling disappeared soon, because I had much more important things to think about.

Louis was a good, obedient assistant and he learnt quickly all the customs and the traditions of the vampires. Most of all, he was good at mingling with the other people, in the night of the city. He didn't need to train in that - it came him natural.

On the other hand, in some things he was hopeless: for example, at drinking blood. He didn't even want to touch the animals! He only feed from birds, and he felt always sorry for them.

The autumn were begun, and the air were cold like usually at this time of the year. It was rainy and dark, what was a good thing for someone like me and Louis. We used to walk around the city at night. Though, we weren't in New York anymore. There were too dangerous for just blooded half-vampire like Louis. Too much people, and too many cops. So, we moved to a smaller city, called Santa Monica. The streets were small and it was usually quiet outside, at night. I saw a lot of people there: poor, old beggars in the corners of the streets, who were warming up in front of many burning dustbins. Many others stayed in the dark sides of the streets, (it was easy telling them apart from the beggars), and there was also plenty of even prostitutes who were selling themselves near the buildings.

The downtown of Santa Monica was something like that: dark – in the true sense of the word – and also in a figurative way. It wasn't the best place where staying, but it was without doubt the safest for an half-vampire who is learning the life-style of we vampires, and who didn't want to drink blood at all. Among those I had thought about, it was the best, and the safest. And our safety was the most important thing now: I didn't want to lose my first assistant only because I had preferred a comfortable city instead of another safer.

One rainy evening I walked with Louis on the side of the little street. That day he was in a really thoughtful mood and he had asked me all kinds of things. Now he had become quiet since a little time, so I thought that he had no more questions. At the same time the rain poured peacefully all around us. The street was desert. Beside it the buildings looked higher than usual in the city of Santa Monica. I didn't wonder why there weren't people of the underworld - no beggars, no prostitutes. Obviously they preferred not to stay in front of the hotells and other rich buildings, and they were away from them. Suddenly, I woke up, noticing that Louis was rising his head (that before was hanging) beside me. I noticed also that he was looking at me with his autumn coloured eyes.

"Kurda?"

"Yes?" I answered.

"I was just thinking... Does vampires have any different clans?" His expression was full of curiosity and, for a moment, I thought what was better answering him. I nodded leisurely. And before I could even add anything else, he reached to ask:

"What kind of clans? What clan do you belong?"

"Yes, we have some clans... But there are only two", I noticed how Louis looked absorbed when he listened to me, and I continued calmly, "The clan of vampires, and the clan of vampaneze."

"I think you can quess which one I belong!" I added giving a blinking.

"What are vampanezes, then?" He asked.

"They are... dissidents", I glanced Louis's innocent expression when I continued, "they are a group of vampires – they're not vampires anymore – who weren't satisfied to our rules. And, long ago, they created their own rules."

Louis walked quietly for a moment and then, he asked with a obtuse voice:

"Are they bad?" His eyes peered me again, but a moment after, not anymore, and he continued, "I mean... Are they beasts?" My thoughts wandered about. I thought, if I told the rough truth to Louis about vampaneze, he wouldn't support my idea of joining the clans together, but if I told the truth in a different light, he wouldn't get a wrong idea of vampaneze...

"Eh? Beasts?" I asked and smiled warmly, "I... I don't know."

"What you mean by... you don't know?"

"Are all dissidents bad?"

"It depends on what thing they disagree with." Louis put the bone to my throat even if he didn't notice it himself. He was a master on that.

"Well, they..." I got silent when I noticed that a gloomy person was walking near us in the street. I glanced him - to make sure that he didn't hear me - and I was just about to turn to Louis to answer him, when I heard his whisper, with a hollow tone:

"I want to go away from here Kurda."

"Why?" I asked, and looked at Louis then. I noticed how he stared after the gloomy person. His face had turned to white.

"He..."

"Louis..?"

"He..." I was worried about Louis and startled when he suddenly glanced at me, and he said, with a fear in his voice:

"I smell the odour of blood around that man."

"It was so strong... I want go away, Kurda. I'm sure that he has killed someone. Or –– who knows! –– some people. And now he has just disappeared in the darkness... What if he's after us? What if he is going to kill us?" Louis's voice was slowly turning into a whisper. I stopped and I looked after the person, who has just passed us, and I wondered, why didn't I smell that smell.

"Are you sure?"

"No", Louis mumbled. He looked around, and I could feel his agony.

"You haven't drunk blood for a long time. Maybe your insticts are just playing tricks on you?"

"I think not."

"I can't smell anything..."

"You were further than me from him, maybe that's why you didn't smell anything. He walked very near the side of mine. I think that..."

As I know, Louis he wasn't afraid if it wasn't necessary, and that time I felt the same uncomfortable feeling that I heard in his voice. He was visibly anguished. The rain had made wet his honey coloured hair and also the locks that hanged on his pale face when he glanced around.

"Louis", I whispered to attract his attention. He looked at me. "If he follows us now, we shouldn't look like that we have noticed his intentions. Let's continue walking to the next crossing and then let's think what's the better doing." Louis bite his lip but nodded and whispered to me back:

"Okay." He walked after me with a prompt steps and fumbled for the hem of my sleeve like he would need somewhere to hold on to - or rather he was only too scared.

"Louis." I hissed. He looked at me, nodded nervously, and sighed trying to relax.

We arrived to the crossing. I noticed that the rain had become heavier than before. It were really misty. Not good...not good... I thought, not at all... I felt somebody pulling the hem of my sleeve.

"Kurda, what we do now?" Louis's voice whispered. I looked on the left and then on the right. Suddenly, I heard that Louis was taking a breath. He looked so white under the soft lights...

"Another." He stood, there, in a dark street on the right. It looked like the human were only a shadow. He was still staying there, and he was watching us like we didn't even notice him. Then, he started to walk. At the same time I grasped tightly Louis's arm and I started to run towards the street in front of us, away from the man who had started to run after us.

The street was dark and misty. The rain fell on our heads. It was going to rain heavier than before. It made the running really hard. I hardly saw where we were running to – and Louis hardly could stay after me. The street met to a little lane, where probably our flight might end. It would be a blind alley. For our bad luck I was right; I stared dustbins and the big wall in the end of the alley. Above the wall there was a rail and behind there was something similar to parking area. Louis made a panicing squeak.

"This can't be true!" I murmured on the verge of despair.

"Are they following us yet?" Louis whispered. I shake my head and looked at the beginning of the road.

"I have no idea. At least I can't see anybody... even if I'm a... you know."

"...not yet." He added whispering. Louis bite his lip again. I glanced him and tried to find a come out from the situation.
Poor us... I swear that they are – it was a horrible thought for me – vampire hunters. Our situation seemed to be desperate. I heard how the running steps got nearer and nearer... There were three humans – no, not humans; vampire hunters – or more!

"Hey! What are you doing? Laying eggs down there? Come here before the hunters see you!"

Both of us shocked the voice that came from straight above us. The voice continued when I looked up, trying to discover who was speaking, "Come on! Quickly!"

I noticed the messy-haired man, who look down on us and beckoned us. I glanced Louis. His expression changed from frightened to relieved and I almost could see his smile again. I jumped on the dustbin and he followed after me. I grasped the case of the window and, suddenly, I heard echoing shots from further.

"Dammit." Unknown man pulled us inside from the window. Shots silenced. Runsteps. They were under the window...