bag again until she found her hip flask. She offered it to him first.
“ You came prepared,” he said, taking a mouthful of the amber liquid, and letting out a long sigh after he had swallowed.
“ I'm always prepared.”
Will handed the flask back to her and Frankie took a large sip.
“ If they can't make you forget,” Will asked, “why don't you tell MI5 about vampires?”
“ Because if I started telling people, the vampires would kill me. Besides, some of the higher ups know, those who need to. Vampires are actually quote patriotic; they've worked for us in times of war.”
“ So if they'd kill you for telling people, how come you told me.”
“ I didn't tell you, Dante did, and he made sure that you couldn't tell anyone else.”
“ I still don't get it” Will shook his head. “You just said it, they're killers, they'd kill you if it's in their interests, so why do you help them?”
“ Because I don't have a choice,” she said. “I might as well make the best of it. Besides, as much as I hate it, I do understand their point of view.”
“ You do?”
“ Yes. If people found out about them there would be panic. Sure, vampires are fast but given the remote weapons we have these days, they're much easier to kill than in the days of pitchforks and torches. They have no reason to trust me, but they can't vamp me so of course they keep an eye on me. I don't like it but I'm a threat to them, so I have to learn to live with it.”
“ They're inhuman.”
“ Actually not so much. I'm only alive because Josh sacrificed himself for me. He died so I could live. Dante offered to heal my neck by letting me have some of his blood. Some of them aren't so bad.”
“ Wait, you suck their blood!”
“ I said he offered, I didn't say I accepted. I'm still bruised aren't I?”
“ Their blood can really heal people?”
“ It really can. It saved my life once.”
Will took a long drag on his cigarette. “I didn't happen to fall down any rabbit holes recently, did I?”
“ Not that I saw,” Frankie smiled slightly.
Will sighed. “I don't suppose you found anything out about my case, did you?”
“ Nothing since you left. I still have a report to write but then I'll do some research. Dante will get back to me if he finds anything helpful in the photos.
“ I guess I should go home,” Will said, getting to his feet and offering his hand to help Frankie up. “Maybe when I wake up this will all feel like a dream.”
“ Good luck with that.”
They began walking back towards her house and his car.
“ Frankie... I'm sorry.”
“ What for?”
“ For not believing you. For thinking you were cuckoo. You tried to tell me so many times and I just dismissed it, rationalised everything away.”
“ I can't exactly blame you. I'd probably do the same in your shoes.”
Will shrugged and they slowed to a stop beside his car. Frankie turned to him.
“ Give me a call if you need to talk or anything,” she said.
“ I will.” He opened his arms to her and Frankie stepped into his embrace. “What a crazy day this has been,” he said quietly.
“ Tell me about it,” she pulled away. “Are you going to be okay?”
“ Don't worry about me. I'll cope.”
Frankie nodded. She didn't want to leave him, it felt like there was so much more to say, but she didn't know where to start.
“ Goodnight, Frankie.” He kissed the top of her head, then stepped away and got into his car.
Frankie watched until he was out of sight, then turned to go inside. She noticed the curtain drop back into place and rolled her eyes as she realised that they had been watched.
When Frankie awoke the next morning it was to the welcoming sight of her father, brandishing a mug of coffee.
She accepted it gratefully.
“ Thanks, Dad.”
“ Your Mum will be down soon, love,” he said.
Frankie nodded, understanding his meaning. She enjoyed a few more sips of her coffee then set about gathering up the papers she'd been
“ You came prepared,” he said, taking a mouthful of the amber liquid, and letting out a long sigh after he had swallowed.
“ I'm always prepared.”
Will handed the flask back to her and Frankie took a large sip.
“ If they can't make you forget,” Will asked, “why don't you tell MI5 about vampires?”
“ Because if I started telling people, the vampires would kill me. Besides, some of the higher ups know, those who need to. Vampires are actually quote patriotic; they've worked for us in times of war.”
“ So if they'd kill you for telling people, how come you told me.”
“ I didn't tell you, Dante did, and he made sure that you couldn't tell anyone else.”
“ I still don't get it” Will shook his head. “You just said it, they're killers, they'd kill you if it's in their interests, so why do you help them?”
“ Because I don't have a choice,” she said. “I might as well make the best of it. Besides, as much as I hate it, I do understand their point of view.”
“ You do?”
“ Yes. If people found out about them there would be panic. Sure, vampires are fast but given the remote weapons we have these days, they're much easier to kill than in the days of pitchforks and torches. They have no reason to trust me, but they can't vamp me so of course they keep an eye on me. I don't like it but I'm a threat to them, so I have to learn to live with it.”
“ They're inhuman.”
“ Actually not so much. I'm only alive because Josh sacrificed himself for me. He died so I could live. Dante offered to heal my neck by letting me have some of his blood. Some of them aren't so bad.”
“ Wait, you suck their blood!”
“ I said he offered, I didn't say I accepted. I'm still bruised aren't I?”
“ Their blood can really heal people?”
“ It really can. It saved my life once.”
Will took a long drag on his cigarette. “I didn't happen to fall down any rabbit holes recently, did I?”
“ Not that I saw,” Frankie smiled slightly.
Will sighed. “I don't suppose you found anything out about my case, did you?”
“ Nothing since you left. I still have a report to write but then I'll do some research. Dante will get back to me if he finds anything helpful in the photos.
“ I guess I should go home,” Will said, getting to his feet and offering his hand to help Frankie up. “Maybe when I wake up this will all feel like a dream.”
“ Good luck with that.”
They began walking back towards her house and his car.
“ Frankie... I'm sorry.”
“ What for?”
“ For not believing you. For thinking you were cuckoo. You tried to tell me so many times and I just dismissed it, rationalised everything away.”
“ I can't exactly blame you. I'd probably do the same in your shoes.”
Will shrugged and they slowed to a stop beside his car. Frankie turned to him.
“ Give me a call if you need to talk or anything,” she said.
“ I will.” He opened his arms to her and Frankie stepped into his embrace. “What a crazy day this has been,” he said quietly.
“ Tell me about it,” she pulled away. “Are you going to be okay?”
“ Don't worry about me. I'll cope.”
Frankie nodded. She didn't want to leave him, it felt like there was so much more to say, but she didn't know where to start.
“ Goodnight, Frankie.” He kissed the top of her head, then stepped away and got into his car.
Frankie watched until he was out of sight, then turned to go inside. She noticed the curtain drop back into place and rolled her eyes as she realised that they had been watched.
When Frankie awoke the next morning it was to the welcoming sight of her father, brandishing a mug of coffee.
She accepted it gratefully.
“ Thanks, Dad.”
“ Your Mum will be down soon, love,” he said.
Frankie nodded, understanding his meaning. She enjoyed a few more sips of her coffee then set about gathering up the papers she'd been
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