Vampire

Chapter 1

Here she was in Key West, and she felt trapped. The more Kate thought about it, the more it felt like somehow she was being herded this way. Key West wasn't all that large, and unless she had a boat – something that she didn't have – there was only one way out.

Thankfully, she didn't smell them, but that didn't mean they weren't coming. Hunters had a particular smell to her that she had become aware of early on. It wasn't that there was something special about them; they didn't walk around in full combat armor or anything like that. At least Kate didn't think they did. She had never met one and didn't want to.

Their distinct smell had saved Kate many times. She knew so little about them except that they had a special designation. Where Hunters went, they superseded all local jurisdictions. Not even the FBI was above them.

Kate walked out of the hospital with a unit of blood. It was just one bag; no one would miss a single bag, and she needed it. Thankfully, she could hypnotize nearly anyone. So it was no big deal to walk into a hospital and walk out with a unit of blood.

With it tucked in her bag, she walked south. Maybe the closer she got to the coast, the more she would blend in. It was late in the afternoon, and she needed to find a place to stay. She was looking for a For Rent sign. One hypnotized person later, and she would have a place to stay. She did it all the way down to Key West and was pretty sure it wasn't how the Hunters were following her.

Kate was walking down the street when she spotted someone she recognized, and he wasn't alone. They were walking out of a small business. Kate made a beeline toward them and caught up to them. "Aren't you Richard Castle?"

"Are you a fan?" Rick asked as he pulled out a Sharpie. "Where do you want it?" He would sign anything she had.

"She's a vampire, Dad," Alexis informed him quietly, the only other hearing her being Kate.

Kate felt her blood run cold. The young woman he was with had correctly identified her. How had she done that? Kate was frozen in place, madly thinking of what she could say that contradicted what she had said.

Rick was used to his daughter knowing things and knew Alexis told the truth. He looked the woman up and down. "Vampire, interesting. I think you had better come with us." Rick took her by the arm and started walking.

At first, Kate went with them. Then she yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I think I should go."

"Go if you want, but you won't last a day out here," Rick warned her. "I suggest you come with us."

Kate took a step back. "Why should I go anywhere with you?"

"My daughter has a way with people, and I give you my word that we mean you no harm. We won't turn you in. I really think you should come with us. It's in your best interest."

Kate looked around to see if anyone was listening to them. She knew she needed to keep her secret for as long as possible.

"You can run, but I do think you should come with us," Alexis told her. "Come on." Alexis began walking, as did Rick, leaving Kate standing there.

"Is she following?" Alexis asked quietly. Her dad turned his head to look. Sure enough, she wasn't too far behind them.

"So far, so good," Rick replied and kept walking, occasionally checking to see if she was still following them.

Kate didn't know what to do. These two had figured out what she was somehow. Kate should have been scared but wasn't. And yes, she was worried, though not afraid. Kate kept up with them and watched where they were going. They were moving toward a marina. They walked right out onto a dock and continued walking. She walked past boat after boat, wondering just where they were going.

Then they stopped, and Alexis stepped down into a Zodiac boat while Rick untied it. "Hop in." Rick waited for her to get in it.

Kate balked. "I don't know." If she got in, she would be trapped. Maybe she could take them, but she didn't know where to go if she did.

"Make up your mind." Rick waited and watched as she finally got in the boat. He tossed in the line, hopped in, and got in front of the motor and sat down.

"Better sit down for this," Alexis warned and watched as Kate hurriedly sat down. Rick started the motor and took off. Eventually, they were bouncing their way out of the marina. Kate was watching these two, who looked far too relaxed. Then she turned her head to look where they were going. Kate saw they were getting closer to a boat and pointed at it. "Are we headed for that?"

Alexis nodded. "That's Sara."

Kate was amazed. It wasn't a boat, it was a yacht! She watched as they entered it from the rear, and Rick killed the motor. He got out, pressed a button, and the ramp they were on came up. He held his hand out for Alexis to take and step out and then did the same for Kate. "Welcome aboard the Sara."

"Come on, follow me." Alexis waited for Kate to join her. She started walking. Alexis opened a door and went in. "This is Dad's bedroom." Kate looked around and saw a huge bed, a sofa, a couple chairs, a desk, closets, and two doors open to a very large bathroom. She followed Alexis back past two bedrooms and their bathrooms and hurried behind her up a set of stairs. They entered the main sitting room and went up another set of stairs.

Once there, Kate spotted a hot tub with a lounging area on either side and watched as Alexis sat in front of an array of screens. "Have a seat," Alexis told her and looked at the screens.

Kate sat down and looked at all the screens. There were a lot of them. She watched as Alexis pressed a button and instantly heard something in the distance. She didn't know what, but it seemed to last for a while.

Then Alexis began pressing other buttons, and Kate heard that. She was starting the engines. Rick showed up. "Not too fast."

