Controlled Chaos (Deadly Dreams Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter Seventeen

9:00 p.m. Friday Evening

I walked into the bar and found Steve nestled quite comfortably in a booth with a pitcher of beer. I slid in across from him and watched as he poured me a beer. It occurred to me that I hadn’t had a drink since the night of the attack. Even the beers in my fridge were left untouched, and I had always had one after work.

I took a gulp of the beer, grateful to find that it still tasted amazing. Well, at least I still had that.

“I had the day off, Hunter, why didn’t we hit up a patio?” Steve said, leading.

I stared at him, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Did he know something?

“You know, Steve, you have been acting strange since the day I saw you and Munson at the station together.”

Steve chuckled and it made my blood boil. The thought of blood just then caused my throat to hurt. I needed to order a ton of bloody flanks and have them delivered to my house. But sucking on meat flanks just wasn’t cutting it.

“Sorry, Hunter, but to be honest, you don’t look any worse for wear. In fact, you didn’t have so much as a paper cut on you the next day.”

“Shit, Steve, you wouldn’t believe the things that have been happening to me. Really fucked up shit.”

I explained all the crazy things that had been happening to me. The fact that I couldn’t go out in the sun without causing a scene because the sunlight seared my skin. I even explained the fact that I had been sucking on meat flanks for the past three days just to clear up what appeared to be a sore throat. I went into vivid detail about the dreams, explaining that I had actually met the guy from my dreams last night at the pizza parlor. Steve listened calmly, and didn’t appear at all shocked by the things I was saying.

“That’s certainly a mind fuck if I ever heard one,” Steve said, as certain as the sky is blue.

“A mind fuck? Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes. There’s something you should know, Hunter. It’s going to sound crazy, but I know what’s wrong with you.”

“You do?” I said to Steve. Then I stared at Steve in the eyes to see if he was saying what I thought he was saying.

Steve looked me in the eye and slowly nodded.

“Are we talking about vampires here, Steve?”

“Quiet down, Hunter, you want the world to think you’re crazy? I’m sorry, man, that this has happened to you, but it’s true.”

“What is true, Steve?”

Steve looked at me and calmly said, “Your attack wasn’t a coincidence. Someone wanted you to...”

“To what? Steve?” I said, beside myself.

How the fuck does Steve, my best friend, know about this world and I fucking didn’t?

“Look, Hunter, you need to be careful. We can’t be talking about this out in the open.”

“Why not?”

“Because these people, these immortals, are worse than hired assassins. There is a reason no one talks about it. The second normal folks know and start spouting their crazy shit, they are never heard from again. I’m telling you. This is the world I have been seeing the last five years.”

“You have known for five years?” I asked.

“Let’s leave so we can talk about this.” Steve paid the bill and he and I went to his parking lot to have a more private conversation about the fact I was now immortal.

He beeped his key fob so his truck would unlock. Steve looked behind us to see if we were being followed in any way. Holy shit, what the hell was he going to tell me that I didn’t now already know?

I opened his passenger side door and we both sat in his car. Steve sat on the driver’s side.

“Oh, this is much better,” I said sarcastically. “Now we look like two dudes cruising each other.”

“No we don’t,” Steve said.

“That’s if the people are being nice. Otherwise, two dudes sitting in a bar parking lot is not a welcoming sight.”

“What the fuck do you care what people think?”

“Apparently you do. That’s why we’re here.”

“Hunter, shut the fuck up and listen. Mani don’t kid around. If you’re caught running your mouth, they kill you. End of story.”

“That’s the second time I heard that word tonight.”

“Mani?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Who else have you been fucking talking to? Hunter, you need to listen to me. You cannot be fucking around with this. You’re now part of a family. There is a guy in Victorville that seems to be running things.”

“Victorville?” I said, laughing.

“They hang out in the San Bernardino Mountains, Lost Boys style, at a place called the Flatlands. It’s a sight to behold.”

“I feel like I have been asleep all my life. How the fuck am I just hearing about this from you...right now?”

“Hunter, are you listening to me. This breed of vampire doesn’t mess around.”

“Breeds? There are others?”

“We’re not sure. But damn, if there’s one...why not a dozen?”

I nodded.

“Hunter, you need to quit talking to anyone about this, or it will be the last thing you do.”

“The last thing I do? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, I’m not. You need to get connected.”

“Connected. You make it sound like the social network.”

“It’s not as big, but it’s scarier than hell. These people are some of the worse people you’ll ever met. I have heard the new guy in Victorville is turning things around. I heard he was about loyalty and had a warrior’s spirit.”

“Can I go and talk to him?”

“Don’t ask me. Hunter, I didn’t mention anything to you because I knew in the hospital this is what happened to you. And once I got word about you freaking out over the sun, I knew I couldn’t approach you. This is something no one talks about except Mani to Mani.”

“Steve,” I said as honest and as practically as I could, “are you kidding me? I’m a vampire? I can’t wrap my brain around it.” Ever since Donna and I talked about it, I just couldn’t come to terms with it.

“Just think about the things that have been happening to you. You don’t eat anymore? Correct?”

“Yep,” I said.

“You now drink blood.”

“That would be correct,” I said.

“You can’t be out in sunlight?”

“Now you’re just reciting Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”

“But it’s all true? Am I right?”

“You forgot my weird visions.”

