A/N: Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed/ alerted/ faved, I'm sorry for the late update, but this chapter's long and I wanted to get it right :)
Happy reading!
playlist-
start wearing purple- gogol bordello
boum- charles trenet
one of these things first- Nick Drake
Mondo Bongo- Joe Strummer
Organ donor (extended overhaul)- DJ Shadow
Inside the fire- disturbed
Chapter 2- Start Wearing Purple
2 months later
I sat hunched over, my elbows on my knees and my head bowed. I was so tired. So, terribly tired. And the wide leather chairs in the GATE 27 terminal were very uncomfortable. In the row of seats behind me a baby was screaming. A couple sitting three chairs down from me was loudly giggling nonsensical, annoying things to each other. A little boy next to me was bouncing a rubber ball against the bay window viewing the tarmacs. He would throw the ball, it would hit the window with a loud THUNK, then it would bounce on the floor, and back into his awaiting hands. Then he would repeat this over, and over, and over. I wanted to bash my fucking head in.
It'd been two months since the attack. Luckily, they continue to underestimate me and as I predicted most of us made it out alive; most meaning myself and Rick. THUNK. It was the apparent price you had to pay to associate yourself with me. Death, I mean. I needed to relocate, and fast. THUNK. I don't know how…He, found me; how He knew where to send Caliste. It wasn't safe for me to work on the east coast anymore. THUNK. And it definitely wasn't safe for anyone else to work with me. THUNK. Which unfortunately meant, THUNK. That I was moving t- THUNK.
I reached out beside me and caught the stupid little rubber ball in my right hand before the little boy could catch it. I lifted my head, and turned slowly to glare at him. "Shoo," I said through gritted teeth. The little boy looked up at me all wide eyed and frightened. Then he backed away slowly, and turned and ran. If I could just get some sleep; but everytime I tried…the horrible dreams…
As I was saying, I needed to relocate, and so I was moving to Forks, Washington. D.V.H- a government funded department dealing with the all things supernatural but more commonly referred to as 'the division of vampire hunters' founded only 100 years ago when the slayer race was dying out- luckily had an assignment for me in one of the most secluded places in America. So here I was, sitting bitterly in the terminal of Seattle, Washington…waiting for my ride.
Finally- finally I saw someone familiar approach the terminal. Rick was walking towards me smiling and with a carton carrying two cups of coffee.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," I said, smiling back at him and at the coffee. I stood up and grabbed one of the black duffle bags sitting at my feet. Rick handed me the carton with the two nondescript Styrofoam cups, and I handed him the little rubber ball. He looked at it confused but said nothing bent down and picked up my other black duffle bag. He led the way out of the terminal and down two escalators to baggage, pickup, and parking. When we got to the car, I had already finished one cup of coffee and started on the other one. Rick put the black duffle bag in the backseat, but I kept the important one with me up front. When he got in the car, he said, "Did security give you shit for trying to bring that on the plane?" He pointed to the black duffle bag at my feet.
"Of course." But that's why I have a badge. It came in handy- even though it said I was agent Jennifer Williams from the EPA. "The air marshal kept hitting on me." Rick laughed, but it wasn't funny at all to me. Human males are so irritating. He started the car and drove out of the airport parking lot.
"Are you doing ok?" Rick asked me. "Physically, I mean." I was glad he rephrased his question.
"I'm tired, but otherwise fine." I finished the second cup of coffee, but now I had to use the bathroom. Damnit. "Are you doing ok physically?" I asked.
"Yea I'm ok." I turned on the car radio and played with the stations, trying to ward off sleep with some hard rock. "I'm taking you to the Washington Intermediate Unit; they'll have a car there for you, your new surname, paperwork, and directions to your house. They wanted your I.C. to meet with you there, but I convinced them to have the I.C. meet you tonight with your assignment." I.C., meaning interceder or contact. I rolled my eyes.
"Why?" I asked, finally settling on Led Zeppelin.
"Well, I figured you would need a few hours rest, and considering you look like shit, I figured correctly." Oh Rick, always one for the compliments. What a lady killer.
"You're not taking me to my new house?" I asked, somewhat disappointed. I wanted to cling to the last shreds of familiarity as long as I could.
"I don't want to know where you're staying; its not safe." He meant if they caught him, and if they tortured him, he didn't want to know so he wouldn't be tempted to give an answer.
"I trust you, Rick. I mean, under no circumstances will I risk working with you again, but it would be nice if you could take me. I want to cling to familiarity while I can." I said, voicing my thoughts.
He stayed quiet, but his face grew angry.
"What?" I demanded, though I knew what was coming.
"Why won't you let me work with you?" he groused.
"Rick. We are not fucking talking about this again," my tone was firm, immovable.