"I know, Dad." Alexis pressed two things forward. Soon, Kate could feel them moving slowly and watched as they moved out of the area.

"What are those things where the sails should be?" Kate inquired.

"Those are the sails," Alexis replied. "They're state-of-the-art. Sails without sails. We're presently moving under power. We're hydrogen-powered, and we generate our own hydrogen. We also generate our water."

"The only reason we go ashore is for supplies or to see what's there. Be a tourist," Rick told her. "You hungry? I'm going to make lunch. Switch to sails when we get far enough out, Alexis."

"I know, Dad, I know." Alexis didn't have to have him tell her what to do.

"Just a reminder." Rick kissed her cheek and left.

"What are all the screens for?" Kate asked.

Alexis pointed to each screen as she explained what they did. "This one is GPS with radar." She moved to the next screen. "This monitors the hydrogen generator, our power output, and engines." She pointed to another one. "The monitor for our desalination plant, how much water we're making and how much water we're using." She turned her chair slightly and pointed to yet another screen. "This monitors any faults we're having. And this one monitors all of the cameras that are onboard. We have thirty-two cameras spread throughout the ship. Like this one." Alexis pressed a small picture, and suddenly, it got larger. It showed Rick in the kitchen.

"And this one?" Kate pointed at the screen in question.

"That's Sara. Say hi, Sara," Alexis said.

Kate heard a voice. "Hello, Katherine Houghton Beckett."

The color drained from Kate's face. "She knows my name. How does she know my name? I don't remember telling you."

"Sara is an AI. She's actually the one running this boat," Alexis revealed. "I'm just monitoring our progress. She's connected to the Internet."

"I used facial recognition to ID you. You have quite the history, Katherine," Sara explained. "I won't turn you in unless told to."

Kate was in shock. She didn't know what to do. She felt like running, but they were out to sea by now, so she was trapped. So she decided to ask Alexis the ultimate question point blank. "How did you know I'm a vampire?"

"I'm an empath. Well, maybe actually a bit more. You were practically screaming at me, worried that you were a vampire," Alexis said. "I couldn't help but notice. You're still a bit worried, but you're calmer now."

"An empath? Does that mean you can read minds?"

Alexis sighed as she tried to explain. "Yes and no. Yes, I can read your mind, and no, I can't read your mind. It's sort of hard to explain. It's more of a feeling I have when I look at you. I can't actually read your mind. I don't know what you're thinking, but I do know what you're thinking."

"I've never met anyone like you." Kate asked the next big question. "Why are you helping me? Not turning me in?"

"You'll have to ask Dad about that. I knew he would love the idea that you were a vampire."

They both heard Rick over the intercom. "Lunch is ready."

"Come on. Sara can watch where we're going. If anything comes up, she'll notify us." Alexis got out of her chair and headed downstairs.

At first, Kate didn't follow her; Alexis had told her too much. She needed time, but eventually, she did. Kate took her bag with her. Wherever she went, so did her bag.

Kate walked through a sitting area and entered another room with a bench and a dining room table. She noticed the plates, utensils, and glasses were already on the table and watched as Rick came upstairs carrying lunch.

"Lunch is ready," Rick announced.

They all sat down to eat, except Kate didn't touch hers. "You're not eating?" Rick asked her.

"I don't eat."

"OH! Is that because you're a vampire?" Rick queried.

"Yes, it is. I've never eaten anything. Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, I understand. So, tell us about you. Who is Katherine Beckett?" Rick asked. "Yes, Sara told me your name. How long have you been a vampire?"

"All my life." Kate started to share her story. "I was born a vampire. My parents are dead. And since I was 19 years old, I've been on my own."

"I'm so sorry about your parents, Kate." Rick felt for her.

"I decided there was only one way to hide what I was, which was to hide in plain sight. So, I entered the Police Academy. I had to dumb it down a bit."

"Dumb it down?" Rick didn't understand.

"Not show my strength, and I missed my shots deliberately. I graduated second in my class on purpose. I became a police officer and spent my time in a patrol car. Then, they transferred me to Vice. I spent a year in a patrol car and a year in Vice. After that, I became a junior homicide detective.

"I thought I was good at my job. I was solving homicides. But one year, I smelled Hunters," Kate told them.

"Smelled?" Rick asked her.

Kate nodded. "That's what I call it. For some reason that I can't explain, Hunters have a smell about them. They hunt my kind. I went home, grabbed my go-bag, left New York City, and didn't look back.

"I spent some time in DC at first. I moved on to Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, and then Miami. Usually, I traveled by train, sometimes a bus. "In each case, the moment I smelled Hunters, I moved on to the next city. I only recently came to Key West. It felt like someone was herding me there."

"Then it's a good thing you ran into us. That's quite the story." And Rick loved it.

