Asking for Help

Vicki woke to the sound of Mike's pounding on the door, yelling "Henry, Vicki get up!"

She called out, "Use your key, butt head." Mike felt stupid as he looked for the right key buried among the dozen or so on his key ring. By the time he fit it in the lock, Vicki yanked the door open saying, "Where are your brains?" She stepped back letting him in the apartment and added, "You know better than to come here too early, because now you're going to have to face a pissed off vampire. When you make Henry move too soon, he's meaner than a junkyard dog."

She closed the door behind him and went back in the bedroom to get dressed and try to get Henry moving. She sat on the bed beside him and gently stroked his cheek until he took the first deep breath of the night. When he cracked open one eye she said, "Mike's here. Don't bite him."

He closed his eye again and said, "Give me one good reason why not."

Vicki chuckled saying, "I love him and so do you. Get up and play nice. He wouldn't come at this time if it weren't important."

Henry swung his feet over the edge of the bed saying, "Important to whom?"

Vicki came back into the living room saying, "Two of the seven dwarfs will be out in a minute." She frowned at Mike saying, "This better be good."

Mike looked puzzled and asked, "Which two dwarfs?"

Vicki sat beside him and said, "Sleepy and Grumpy."

Henry came out yawning and growled, "I'm not grumpy."

Mike smiled at her as Vicki shrugged saying, "I told you so."

Henry walked to the kitchen with is eyes closed saying, "Bite me." The sound of the fridge door banging against the wall was heard then his voice calling out, "Vicki's there's no cold water in here."

Vicki threw her hands in the air as Mike mouthed the word "water". She walked into the kitchen, opened the freezer and dumped some ice in a crystal glass, then opened a bottled water from the cupboard, poured it over the ice and shoved it in his hand saying, "Who was your slave last year?"

Henry took a deep drink set the glass on the counter, pulled her close resting his cheek against hers saying, "I'm sorry, you know I don't wake up well."

In the living room Mike started calling out again, "Hello, I'm in here. I really need to talk to both of you."

Henry's eyes darkened and fangs became visible as he pulled up all his vampire anger and hunger. He stalked into the living room and grabbed Mike's shirt front lifting him a foot off the ground, "One more sound and, I'll bite and I won't be gentle." He lowered Mike to the floor, "I don't like waking up fast."

Mike's eyes were round but he stood his ground and looked into the black pools of Henry's eyes, "I don't like being threatened by vampires even if they claim to be related to kings." Mike took a breath, "Look Henry, I wouldn't be here if it weren't so important." He looked to Vicki, who was standing back watching the action, "There've been several murders. It looks to be the work of vampires." Henry growled and behind him Vicki's eyes started to silver. Mike held up his hand, "I know it's not you. Not either of you." He rubbed his face, "I need your help. Please."

Henry's eyes lightened and the fangs faded from view. Vicki moved forward and placed her hand on Henry's arm saying, "We'll listen."

Mike continued,"There have been several bodies found in an abandoned warehouse on the outside of town. Some of the bodies have been there for a while, others are fresher, but they all have one thing in common. All the blood's been drained. I'm talking about over 2 dozen bodies; young, old, male, female. Thank God no children. The bodies have been taken to the morgue to be examined. I'm asking for your help. Are there other vampires in the city? Can you think of anyone or God help me, anything that could do such a thing."

Vicki looked closely at Mike, "Before Norman came into our lives, you would have started looking for a serial killer not supernatural, Mike. Start your investigation there. I don't have to tell you that."

Mike nodded at her words, "You're right, but this is after Norman, after meeting Henry, and Christina's little game. Crowley gave me a challenge – Celluci it looks like one of your special crimes. Ones that gets solved with no suspect to arrest, but Nelson's fingerprints all over it. Maybe you should ask your blind girlfriend to lead you to clues. "

Henry asked, "What makes you think Vicki or I could help?"

Mike stared at Henry who looked like he had spent hours on his appearance, "I loath you. You look good even when you first get up." Mike moved to sit down, "I need the kind of help only Vicki can give me. I haven't been able to work with anyone the way I could with Vicki. She sees things a different way than others. Her mind makes connections no one else does, and you Henry, have enhanced her natural abilities. Whether this case is supernatural or not, I'm a better detective when she helps. I need your other point of view."

Vicki sat down in Henry's chair and he leaned against the arm so they formed one unit. Vicki spoke, "I don't do anything different that you do other than looking at things sideways." She sat for a moment then added, "Okay, give us the details of when and how the bodies were discovered. And how 'fresh' was the last one?"

Mike explained the city was starting a renewal project that involved the warehouse district. In the course of studying the area there was a walk through of several of the buildings. That was when the bodies were found. As for fresh, the last victim's wound was still moist."