"You make no sense Bella! There is no possible way you can handle an assignment on your own! And what about Don-" I cringed but then he corrected himself. "-Him. D.V.H has lost all knowledge of his whereabouts. He's off the radar! He could be anywhere, and you want to go off by yourself?!"
"…It is moot." I hissed, and leaned back against the car seat, crossing my arms to emphasize that the argument was over. Rick made a few exasperated huffs, and then we sat in silence for a while, just listening to the radio. There was absolutely no way I was risking someone else's life just for the sake of company or comfort. So vampires were a little more difficult to kill on your own, so what? So I have to look over my shoulder a little more and sleep with a knife under my pillow, so what? Nothing is really worth losing Rick; he's one of the only people in this world I can depend on. Besides, I was Bella, known as Bella Vendetta or beautiful vengeance amongst vampires- the one and only slayer left in the world. I've more skill and kills to my name than any vampire hunter.
"You should consider altering your appearance." Rick said, breaking the silence after twenty minutes.
"In what way?" I asked, curious. I've never thought to before. In fact, I've looked mostly the same for the past three hundred years.
"Well… your hair for example." Oh no. Not my hair. My long, white, tinsel like hair; the trademark of a Slayer. It was just like my father and brother's hair and one of the few things that I had left to remind me of them. But it was pretty recognizable. I grabbed the end of my ponytail and twirled the curls aimlessly in my fingers. I would think about it.
"Ok. Thank you for the coffee." I said, attempting peace.
"No problem." He said. "You haven't had a cigarette yet," he posed it as a statement. I shrugged.
"I quit." It sounded so easy just saying 'I quit', but on the inside every fiber was screaming, 'Smoke! Now!' I looked over at Rick and he was smiling. "What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said nonchalantly. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm fine." The coffee filled me up. "Do you know anything about my assignment?"
"Not a clue."
"Who is my I.C.?" I wasn't partial to any of the I.C. s and didn't really care who I was assigned; well, as long as it wasn't Harvey.
"I don't know. D.V.H. likes to keep things secret and convoluted. You know that." I sighed. I decided to try again.
"Look, Rick. You know how I am with maps-and those stupid fucking little GPS things… I'm not technologically savvy. I can barely work my Ipod for Christ-sake. I'm going to get lost, run out of gas, miss my appointment with my I.C. and then get bitched at for missing said appointment, and it would be really, really shitty of you not to prevent the whole circumstance from happening…if you could." Rick seemed to be thinking it over internally. Finally, he just shook his head and sighed, defeated.
"Ok Bella, I'll drive you. But we still have to stop at the Intermediate Unit to get your paperwork. I'll call and tell someone to take your car to your house." Then he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and called.
---
We pulled up in front of the tattered façade of a brick ranch house, with a single garage, small front porch, a few shuttered windows, and a maple tree towering over the roof' s slated black shingles. While I was staring at it, Rick had gotten out of the car and came over to my side to open the door for me. I just sat their and stared at him. What the hell was he doing?
"After you, Miss Bella Swan." So this was what he had been waiting the whole car ride from the Intermediate Unit to say. I took the opportunity while he was standing there holding the door open and smirking to slap him in the back of the head. "Ouch." He chuckled
"Fuck you." The assholes at D.V.H. had suddenly developed a sadistic sense of humor and gave me the worst last name possible; the worst word you could put after the Italian word for beautiful.
I hopped down from my seat, grabbed my black duffel bag from the floor, and started moving towards the house. Rick followed with my other duffel bag on his shoulder.
"You know, you have neighbors now, which means you should probably keep the ruckus down to a minimum."
I rolled my eyes; like I gave a shit what the neighbors heard. I was going to look over to observe the neighbor houses in question, when I saw it.
In the driveway of the house was a truck; an ancient, red, fat truck that looked way past its prime. And I would know something about ancient cars. I'd seen Model T's when they were first produced- this car was old. It looked incredibly solid, and yet likely to implode. You have got to be shitting me. I stopped moving. "Is this a joke?" I asked Rick, serious.
"What?" He turned around, and looked to where I was looking too. "No." Rick said plainly.
"That is my car?" I pointed to it. He nodded. "What?!"
"Bella, you're lucky you're getting a car at all! Do you realize that in the past five months, you've totaled three two hundred thousand dollar cars?" How did that matter? The first one I ran over a vampire with, the second I ran into a vampire with, and the third- well the third doesn't count I wasn't driving, my point is- how can they expect me to work efficiently with out the proper equipment. I sighed. I didn't even want to walk over and look at it.
Rick held up his hands in surrender. "It wasn't my decision Bella, and I can't do anything about it." Fine, I'll just buy my own fucking car.
