Chapter 14

Amy and Charley found themselves in the kitchen of the Hard Rock Hotel. Walking from the kitchen into the bar and dance area. Loud music thumped around them and strippers danced in underwear only. "They can't kill us, Charley, not in here," said Amy.

"Really? Look around. Do you think any of these people are going to notice?" asked Charley.

Lilith, Ed; who was human again aside from still having thicker body hair then normal; and Jerry came out from the kitchen. Charley and Amy pushed their way in the crowd. Jerry and Lilith took off onto the ceiling to look for a possible attack. Ed? Ed sat at the bar, his two daughters on his shoulders.

He was too weak to fight, so he sat out for this one. A 80's song remixed with some techno came on and the crowd started to go wild. Amy got lost in the crowd. They called to each other but they couldn't hear each other of the thumps of the song.

Jerry snaked his way through the crowd. He told Lilith to do what their tribe did best. Jerry had something to do that didn't require Lilith. He grabbed Amy by the neck, and then threw her over his shoulder. Charley saw this and saw that Jerry was taking her to the bar area.

"Help me! Please!" begged Amy as she was whisked past dancers. Jerry set her down near the bar and grabbed her neck again. "Charley's gonna come. He's gonna find me."

"I'm counting on it," said Jerry licking his fangs. He moved her head to the kitchen door way. She saw Laura and Pina sleeping in Ed's shirt and Ed's pants. "Just like I count on my daughter to help me get our numbers back." Jerry pressed his cheek to Amy's cheek.

Amy gasped at how cold he was. "You'll see. You just need a taste."

Jerry pressed his fangs into her neck as Charley was almost to the bar. A bouncer stopped Charley. "How did you get in here?"

"Listen, man!" cried Charley. "He's dangerous! You have to help me That guy's going to kill her!"

The bouncer looked over at Jerry and Amy. They looked to be making out. "Yeah, she looks to be liking it then."

"No, man. Listen, you don't understand!" cried Charley.

"ID, then you can..."

Charley shoved the bouncer. "I don't have ID! There's no time!" he cried.

The bouncer grabbed Charley and drug him out of the night club as Amy started to turn. "Amy! No! No!"

Jerry could hear Charley's cries and they were music to his ears. Until he heard his daughter moaning, "Ed! Yes! Yes!"

"Shit! How did you get in here!" cried Peter who thought he was alone in his penthouse. He had been packing to move away from the strip and didn't notice Charley behind him.

"Security is a little lax since everybody got their throat torn out," said Charley. "I don't know if Amy is alive or dead or turned, but he got her. I'm going to end him or he's going to end me. That's how it's going to be and you're gonna come with me."

"Don't you understand this yet? There will be no fighting. There will only be surviving," said Peter. He took a swig of alcohol.

"You think if you live and we all die, you'll be able to get us out of your head?" asked Charley.

"No, I know I won't. I never could after the first time," said Peter. "So I told myself I made it up. I was a kid. Figured it was easier to believe in monsters."

"Made what up?" asked Charley.

"The vampire that killed my parents," said Peter. "But not me, his pregnant female accomplice couldn't drink another drop of blood." It hit Charley. Peter must have had the first Jerry encounter. "You think I collected all this stuff because it was bitchin'?"

"Come with me. We'll go in at dawn. They have to rest sometime," said Charley.

"The only reason I survived the last time is because I had the sense to hide," said Peter. "You're dealing with a Germanic vampire. They cannot die until their vamps die. But hell if I know if she has vamps."

"She has two kids," said Charley. "The two that were in the box."

"They aren't vamps anymore. Too old. Point is, almost impossible to kill. And she'll keep bringing that delivery boy and Jerry back from the dead. If you want to be a dead hero, good for you. I'm out," said Peter. "You think I'm a coward. I'm not. I'm a realist."

"So you just bail on people?" asked Charley. "Hey, I get it. My dad was like that. But I don't want to live till tomorrow if you're the man I'm going to be."

With that Charley walked away. "Hang on. Wait," called out Peter. He tossed Charley a stake. "Blessed by Saint Michael. You kill your vampire with this, it's supposed to change his victims back. Maybe you can still save your girlfriend and that delivery boy."

But would Ed want to live without Lilith? "What if someone was born a vampire?" asked Charley.

"They are still a victim," said Peter. Charley packed the stake away in his pocket. "There's no guarantee they'll be sleeping. To stake him, you gotta get close. Torch him. A vampire on fire is not thinking clearly."

"If he's on fire, how do I get close enough to stake him?" asked Charley.

"Fuck."

The next day, Charley had stocked up on weapons and fire resistant clothing, he was going to kill Jerry with or without a plan. With or without Peter's help. He broke down Jerry's door, scanning the room with his crossbow for anyone. He tore open all the windows so sunlight flooded the living room. He began to climb the stairs. He saw evidence of Ed or possibly Lilith.

Charley went straight to the hallway where Ed and Lilith's nest was. "Amy! Amy?" he called out. "Amy? Amy!"

"Charley!" called out Amy.

She was in the room across from the nest room. Suddenly, Charley heard her scream. There was trapdoor. "Shit! Shit!" He turned around and saw Lilith poking her head out of the door.

"Oh good, breakfast," she growled. She reached out to him but he slammed the door on her neck and arm.

She screamed and cried out for Ed. They were home alright. Charley went running into the hallway where he banged into Peter. "Fuck!" he screamed.

"Sorry!" said Peter. "I guess I don't want to be a man like me, either."

"It's not safe! Ed is looking for me!" hissed Charley. "I just hurt his wife!"

"Let's kill something then," said Peter.