Tainted Blood (8 page)

No, that couldn’t be true. He had to be the one. Otherwise that only left one other choice...Jenn.

“You better not be lying to me, Mongrel.” Brian pulled out his knife. It didn't seem to be very impressive at the moment, but he knew it was made out of one of the few substances that were deadly to the werewolf. Garn bared his fangs as he got sight of the weapon.

“What do you expect that pin prick to do for you, Vampire?” Garn crouched down onto all fours, snarling as he began to try and circle Brian.

“I used something much smaller to kill your nephew with, and he yelped like a pup when I did.” Brian grinned at the werewolf and popped his own fangs out as he began to circle as well.

Garn snapped at him but didn't lunge as he spoke the words. Even on all fours, the wolf was huge. Larger than the other one had been. He began to wonder what his chances really were against this monster. No, he had to get rid of that defeatist attitude. Heather depended on him winning. No matter what, he had to win. The real problem was in disabling this beast, rather than killing it. He had to find out what he had done with her.

“Garn, tell me what you did with her.”

“Did with who? “

“Heather. You took her to flush me out. Where is she?”

“I told you, Boy. I did nothing to anyone.” Garn lunged at an impossibly fast speed toward Brian; his jaws held wide open as he aimed for Brian’s throat. Brian was sure the move had killed plenty of humans before in the past, but he wasn't quite human, which was a thing the wolf seemed to be forgetting.

Brian twisted almost too late out of the thing's path, and drew blood from its left shoulder as it passed by. The fetid smell of its breath filled his nose as it roared from the sting of Brian’s knife.

“Hurts, doesn't it?” Brian taunted. “You're about to feel more for taking my Heather from me.”

The wolf's eyes bulged red in their sockets as saliva poured from the corners of its mouth. “I told you before, I don't know what you’re talking about. I'm here for you, and no one else. I have defied the rules of my pack to do this. For the honor of my line I do this.”

A sickening feeling was starting to creep into Brian’s gut. What if he was telling the truth? What if he didn't take Heather? If that was true, then this was all a waste of time. In fact, he was risking his life and Heather's needlessly. If he died here, then who would find Heather?

Brian could see the great beasts muscles tighten; it was obvious the old wolf was about to spring again. If he continued to telegraph his moves like that, this wasn't going to be that tough of a battle. Unless he somehow got a hold of Brian. Still, none of it was necessary. He needed to end this now, and figure out what had happened to Heather.

“This isn't necessary, Garn. If you didn't take Heather, then I need to find out who did.” The two of them began to circle each other again “Garn, listen to me. A girl's life depends on me finding her.”

“What does that matter to me, to my pack? My debt is with you, no one else.”

“What about honor, Garn? Isn't that important? I'm honor-bound to find and protect this girl. If you kill me then what of my debt? Will it fall to you? A debt of honor must always be filled by someone even if it is not the one who accepted it.”

“It is
not my debt
!” the wolf roared, yet the lunge didn't come. In all honesty, Brian had no idea what he was talking about, but he had heard all types of honor-speeches in television and the movies. It was these that he drew his speech from. Not one in general but all of them. He just needed to put something together to stop this crazy battle and get back to finding his girl.

“No, but it
will be
if you interfere with me completing it.” God, he hoped he was making sense to the old wolf. He really couldn't believe it was working at all, but then again, honor was the reason the old dog was trying to kill him.

“Perhaps?” The wolf said then paused and began sniffing the air. Brian relaxed for a second considering what he should do now. He could use his speed and try to end this, after all, the old guy wasn't likely to stop hunting him especially once he had found Heather, or he could just let him go, and hope that Jenn would catch him before that time ever came.

“Humans.” Garn rumbled and then tensed as he crouched down and started looking about frantically. Brian wasn't sure what he meant until a small breeze kicked up and he too could smell them. “Very well. Until later.” Garn began, just as a large silver net fell from the sky right where the wolf stood.

The smell of searing flesh and the sizzling sound of meat being fried filled the alley as the net made contact, and then started to wrap itself around the werewolf, almost as if it had a life of its own. Garn roared in pain, and then shrunk quickly into the shape of a small mouse. Brian watched in shock as the once wolf slipped out of the net the disappeared into a nearby crack in a building wall. Men in black began to run in from all sides, as well as dropping down from the nearby roof on ropes.

Brian stood in amazement, his silver knife held out in front of him as he watched his aunt emerge from amongst the virtual army that had just appeared out of nowhere.

“Brian, are you alright?” His aunt asked as she walked up to him. Her clothes were completely black, and she had a small assault rifle hanging from her shoulders, dangling in front of her.

“What's going on here?” Brian asked still a bit stunned at the turn of events.

“We were hoping you were about to help us capture our query.” She gave a half-smile.

“Did you see that? Brian pointed at where the lycanthrope had disappeared into the nearby wall. “He turned into a rat and escaped.”

His aunt nodded her head in understanding. “Yes, Brain. I was there. It's unfortunate we didn't have that intel. It explains how he was so successful in his career. We've always wondered how he got in and out of places without being seen.”

She turned back to Brain after looking at where he was pointing. “Come on, I have news you're going to want to hear.”

The limousine's black leather seats matched the color of its exterior. It was kind of surprising that his aunt rode in this kind of limousine. After all, the spy shows he watched on TV as he sat around his motel room bored, implied she'd have a Hummer or at least a black SUV. Still, as rides go, this one was really nice.

“Drink?” She asked as she pulled out a crystal decanter of some sort, filled with what looked like red wine. Its multifaceted surface reflecting the limo's ceiling lights as she lifted it up for him to see.