I trudged past him to the little stoop in front of the entrance to the house. I waited for Rick to come and unlock the door. He patted his pockets, searching for the key but came up empty handed. "I might've left it in… the car?" He turned to go look, but I just shoved the duffle bag I was carrying into his hands, and got down on my knee in front of the lock. I pulled a bobby pin from my hair, straightened it out, and broke it in two. Then I shoved the ridged end into the keyhole, with the flat end stacked on top. I jiggled the flat end up and down, while turning the handle until it finally gave way, and I opened the door.
"Geeze, Rick. Why do I keep you around? What good are you but to bring me coffee and drive me places?" I smirked. Rick just shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, I carry your stuff around too." I smiled and grabbed the duffle bags from him.
Immediately when you stepped inside the house, you could tell it was decorated primarily in the 70s. The hall floor that led into the kitchen was covered in yellow and brown linoleum, a piece of a black rod iron fence separated the short hallway at the doorway from the small living room with a couch, arm chair, T.V, brown shag rug, and fireplace. The chair and couch were upholstered in matching brown and yellow plaid, of course. The walls were covered with cheep plastic made to look like wood. The kitchen had brown cabinets, a stained glass round chandelier, and a metal dinette set, with four chairs. I wrinkled my nose. "It smells like cat," I said and it did; the previous owner must've had like at least ten cats.
While Rick went in the living room to fiddle with the T.V., I went into the kitchen to fiddle with the appliances. The refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and toaster oven were all plugged in and functional. The cabinets held a few plates, bowls and cups. Silverware was found in drawers.
"You have a VHS player," Rick called from the living room. In the kitchen were also two glass sliding doors, which gave view to the dense Hoh forest at the edge of the backyard. Damn this place was green… and wet.
"Can you fucking believe its still raining?" I asked, poking the glass door. Rick muttered a 'yea' in agreement. I went up the four steps that led to the second level of the house. There was a bathroom, laundry room, closet and two bedrooms; one slightly larger than the other with different sized beds. I put the duffle bags in the smaller room, and went back into the kitchen; Rick was looking in the refrigerator.
"Order out tonight, and I'll call the local grocer and have some stuff delivered." He said.
"I think I can handle it." I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm your 700 year old colleague, not your teen daughter getting her first apartment. Cut it out."
"Right. Well maybe if you-" just then I heard a noise coming from behind me up the steps. It was soft and high pitched but still unnatural in the empty house.
"Shh." I held up a finger to Rick. He stopped. I slowly turned my head to look up the steps, simultaneously drawing my sword from its holster strapped to my back. I mentally kicked myself for not thinking to sweep and secure the house the moment I stepped inside. Slowly, I began to creep up the steps. Rick followed me. When I reached the hallway I heard another sound. This one was more defined; it was coming from the bathroom.
"Did you hear that?" Rick whispered.
"The 'mew'?" What the fuck was in this house? There was another sound; this one more harsh and drawn out, almost like growling. It wasn't a vampire, I couldn't smell anything unusual. I pressed my back flat against the wall and crept slowly towards the bathroom. When I was inches from the door frame, I turned and looked at Rick. He nodded and wielding my blade, I rounded the corner aimed for the intruder and ready to attack. But there was nothing there; just the sink, toilet and claw foot bath tub.
The growling came again but from within the bathtub. Slowly, with the blade of my sword pointed down, I walked over to the bathtub. Slowly, each step carefully taken trying to remain quiet as possible, until I was close enough to peer over the rim and see-
"What the hell?!" Rick was at my side in an instant, gun drawn and pointing to the contents of the tub. The contents being the biggest cat I have ever seen.
The thing was just laying there on its side, its legs out stretched and staring up at us apathetically. It was at least three feet long, and had a lot of fur. It looked the offspring of a raccoon and mountain lion…only with more fur.
"It looks like a cat." Rick laughed holstering his gun; I kept my sword drawn just in case. "Maine coon breed I think."
"How did it get in here?" It continued to look up at us like we were something interesting, and it started to swish its tale back and forth.
"The previous owners must've left it behind." Rick decided to reach into the bathtub and pet it tentatively between the ears. It 'mewed' in response.
"When exactly did the previous owners leave?" How was it surviving without anyone here? Rick shrugged.
"I'm guessing a few months ago." It started purring.
"Well, what am I supposed to do with it?" As if it knew I was talking about it, the cat looked over to me.
"It can be your guard-cat." Rick smiled. I just looked at him.
Suddenly the cat stood up, and then jumped out of the bathtub. I flinched away so it wouldn't hit me, and it landed on the floor with a bug thud. Then it turned to stare at us once more before it slinked out of the bathroom and down the hall with its tale swooshing in its wake; like some furry walking footstool. I sheathed my sword and stood up.
"Just keep it for while; Ill see if I can contact the old residents and ask what they want with it." Oh well; I didn't really have that much objection to the sharing the house with the cat. Besides, it was here first. I was more of a guest here than he was intruder.