Henry spoke up, "Vampires don't drain their prey at one feeding. The human body contains too much blood for anyone to swallow in a single feeding." Henry looked at Mike's disgusted face, "I know – you loathe me. I was just thinking out loud." He straightened up and held his hand out to help Vicki up from the chair and said to Mike, "Sorry to have to say this but it's the truth. Vicki and I need to feed before we can do anything else. Give us the address and we'll meet you in about two hours. Or would you rather go with us and watch while we feed."

Mike looked a little green but said, "That's the best offer I've had for entertainment in long time but no thanks, I'll meet you there." Mike wrote out the address and left.

Henry whispered, "Come here." Vicki stepped closer and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She tilted her head back so that their lips met. He picked her up and carried her back to their bed saying, "Let me wake up the right way." He slowly undressed her while kissing every spot as it was exposed, while her hands and lips were busy returning the favor. Bodies and minds soothed and satisfied, Henry said, "Tell him never to come to our door until an hour after sunset. He presumes too much, coming here and pounding on doors." Vicki couldn't argue with Henry this time so she wisely kept quiet. Henry rolled on to his back saying, "That's better. Now we're ready to face the night." They got up and dressed quickly. Their meal was found in a local bar near the warehouse district.

Walking away from the bar Vicki said, "It was a good thing Mike didn't watch that feeding."

Henry raised one eyebrow saying, "I should think your prey will be wondering about the boot print on his ass for weeks to come. I didn't see what he did to deserve that."

Vicki's voice became terse as she said, "He bit me, if you knew where, you'd kill him. Your meal wasn't very nice either from what I could tell."

Henry became defensive as he said, "She started screaming. I hate screaming women. I put her to sleep and left her sitting on the toilet. So what?"

They walked on in silence to where they'd left the car. As Henry went open the door for her, he saw where it had been keyed. The long deep scratch ruined the smooth surface of the car that had been in mint condition for twenty years. All he could say was, "What's next?"

Vicki slid into her seat saying, "I don't think you really want to know."

Mike stood across the street from the warehouse looking at the crime scene tape and wondered how much two vampires could see after the team completed their sweep for evidence. He looked at his watch for the third time in five minutes and was about to give up when Henry's car approached.

As they got out of the car, Crowley walked up saying, "Celluci, is your blind friend coming to hold your hand through another investigation?"

Mike rammed his dislike of his superior back and spoke softly, "I spoke with her about the case as you suggested. She and her driver are here now."

Vicki heard Crowley's remark about being blind, pulled her tinted glasses from her pocket and put them on as she placed her other hand in the crook of Henry's arm so that he could lead her to Mike and Crowley.

As they got closer Crowley stepped forward, "Nelson, I wanted you here to prove to Celluci once and for all there's nothing special about your abilities. Serial killer with an especially mean streak. Now go on in and dazzle us with your brilliant deductive reasoning."

Henry leaned into Vicki and said for her alone to hear, "PMS."

Vicki turned to face him, "I'd kill you for that, if you weren't already dead. PMS is no joke."

Mike came up behind Vicki and Henry and whispered, "PMS."

Henry gave a smirk to Vicki and said, "Told you. PMS."

Mike said to Henry, "She's been that way since she became department head."

Vicki stopped in her tracks pulling Henry to a stop and Mike bumped into them both, "Listen both of you, one more crack and you'll both come up against a vampire with PMS and it won't be pretty. She's a bitch, nothing more and nothing less. Let's get in there."

The trio moved forward as Crowley moved aside the tape and opened the building. Mike followed Crowley in and didn't realize that Henry and Vicki stopped moving.

Eyes silver and fangs visible Vicki asked Henry, "What's that smell? I can't control the vampire."

Henry's eyes were dark but fangs remained out of sight, "You're reacting to the scent of one of our kind. Take a minute and get used to the smell without reacting to it. We must go in." Vicki nodded understanding, looked down and mentally fought her vampire for use of her body. Henry did the same.

Mike turned around and said, "Are you coming or not?"

Henry held up his hand and waved for Mike to go on, "We're coming." He put his arm tight around Vicki's waist and together they walked forward.

The inside was dark, dank, and empty, an open inner door allowed the fetid air to circulate with its smell of death and vampires. Henry leaned into Vicki's ear, "We need go no further. Vampires were here to feed and leave bodies. Faint so I have an excuse to carry you out."

Vicki leaned on Henry and called out, "Get me out of here. I'm getting a migraine. I'm going to be sick."

Henry whispered, "Don't over act."

Vicki started coughing and gagging, "Who's over acting? I am sick."

He picked her up and called out to Mike saying, "Vicki is getting one of her sick headaches. I'm taking her to the car."

Crowley sneered to Mike, "So much for your perfect record Nelson. Get out of here. I'm assigning this case to someone else and I am starting the paperwork for your transfer from my devision."

To be Continued

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