“No thanks.” he answered, waving it off dismissively. “I'm only drinking blood these days.”

She smiled. “I know. That’s why I brought this along, just in case you needed to keep your strength up.”

Brian was surprised that she had thought to bring it. It seemed a bit strange that she was driving around with what amounted to a bottle of blood. He wondered what the police would think if they were pulled over suddenly and the police searched the car. Of course being who his aunt was, he doubted she ever got pulled over by anyone.

“Okay fine, I'll have some.” Brian waited impatient for her to pour him a glassful. Not because he really wanted it, but mostly because he wanted to hear what was so important. A deep part of him hoped it was news about Heather. Otherwise it was pretty much a waste of time and he needed to get back out there and try to find her.

How he was going to do that, he had no idea. His one lead seemed to be a dead end if he were to believe the werewolf. At this point he couldn't see any reason to not believe him. What possible reason did he have to lie to Brian? After all, the werewolf thought he was about to kill him.

Why not torment me by telling me all about what he was going to do to her afterward?
He thought. No, he was pretty sure the wolf wasn’t behind the kidnapping. Brian took a sip of the cold blood; it was thick and coppery, yet at the same time surprisingly sweet.

“I see you noticed its taste?” She asked.

He nodded, “Yeah, what's in it?”

“It's one of our special blends.” She put the decanter back into the little mini fridge.

“Special blends?” Brian asked. “You mean you have private blends? Like private wine reserves?” The idea seemed absurd. Why would the government have their own blood reserves, especially flavored?

“Well, of course, Brian.” She sighed in exasperation. “You're not the only vampire in this country. Now, let's get down to business. I assume you want to know where Heather is?” She paused and just stared at him, her hands resting on her crossed knee while she looked over her glasses at him waiting.

“No...you didn't take her, did you?” Brian blurted out, and spit a little blood out in her direction as he did so.

Could she have done such a thing? Why would she? Ideas ran through his head lighting fast, putting a complete scenario to the deed. If they were desperate enough for him to kill this other vampire, he supposed they could have done it to force him to cooperate. He quickly calculated his course of actions, including just killing the woman who had posed as his aunt, and who now quietly waited on him.

No, killing her wouldn't solve anything, at least not yet.

“Don't be absurd, Brian.” She spoke up as he tried desperately to come up with a course of action. “I don't work like that. If you had acted when I had told you to, none of this would have happened. In affect her disappearance is your fault.”

“Mine? How do you figure?”

She shook her head in disapproval as she leaned back in her seat, obviously annoyed with him. “Very well, we can play this out this way if you insist.” She began, still shaking her head. Brian was about to interrupt her when she sighed loudly and went on over his protestations. “The problem started when you didn't deal with Jason as we asked.”

“I'm not your slave.” Brian snapped.

“Nevertheless,” she continued. “
He
doesn't know that. His information is good, just not always correct.”

“You're saying this guy..”

“Jason.”

“Jason took Heather? Why would he do that?”

“Because he knows we approached you.”

Brian chewed on that for a few moments. This guy that he didn't want to kill or have anything to do with took Heather.
Why
? He supposed for leverage. Bad guys did that all the time on TV. Why should real life be all that different?

“Where is he? He asked.

“That’s in your brief.” She said as she reached over and poured herself what looked like orange juice.

“Just tell me now, Jenn.”

She shook her head and took a drink of what she poured. Brian opened his mouth to say more, but before he could, she lifted a finger gesturing for him to wait as she continued to down the entire glass. By the time she was done, Brian was nearly bursting. He didn't have time to read some stupid brief that he wasn't sure he even kept. He supposed it was lying around somewhere in the apartment, but it would just be faster if she told him.

“Now,” she began. “There is information vital to your survival as well as mine in it.”

“Jenn--”

“No, Brian.” She shook her head at him. “If you take short cuts at this, you endanger everyone, including that girl. Is that what you want?”

Brian shook his head.

“Then get out and go read. When you're ready, you'll have your mission.”

Brian hadn't realized that the limo had stopped, but when he looked outside and saw the motel he was staying at. Its large neon sign's 'L' was still burnt out. He'd pointed that out to the owner the first week he had moved in, yet still they haven’t fixed it.

He could see the man at the front desk peering out at the limo, curious about who or what was going to get out. He couldn't blame the man, he guessed no one here ever got dropped off by a government limo before.

“Just answer me this one thing first.” He asked his aunt as he put one foot on the ground but still remained mostly in the limo. “Why me? I mean, I'm not trained for this, and I certainly don't work for you. Why not one of your real agents?”

“You're under the radar Brian, and my company wants part of their investment back.”

“What if I fail?”

“I wouldn't.” She answered, “There’s no telling what he will do to your girlfriend. Now, if you don't mind, I have business to attend to.”

Brian stepped out of the car and was about to shut the door when a thought occurred to him “Wait, what about the werewolf?”

“Let us worry about that, you just worry about Jason.”

Brian watched as the limo drove away, his thoughts lost in how he was going to deal with this turn of events. If he hadn't been, he doubted the desk-man would have sneaked up on him.

“Big date?” The scrawny, dark haired man said. Brian guessed the nerdy man was easily in his early thirties, yet his face was still covered in acne, and the thick glasses he wore looked more like the bottom of a coke bottle. He wondered how the guy could ever see out of them.

“Yeah,” Brian answered absently. “Yeah, I guess it was.”

“You know, I always wanted to ride in one of those.” The desk-man said, smiling.

“What? Oh, yeah, it's really no big deal.” Brian said as he scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out a way to get out of the discussion.