"I don't really care." I said then yawned. The caffeine had finally dissipated; I was tired again.
"Okay, well I'm going to go now. You really need sleep." Rick walked out of the bathroom and I followed him out, too tired to argue. When he reached the front door he turned and handed me a small slip of paper. "Here; this is my new phone number."
"Okay," I pocketed it.
"Call me if you need anything,"
"I will." We stared at each other awkwardly for a bit. I didn't like to touch people or be touched by people and Rick knew that, even though a hug would've been appropriate for the moment. He opened the door to leave but stopped in the threshold and turned to look at me.
"Be safe," he said sincerely. God I would miss him. But this was necessary. I nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him. I stood on tiptoe and watched walk away through the little window in the door. When his car pulled out of sight, I locked the door. Then I went into the living room and drew the curtains shut, and did with same in the kitchen covering the big glass doors.
"Be safe," I muttered to myself clutching the fabric of the curtains. Fat chance.
---
I picked the smaller room because it had a rocking chair and smaller spaces just felt more controllable. I plopped the first of the black duffle bags onto my bed. It contained my clothes, toiletries, makeup bag, Ipod, shoes, first aide kit, towels, pillow case and an old miniature portrait. I put the clothes into drawers, the shoes in the bottom of the closet, makeup, first aid, towels and toiletries in the bathroom, the pillow case on the provided pillow, and the miniature portrait on the nightstand by the bed. Then I grabbed the other, marginally heavier duffle bag and plopped it onto the bed.
"Forks." Forks, what am I doing in Forks? How could Forks even have a rogue vampire problem? There were hardly enough people here to sustain a vampire.
I unzipped the bag and dumped the contents onto the bed. I sorted through the knives (a tanto, bulldog, mercator, nemean, kapteyn, butterfly, ballistic, and switch ) and lined them up on top of the bureau from biggest to smallest, each equidistant from the next. Their accompanying holsters and sheaths I put in the drawer below. Then I picked up my 9 mm browning Hi power handgun; it had its uses. Accurate and kickback was minimal. Of course it would never work on a vampire. At most it would make them hesitate and wonder if you really were that stupid. No- the browning was for suicidal humans and werewolves. The sawed off shotgun was for vampires. I pulled the browning out and cocked it to my reflection in the mirror.
Of course, the lack of sun was probably appealing. When vampires came in contact with sunlight, they shined. It made them big, conspicuous, sparkling targets.
Out of nowhere, the really fat cat came slinking into the room curling around the door frame. I turned and cocked the gun at it, "What are you looking at?" It just stared at me, then strutted over to the rocking chair and hopped up onto it. The chair moaned under its weight. I sighed at the plaintiveness of my inability to frighten a cat. I set the browning on the nightstand, and the sawed off in the closet. The rest could stay in the duffle bag for now.
I really did need to sleep; lethargy was turning into utter exhaustion and I was starting to lose focus. It took me two minutes to process that the clock on the nightstand said 3:00. And the stupid cat was purring, a very soothing sound, which made it worse.
"Hey, stop it," it stopped, and rolled over in the rocking chair so it was facing away from me.
I let out a big huff, and sat down on the bed, looking at myself in the mirror on top of the bureau. Sleeping meant dreams, or rather fucking horrible nightmares. You'd think that medically when a person is as exhausted as I am, they would skip the R.E.M period and just sleep. But who am I kidding, that never happens. I slid the duffle bag underneath my bed, took off my jacket and spine holster with my sword and laid them on the bureau. The agent at the Washington Intermediate Unit said my I.C. would meet me at 11:00 tonight. 8 hours from now. I set the alarm on the nightstand for 9:00 and collapsed into the bed surrendering to the exhaustion.
---
I got two hours in before I woke up screaming, crying, and shaking.
The nightmares were getting progressively worse; and it was frightening because it seemed ominous. It was taking everything I had not to run screaming. Sometimes, I felt so trapped. Because where, in reality, could I run?
I left two hours early for my meeting with my I.C. and somehow, during the aftermath of the panic attack, was able to find the location where we were supposed to meet. It was a bar called Sunni's, albeit there was absolutely nothing 'sunny' about Sunni's.
I kept everything hidden as I sat on that high barstool in dimly lit, smoke filled Sunni's. My puffy, red, and wet eyes were hidden behind big dark sunglasses. My hair was wound up in a scarf. I gripped the edge of the wooden bar tightly to keep my hands from shaking, making little indents in the soft wood with my fingernails. When the bartender came over I asked him for water and a gin and tonic. I needed something to wash out the stomach acid that still clung to my throat, regretting fervently that I didn't have any cigarettes. When he brought it to me I swallowed it all in one gulp; it made me cringe when it hit my empty stomach but warmed my dry, icky mouth. A guy sitting adjacent from me smirked in approval.
