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Authors: Robin T. Popp
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can't just walk up to those women and tell them a vampire is after them. They'll think you're nuts."
Dirk gave him a bemused look. "Relax. They won't even know I'm there. Stay here and wait for Mac. I doubt Brody'll come back to this site, so you'll be safe. I gotta go—we'll talk more later ."
And then, with a speed that seemed inhuman, Dirk left him and hurried across the park to follow the girls. John watched them disappear and then looked around. Even for someone who was not easily spooked, the darkness in this particular section of the park was unusually disquieting. When he heard the snap of a twig behind him, he whirled around, pulling his gun.
"Easy, Detective," a familiar voice said as a shadow moved behind the tree. "It's me, Sheldon Harris, aka the vampire. We met last night, remember?"
"What are you doing here?" John asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion. He wondered how much longer Mac was going to be, not sure whether he wanted the man to hurry or take his time.
"I'm here for the same reason you are. We're both looking for Simon Brody." John saw the vampire's gaze flicker to the body on the ground; saw his eyes glow red and heard him swear under his breath.
"Yeah," John empathized. "We didn't get here in time—again."
"At least you severed the head to keep her from rising."
"I didn't do—"
"Hold it right there. Campus Security."
Shit.
A beam of light hit John's face. "You'd better go," he said as quietly as he could, hoping the vampire would hear him. So far the security guard had seen only him, but as soon as he spotted the body lying at John's feet, things were going to get ugly.
As the guard moved closer, John saw Harris fade back into the shadows.
"Do you want me to kill him?"
The offer floated on a breeze and caught John by such surprise that at first, he wasn't sure how to respond. Then he saw the shadows move, as if Harris was coming back, and hurried to prevent further disaster. "No."
The shadow receded again, but John heard a soft chuckle and belatedly realized the vampire was joking with him. John, however, wasn't amused, and vowed that the next time he saw the man—vampire—he would tell him just how funny he hadn't found the joke. Then he forgot all about the vampire because the security guard finally noticed the body at John's feet and the proverbial shit hit the fan.
Not wanting to be accidentally shot, John allowed himself to be searched, allowed his gun to be confiscated and his hands cuffed. As he waited for the local police to arrive, he caught sight of a familiar Expedition. Mac looked at him from the front seat, a concerned expression on his face. He made a gesture with his hand, but John shook his head slightly in response. He felt reasonably certain that after being questioned, he'd be released. At least, he hoped he would be.
Harris watched as the detective was hauled off and found himself grudgingly admiring the man. There was absolutely no reason why John Boehler should have protected him, and yet he had—for the second time now. Maybe it was just a part of the detective's personality. That same quality that made him want to be a detective also had him protecting those who were innocent. Not that Harris was exactly innocent. He'd been responsible for many deaths—including that young woman's at the park, indirectly.
The irony of the situation haunted him. His effort to rid the world of a psychotic killer had resulted in an even worse threat being loosed on the community. Harris felt the responsibility of it like another black mark on his eternally damned soul; another spiritual weight around his neck dragging him farther into the fiery pits of hell. Already the flames were licking at his heels; driving the air from his lungs.
Taking a deep breath to prove he still could, Harris picked a direction at random and began to walk, not consciously aware that he was headed toward St. Magnus Cathedral until the building loomed before him.
Harris stood staring at
Dirk gave him a bemused look. "Relax. They won't even know I'm there. Stay here and wait for Mac. I doubt Brody'll come back to this site, so you'll be safe. I gotta go—we'll talk more later ."
And then, with a speed that seemed inhuman, Dirk left him and hurried across the park to follow the girls. John watched them disappear and then looked around. Even for someone who was not easily spooked, the darkness in this particular section of the park was unusually disquieting. When he heard the snap of a twig behind him, he whirled around, pulling his gun.
"Easy, Detective," a familiar voice said as a shadow moved behind the tree. "It's me, Sheldon Harris, aka the vampire. We met last night, remember?"
"What are you doing here?" John asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion. He wondered how much longer Mac was going to be, not sure whether he wanted the man to hurry or take his time.
"I'm here for the same reason you are. We're both looking for Simon Brody." John saw the vampire's gaze flicker to the body on the ground; saw his eyes glow red and heard him swear under his breath.
"Yeah," John empathized. "We didn't get here in time—again."
"At least you severed the head to keep her from rising."
"I didn't do—"
"Hold it right there. Campus Security."
Shit.
A beam of light hit John's face. "You'd better go," he said as quietly as he could, hoping the vampire would hear him. So far the security guard had seen only him, but as soon as he spotted the body lying at John's feet, things were going to get ugly.
As the guard moved closer, John saw Harris fade back into the shadows.
"Do you want me to kill him?"
The offer floated on a breeze and caught John by such surprise that at first, he wasn't sure how to respond. Then he saw the shadows move, as if Harris was coming back, and hurried to prevent further disaster. "No."
The shadow receded again, but John heard a soft chuckle and belatedly realized the vampire was joking with him. John, however, wasn't amused, and vowed that the next time he saw the man—vampire—he would tell him just how funny he hadn't found the joke. Then he forgot all about the vampire because the security guard finally noticed the body at John's feet and the proverbial shit hit the fan.
Not wanting to be accidentally shot, John allowed himself to be searched, allowed his gun to be confiscated and his hands cuffed. As he waited for the local police to arrive, he caught sight of a familiar Expedition. Mac looked at him from the front seat, a concerned expression on his face. He made a gesture with his hand, but John shook his head slightly in response. He felt reasonably certain that after being questioned, he'd be released. At least, he hoped he would be.
Harris watched as the detective was hauled off and found himself grudgingly admiring the man. There was absolutely no reason why John Boehler should have protected him, and yet he had—for the second time now. Maybe it was just a part of the detective's personality. That same quality that made him want to be a detective also had him protecting those who were innocent. Not that Harris was exactly innocent. He'd been responsible for many deaths—including that young woman's at the park, indirectly.
The irony of the situation haunted him. His effort to rid the world of a psychotic killer had resulted in an even worse threat being loosed on the community. Harris felt the responsibility of it like another black mark on his eternally damned soul; another spiritual weight around his neck dragging him farther into the fiery pits of hell. Already the flames were licking at his heels; driving the air from his lungs.
Taking a deep breath to prove he still could, Harris picked a direction at random and began to walk, not consciously aware that he was headed toward St. Magnus Cathedral until the building loomed before him.
Harris stood staring at
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