"That remains to be seen." Kate meant it was too early to tell if it was a good thing...or not.

"Don't trust us? That's fair. We'll prove that you can trust us. So, since you don't eat food, what do you eat? Just blood?" Rick inquired.

Kate nodded again. "Yes, just blood. And yes, I've bitten people to get the blood I need. I try to get a blood bag when I can."

"Do you have a blood bag with you now?" Rick asked. "Does it need refrigerated?"

"I have one in my bag. It would be best refrigerated but not necessary."

Rick held out his hand. "Give it to me, and I'll put it in the refrigerator for you."

Kate was reluctant to hand it over because it was the only one she had. But she fished it out of her bag and gave it to him. "I'll put this in the refrigerator for you. You can come get it any time." He got up and went down to the kitchen.

~oo0oo~

They finished lunch. "Come on, we need to find you a cabin you can sleep in." Rick went off with Kate in tow.

"This is the lower deck. There are three decks: the Lower Deck, the Main Deck where we were, and the Fly Deck where we pilot the ship. There are two pods; one is where the hydrogen generator is located, and the desalination plant is in the other."

"Alexis told me," Kate informed him.

"Did she? That's good." Rick opened a door and stepped back so she could see inside. "This is your room. Each room has a bathroom where you can shower and what have you. There should be towels in the bathroom, in addition to shampoo and body wash, everything you could need.

"I'll leave you to get settled in. I'll be up on the Fly Deck when you're ready for the tour. Take your time, all the time you need." Rick smiled and left her in the bedroom.

Kate saw a closet and a desk with a chair. She went into the bathroom, and sure enough, she found a shower, sink, and a toilet. Kate also found the towels, shampoo, and body wash. She walked back into the bedroom, where she sat on the bed and thought about everything.

~oo0oo~

Rick and Alexis were sitting on the Fly Deck, monitoring their progress. "What do you think, Dad?"

He knew she could probably read his mind and knew what he was thinking. Still, he answered her. "I think things are about to get exciting around here."

Alexis looked at him like she knew that. "You invited a vampire to live with us."

He raised an eyebrow. "Afraid she'll bite us?"

"A little. We have blood, and Kate needs blood," Alexis replied. She studied her father. "And you're not." Alexis could tell that about him.

"No, not really. I don't know why, but I trust her. She used to be a police officer." Rick thought that was something. "I'm not worried she'll bite us, either, Alexis. Not without asking first. The question is, how much blood does she need? And the blood bag she handed me – is it all used up in just one bite, or does it last a while? Do I need to warm it up for her? Just how strong is she? Can she turn herself into a group of bats, for example? Can she run so fast that all I see is a blur?"

Alexis shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

~oo0oo~

Kate never did show up on the Fly Deck. Rick had gone to bed, and Alexis sat there, monitoring things. She knew Sara would tell her if anything came within range. Still, she looked at the GPS to see if anything appeared on the radar. There was nothing.

Alexis knew that would eventually change. They were on their way to Nassau in the Bahamas.

She more felt her than saw her. "Can't sleep?" Alexis asked Kate.

"I don't sleep. Not really." Kate sat in one of the chairs, which just happened to be next to Alexis.

"Sounds like a hard life you lead," Alexis commented.

"I don't know. It's all I've ever known."

"Perhaps we can change that, Kate."

"Not being hunted would be heavenly. Not to have to bite people to get the blood I need to live. Not that I would ever bite you," Kate assured her quickly.

"Dad is full of questions for you. Like, how strong are you? Can you turn yourself into a group of bats? How fast can you run? Can you see into people? See their blood pumping, their heart pumping? Turn invisible?"

"Let's see. Strong enough. I can lift a car all by myself. Yes, though, it gives me a headache, and I only see using radar. I can run pretty fast. No, I can't see their blood pumping or their heart. And no," Kate replied. "Though it would be pretty useful if I could."

That got Alexis to burst out laughing. "Car or truck?"

"Depends on what size it is." And Kate laughed with her.

"You can truly turn yourself into a group of bats?" Alexis asked.

"I can, but it does give me the devil of a headache. It's the radar that gets me. All I see is what I send out. It's like looking at an echo. It's no way to fly." Kate listened to her laugh.

Alexis had another question. "Do your clothes change with you?"

"I don't fly naked." Kate listened to her burst out laughing again. Kate was enjoying listening to her laugh. It made her feel good.

Alexis yawned. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. Don't stay up too long. Vampires need their sleep, too. If you get bored, talk to Sara. Good night, Kate." Alexis got up and left.

Kate waited until Alexis was out of earshot, then called out the AI's name. "Sara?"

"Yes, Katherine?"

Kate took a deep breath. "What do you say we get to know each other?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Tell me why Richard Castle is in Key West instead of New York City."