After a while the buzz started to kick in, and I was finally stable enough to look around. Who the hell would pick this place to meet? Most transfers happen at grocery stores, shops; more publicly appealing/ safer places. This place seemed to cater to a more disreputable clientele; it was crawling with chicks wearing leather and men who looked like they could've committed various degrees of crime. However, I wasn't really too out of place with my blade in place at my back, and knives strapped to my left thigh and right ankle.
When the bartender came back over I asked for another gin and tonic. He left and returned with a mysterious red drink.
"A bloody Mary from the gentleman at that booth." The bartender pointed somewhere behind me. I turned and noticed a round booth and from where I was sitting, I could only see the occupants of the one side; three, I want to say skanky, women. I couldn't see who was sitting in the middle and I had a horrible feeling that it was my I.C. But hopefully there was another I.C. that enjoyed scary-ass bars, skanky women, and the irony of me drinking a bloody Mary.
There were too many people for me to be able to focus clearly on that one booth. I tried to listen to the voices but could only hear humming interrupted by the fifty conversations going on around me. I sighed, pulled my glasses off, closed my eyes, and pinched the bridge of my nose trying to concentrate.
Oh, what the hell, ill just be straight forward. "Harvey?" I whispered quietly, to low for any human to hear. I was begging him not to answer because if he did, it meant that my I.C was no human. And D.V.H. only employed one non human.
"Sweet-cheeks," came a barely audible sneer in return. And that non human was Harvey.
"Damnit." Harvey was an asshole. No other way to describe him. I despised working with him. I put my glasses back on and sighed, reaching for the twenty dollar bill in my pocket to pay bartender. But when I straightened my arm to hand it to him, the cuff of my jacket bunched up at my elbow, revealing my forearm. The bartender stared at my skin, trying to figure out if he what he was looking at was real, but I pulled my sleeve down before he could get a closer look.
"Sorry," he choked out, after he caught himself staring. I just left the bill on the bar, grabbed the drink and walked away towards the booth. I hated it when people stared at my scars.
The closer I got the clearer Harvey's voice became. Shit. Why Harvey? We've worked on cases before; all disastrous and only successful at my expense. On more than one occasion I ended up in the hospital with holes, gashes or partially maimed because of his misjudgment or misinformation. Last month, I shot a scruffy German Shepard because Harvey swore it was a deformed rouge werewolf. And the bastard left me to apologize and explain to the elderly owners why I killed their dog.
When I reached the booth I looked at the occupants; there were six definitely skanky women. They were wearing tiny dresses that would've probably been more suitable on ten year olds, very high heels, heavy makeup, and they were giggling at everything Harvey said; be-spelled by his glamour. A nasty little trick glamour; makes things seem more appealing than they actually are. Harvey didn't need glamour- when I first met him I thought he was gorgeous. He just likes to mess with humans.
He was in the middle, as I predicted, in all his chauvinistic glory; the women draped around him. Harvey was tall and lean but muscular and with long scarlet hair. Bright scarlet, with dark brown highlights. His eyes were purple, heavily lined with long red eyelashes and framed by the several eye brow, nose, lip, and ear piercings. He was extremely tan, and the leather trench coat he was wearing only emphasized his golden glow. He was a beautiful, big, pain in the ass.
When I came into view he smiled and did this eye groping thing he was famous for; starting from my legs end eventually meeting my eyes. He's always had a thing for me and it's always made everything annoying. I glared at him through narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here," I hissed.
Harvey raised an eyebrow and laughed, the women mimicking him. "Pardon?" His asked innocently, eyes all sparkling. I took the little celery stick out from the bloody Mary and threw it at him.
"Cut the shit, glamour doesn't work on me," I said, and decided that this confrontation would be less awkward without the skanks. I reached out and snapped my fingers over the middle of the table. The phrase 'snap out of it', used when imploring someone to change their state, was actually derived from the method of breaking a glamour spell. Each of the skanks blinked, then turned and looked from me to Harvey confused. "Excuse me ladies, I need to speak with my brother alone." After they left, still bewildered, I glared at Harvey and hissed, "You are my I.C.?"
"Am I really that horrible to work with, sweets?" He smirked.
"Absolutely. Don't call me that." There was no way in hell I was working with him.
"You look well, skinny but still gorgeous as always."
"I specifically told the heads at D.V.H that I wouldn't work with you." I took off my sunglasses and glared at him.
"Well, it seems that I'm the only one left who'll take you," he smirked. "Your previous I.C. s left the job with injuries or worse. I guess were just meant to be together-" He patted the seat next to him motioning me to sit.