“What visions?” Steve asked.

“You know my sleep paralysis seizures?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, looking at me confusedly.

“I’m having vivid visions when the seizures are happening.”

“Never heard of that. We need to go talk to Munson in a much more private surrounding.”

“Like the front seat of your car? I’m sure we can fit a 300-pound man up here along with us. Wait a second. Munson also knows?”

“Let me ask you a question, Hunter.”

“Okay,” I said.

“When is the only time of day you have ever seen Munson?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? How long has he been one?”

“Five years.”

“Bullshit,” I said. I’m sure that fucker has aged in the last five years.”

“He has gotten fatter, which makes him look older, but no, he hasn’t aged a day since the day he turned.” Steve paused. “Munson knew what happened to you as soon as he heard what happened.”

“I remember the men biting at me, attacking my flesh with their teeth. You knew that vampires existed and never told me? I’m still having such a hard time believing that all of this isn’t some sick and twisted dream.”

“Hunter, you have become a vampire. You have one choice. That’s to embrace it. It already has you. It will only be a matter of time until it will be part of your second nature, as it is Munson’s.”

“Why isn’t Munson in charge?”

“Huh?”

“You said some cool guy in Victorville runs the show. Why doesn’t Munson?”

“Munson isn’t part of their cause. He’s part of the police’s cause. Would they embrace him and have a valued asset if he chose to have a bigger role? Probably. Munson is a turncoat.”

“You told me to embrace it?”

“You embrace being a vampire. You don’t have to embrace their cause.”

“What is their cause? I take it we’re talking about the Mani again?”

“It’s all about prophecy and shit. Look, not all of you follow their dogma.”

I just sighed and still couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“I’m immortal?” I asked. “I can’t die?”

“You can die. Just, you won’t be getting cancer and certain injuries won’t kill you as they do humans.”

“Holy shit. You just said ‘humans’ to me.”

“Why is that such a big deal?”

“Because I’m a fucking human!” I said, yelling.

“No, you’re not, Hunter. Not anymore. You’ll never be able to enjoy the sun or have a decent meal. But you can turn into a fucking raven. That’s cool.”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” I said.

“Like what?”

“Like I freaking need to see the benefit of being a bird. A fucking bird.”

“Look, that’s the first thing you need to embrace. Because you can fly now, bro. I know it sounds preposterous. But this is your reality now.”

“So you’re telling me right now that I can just turn into a bird.”

“The natives call it transitioning.”

“Why a raven?”

“Don’t know. There is probably a great made-up story in the Mani lore about why. And the women transition into beautiful red hawks.”

Steve looked at me and said, “Look, I know this is heavy shit. I know there is a large part of your brain that refuses to believe this to be true. I’m telling you, Hunter, now that you have seen behind the Wizard’s curtain, it’s time to get real with you about things that I couldn’t open up to you about before. Because it would have blown your mind.”

I was trying to process all the information, and it felt like my head was going to explode.

“Hey Hunter, it’s a load to hear, I know. But we’re going to help you get through this.”

“Get me through this? I cannot go out in the daylight anymore. I can’t eat real food. I can only drink liquids. Oh yeah, have I told you about the dark deep-rooted craving I have for blood?”

“Hunter, I know a lot of good people this has happened to, and they live regular lives, but they’re forced to now live with this condition.”

“So you’re saying I should be grateful those motherfuckers didn’t kill me. Instead, they just altered everything about my life from now until I die. Oh wait. I can’t even do that the right way anymore.”

“Not grateful,” Steve said. “You’re lucky to be alive. There is a reason why they left you alive. I think it was a hint, Hunter. I think these vampires sought you out and waited so you would become one of them.

“Look, the other person that I have talked to said what she knew about the situation. I had a hit on me.”

“I don’t know about any of that.” Steve laughed.

“No, I’m being serious. Apparently there is some trench coat posse going around, attacking in threes.”

“Let the lore begin,” Hunter laughed.

“It’s not lore, Steve. I saw them. All three of them were wearing trench coats.”

“So what? I bet they had on shirts, pants, socks, and shoes too. This is what I’m talking about. Very few people know the truth about what is out there.”

“And you do?” I asked Steve.

Steve looked at me and shook his head. “No, I have fucking no idea what is up or down. I just know to be very, very skeptical about what you hear. Even if the information is coming from a Mani themselves.”

“I’m having dreams,” I said.

“Dreams?” Steve repeated.

“Well, seizures. I’m having controlled seizures.”

“Controlled seizures? What do you see in your dreams, I mean seizures?” Steve asked.

“Awful things,” I said, being very vague.

Steve nodded his head and simply said to me, “Don’t ignore any visions you get from here on out. I’m telling you, Hunter, this sucks. But you’re now, and forever will be, one of them.

“Look Hunter, the people who know that there are vampires are scared to death to talk about it for two reasons. One, everyone will initially think they are full of shit. Or a vampire or someone who is a friend of their cause takes the person out for opening their mouth.”

“Friend of their cause? Is that what you are?” I asked Steve.

“That’s exactly what I am. I had no choice.”

“How did you find out?”

“Five years ago. About the same time Munson turned. He knew a couple of months ahead of me and brought me into a case, and I found out too much about his world. Well, your world.” Steve paused and took a deep breath. He continued, “Munson and I had one of them in our custody.”