"Fuck you," I was upset because it was true. I sat down on the very edge of the booth.
"Are you offering?" I just stared at him, refusing to dignify that question with an answer.
"You can't blame me for trying, doll face." Now he was just trying to get a rise from me. "Your partners from the Chicago unit for example… are dead. My condolences." He said most insincerely. "And from what I've heard, you and Rick barely made it out alive. Which is very strange," He leaned forward onto the table. "A hunter with your reputation shouldn't have had such difficulty with a civilian hostage situation. And I'm curious; what exactly happened in Chicago, Bella?" This is where our partnership became complicated. Harvey knew far too many things that he shouldn't know. He was far too perceptive. Rick and I were the only ones who knew of my…situation; D.V.H wasn't even fully aware of the circumstances. If they found out, it would mean a lot of trouble for me. And Harvey was such a persistent ass that my only option was to be evasive and hope he didn't find anything that I didn't want him to.
"My assignment?" He smiled and reached into his coat jacket, pulling out an envelope. "What level is it?"
"Yellow," He grabbed the bloody Mary and started drinking from it. Yellow?Yellow was novice work. I was always at red or orange. When I went to take the envelope Harvey jerked it back out of my reach. He offered it again, and I stupidly tried to grab it only for him to jerk it away again. When I didn't play along the third time, he gingerly set the envelope down in front of me.
"You opened it already." I fingered the flap, and stared at him pointedly. He just rolled his eyes. I looked around the bar before I pulled anything from the envelope. Everyone was too encased in their own occupations to be suspicious. When I pulled the contents from the envelope I laid them on the table. Three pieces of paper; one was a form, one was a table, and one was a letter. "No photographs?"
"No; there was a witness but she wasn't able to give a full report of the attack. Two hours after the witness left the D.V.H Unit, she disappeared." A witness? How was a human able to witness a rouge vampire attack and walk away whole in the first place? I looked at the forms. There was letter head at the top of each with a watermark of a Trojan helmet and the words 'Forks High School.'
"What the hell?" I looked at the paper with the table closely. It was a schedule for 'Swan, Bella'. I looked over to Harvey; he looked like the cat that ate a canary. "What is this?" He sat up straight, folded his leather gloved hands on the table, cleared his throat and said,
"Three vampires; two male, and one female. They were last spotted…" He stopped and smiled maliciously. I waited for him to continue but he didn't.
"Harvey." I sneered. His behavior was making me nervous; anything Harvey thought amusing I certainly wouldn't.
"Sorry sweets I just want to savor it while I can." What a bastard. "They were last spotted playing students at Forks High School."
"You're shitting me." Harvey laughed. The people sitting at the cocktail tables near our booth looked at us. "Vampires, at a high school, that are pretending to be students." I gaped at him incredulously. "You're joking."
"They're known for attacking campers or tourists within the Hoh forest at such a consistency that it has begun to draw unwanted attention from local police. Our agents in the department are labeling them as animal attacks. So far, everyone believes them. I guess they've just moved on to a more abundant source." High school kids were easy prey.
"So what does D.V. H. want me to do, enroll?" I smirked looking at the schedule, how absurd. Harvey smirked back at me. Oh no. My smile disappeared.
"Of course," I sighed and sank back into the cushion of the booth. The blade strapped to my back made it impossible to completely slouch but damnit I tried.
Only months ago those pretentious vigilantes, the Volturi, proposed on behalf of their American neighbors something called the vampire rights act. Yes, I said vampire rights act. Vampires apparently have rights. They argued that any vampire that had American citizenship was protected by the bill of rights. Our dear president, who was still very much spooked/ intimidated by the reality of the supernatural, supported the Volturi's claims. And so every vampire and his brother went out and became an American citizen. The Volturi and the vampires alike are trying to handicap D.V.H. Our government is trying to maintain the populations ignorance but with shit like this vampire rights act, the vampires are becoming harder and harder to ignore. I believe, as does any hunter or right minded person, that vampires don't need to be hidden or ignored; they need to be destroyed.
So what did this mean for me? It meant that I couldn't just kill any old vampire any more. I have to have probable cause for the 'execution' and evidence that confirms them as a rogue. It meant I had to do idiotic things like go undercover as a high school student. The politics of it all were exhausting and extremely inconvenient.
"I'm voting next election." I mumbled, sourly.
"But think of all the little humans you'll get to play with! Oh, and I whole heartedly approve of your new name, by the way." He tapped the schedule. "It suits you."
"Shut up," I grabbed the bloody Mary from him and drank what was left. "Did anyone contact the master vampire of Seattle yet? Forks is within his domain; he's responsible for the vampires." Vampires need an O.K from the master vampire before they can hunt in a certain area. He'd know every vampire that passed through his territory. "Let him know I'd like to speak with him."
" No; I think it'd be best if he didn't know you were in the area until necessary. Vampires tend to get skittish and disappear when the 'beautiful vengeance' is around." I raised an eyebrow. I'll admit- it felt good to know that you were that intimidating. "The master vampire owns an underground vamp club in Seattle; I can take you there to find him."
I snorted, "You? Your faery blood is like cocaine to them. They'd eat you." That'd be entertaining.
"My blood? Hate to break it to you, sweets, but if I'm cocaine, you're heroin." Harvey chuckled, and turned his upper body towards me. He was doing the eye groping thing again. I huffed indignantly.
"I can mask my scent." It was a simple slayer trick; the smell was useful when we are trying to lure our prey and disguisable when we are hunting.
"And I can use my glamour. I've been to this place before and you can't go alone; I can be your vampire escort." He leaned over and snaked his arm around my waist and tried to pull me into him. Immediately I reached into my left pocket, grabbed the knife strapped to my thigh and pushed it between us, the blade pointed at his abdomen. I didn't like the way he was holding me.
"Like hell you could," I hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm planning on going as a hunter, not a human pet. Get off of me." He smirked and tried to pull me closer. I thrust the heel of my palm up to hit his chin, but he released me and moved away so quickly I almost fell forward. In a flash he was on the opposite side of the booth, and I was standing beside it.
"Save the rough stuff for the bedroom, sweet heart." Harvey said a little too loudly. We were making a scene, even in for this crowded bar. Quickly, I palmed the knife hiding the blade in the sleeve of my jacket. I was too hesitant and furious to put it completely away. Instead I put my hands on the table and leaned over towards Harvey until our faces were inches apart.
"Listen you bastard, if I'm being forced to work with you, lets get one thing clear; don't think I've forgiven you for the many times you managed to fuck up my assignments before, and I certainly won't forgive you if you fuck this one up too." I leaned in closer. "And don't you ever touch me. Pull something like that again, and I will slice off the bit of you that's the closest." I stood up, and he chuckled. I gathered the papers and put them in the envelope and turned to leave.
Suddenly, I felt someone grab me at the hips, and heard Harvey whisper, "See you later, Bella." But when I turned, no one was there. I growled in frustration.
Fuck D.V. H; there was no way in hell I was working with Harvey.
---
I closed my eyes. It was the only thing I could do. And it didn't stop the screams. She shouldn't be alive while they were doing that to her, she shouldn't be able to feel that kind of pain while they were ripping into her. The vampire's hand that was clamped over my mouth forced me to face the source of the scene before me; I couldn't turn my head so I closed my eyes. But I heard the wet tearing noises, and her gasps and her screams. Finally, after what felt like hours the screaming stopped. I felt movement in front of me, but the rest was silence. I tried my hardest not to open my eyes but the blood from the wound below my brow was pooling into my eye. My eyes fluttered open, and I saw her. I'd never seen a dead body before, and what was left of my sister-in-law was horrifying. I saw everything that was meant to be unseen. And worse she was moving, or trying to move as her body was no longer fully together. My eyes blurred as tears began to mix with the blood running down my face. I closed my eyes again.
Suddenly, the vampire restraining me pulled me roughly against him. I whimpered.
"No," he said. "She's slayer. Noble class. Smell her." Once again I felt movement in front of me, and nervous, I opened my eyes. The two vampires who mutilated my sister-in-law, that were drenched in her blood, were looking at me, curiously. One stepped forward and grabbed my jaw, tilting my head up towards his face. I had never been this close to a vampire before. It terrified me. He looked at the vampire behind him and nodded. Then the vampire restraining me pulled his hand from my mouth, grabbed my upper arms, and started to pull me down the hallway. I tried to look back to see if my sister-in-law had stopped moving, but he jerked me forward. I yelped. The vampire holding me continued to drag me down the hallway with the other two following closely behind. There were bodies everywhere. I could hear distant screams, or muffled cries coming from all around me. I forced myself not to look at any of them, not to provoke recognition of anyone I knew, or loved. But one was unavoidable.
We were near the top of the staircase that led to the foyer I saw him. Gareth. The man I spoke to only moments ago was stuck to the wall, impaled with his own sword. I shrieked when I saw him, and tried to run to him. The vampire holding me was caught off guard, so I was able to tear from his grasp. I ran, arms extended to my beautiful friend, but one of the other vampires stopped me before I could reach him and slapped me across the face. The pain was crippling and I could do nothing but comply as the vampire picked me up, and we continued to walk down into the foyer.
When we reached the bottom of the grand staircase, the vampire dropped me, and I fell to the floor. I was so disoriented from the pain I was unable to catch myself properly, and so when my wrist took the brunt of my weight against the marble floor, it nearly broke in half. I had no sense to do anything but whimper at the searing sensation.
"What is this?" asked a dark male voice. I looked up at the room. My brother and father were the first that I recognized. They were standing side by side, each restrained by two vampires. My brother was bleeding profusely, yet stood as if it weren't affecting him. My father looked disheveled at most. Behind him were more slayers, all kneeling on the floor and also restrained by vampires. But there were only a few slayers, some noble, some guard but not nearly as many as there before the vampires attacked. Not as many as there should be. I looked at my father and brother again, imploring them to look at me, but they didn't. Finally I looked at the owner of the dark male voice.
I'd never seen him before, only heard of him. Donatus, the Lord of the dark guard, leader of rogue vampires. He was tall, broad, and had long silvery hair. He had a strong jaw, and sculpted cheekbones, his eyes were dark orange. His long black cloak swept about him as the crossed the foyer with a catlike gait away from my father and brother and over to me. I felt like backing away when he came closer, but thought it cowardly and remained crouched on the ground.
"It's a slayer of noble blood, my Lord." The vampire that had dropped me responded. Donatus stopped walking.
"A female slayer?" He looked down at me, orange eyes piercing. "How rare. And of noble blood." A wicked smile curled across his sculpted chin. "Could this be, perhaps, the infamous daughter of Lord Marcellus?" He looked over his should at my father.
My father's expression remained stoic, but he said coldly, "I do not know her."
Donatus nodded and then asked my brother, "Sister to the Great Aloysius?" My brother remained silent. "Anyone?" He addressed the rest of the slayers in the room. Donatus turned his head slowly to look back at me, the smile still present.
"If it were true, what a magnificent asset she would be." He began to prowl towards me again. When he came within two feet he paused, and I looked up at him as he towered over me. He looked down at me, maliciously. I shuddered.
"What is your name?" He asked. I just stared back up at him, afraid and unwilling to answer. He waited a few moments for me to respond. When I didn't he smiled again, and turned and walked back towards my father and Aloysius. When he reached them, he held out his hand. A vampire standing behind them, offered Donatus a sword. He looked at it, and spun it in his hand. Then he turned and walked back towards me cradling it. When he came within two feet of me again, I realized that I recognized the sword. It was Aloysius's.
He grabbed me by the arm and lifted me from the floor, turned me to face my brother and father, and
then shoved the blade under my chin. "If you're not going to answer," he whispered in my ear, "- then I can assume that you are not who they tell me you are and therefore you are of no use to me." I whimpered when the blade cut into my skin, as he held me there. I was terrified. I looked over at my brother and father, their expressions remained stoic, and neither of them was going to answer.
I knew what they were doing; Donatus claimed I would be 'a magnificent asset'. They were trying to prevent everything that would entail, even if the only option was my death. The blade was digging into my skin, and new tears started to flow from the pain. Donatus, sighed when they didn't answer, and released my arm. I fell back to the ground and my hand flew to the wound on my throat. He turned and looked at me, and brought the blade to his lips licking the blood off of the edge. Then he turned and walked back over to my father and brother. He motioned to the vampires behind my brother, they folded his arms behind his back, and pushed him to the floor. What was he doing? Donatus loomed over him with the blade in hand. One of the vampires holding Aloysius turned his head to the left so it laid flat on the floor, neck bare. Donatus swung the blade up in the air and held it above his head. I panicked. He was going to kill him. Not Aloysius, I kept screaming inside, please not Aloysius. But if I said anything, it would betray me. But not my brother, I didn't care about me- just leave my brother. Donatus started to swing the blade down. I screamed, "STOP!" The blade stopped. I tried to stand, but my feet were caught in my ripped skirts. "PLEASE! I'll do anything, just leave them be!" Donatus, turned and looked at me, again that wicked smile festering at his lips. He walked back over to me again, and put the tip of the blade under my chin tilting it upwards.
"What is your name?" He asked darkly. I looked to my father, his stoic façade crumbled, and he looked at me, pleading me not to answer.
"Aloisia," I sneered.
"NO!" My father shouted.
"Aloisia!" Aloysius started to struggle against the two vampires holding him. Donatus nodded to one of the vampires standing behind me, and they came forward and grabbed my arms. Then he went over to my father and brother. He crouched down in front of my father, and hissed, "Don't worry, my Lord , I'll take good care of her." My father screamed and tried to lunge at him, but the vampires restrained him. The vampires began filing out of the mansion taking the surviving slayers, and the ones holding me began to follow. I struggled against them, reaching for my father and brother. I screamed their names, as they screamed mine and just when I was at the door I saw Donatus drive the blade through my father's stomach, and then into my brother's neck. "NO!" I screamed before the vampire holding me knocked me unconscious.
next chapter- meet the cullens...
Let me know if you liked it! (Reviews make me write faster!)