Vampire Lane (15 page)

“There is one more thing I have for your birthday.”

Natasha excitedly followed Godfryd out of the living room as he guided her toward the bedroom and opened the door. There were rose petals spread on the bed and candles lit around the room. She knew what this meant; he wanted to have relations with her. She knew good girls didn’t do this before marriage, but she didn’t like the rules society placed on women. Maybe she should be with him. If she went through with it, she would know if she could be with him. If she couldn’t, there was no future for them.

Natasha turned around and closed the door. She hugged Godfryd. He was so much taller and larger than she, and Natasha was nervous about how it would work. “Please be gentle.”

Godfryd nodded. “I will try.”

Chapter 30

Natasha ran all the way back to
Bite Me,
and she never stopped until she found Tanek. He stood up from his desk as soon as she saw him.

“Tanek, they took her. You need to help me find her...”

“Natasha, you need to slow down. I don’t understand. Who was taken?”

“Maureen, Godfryd sent someone to take her. We went to a bar after the tour. She was dancing then she was gone. I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight. It’s all my fault.”

“First, it’s not your fault, and second, I will find him and kill him slowly.”

“Tanek, it’s not time for this. We need help; we need to report this to the VC office.”

“Fine, we can do that, but then I will start my own search. Vampires don’t care about humans like you do. They won’t see it as an emergency.”

Tanek called his driver, and was immediately on the way to the VC office. He had dealt with Krispin, the head VC officer, in the past. He put on a good fake smile, but the truth was he only cared about what was in the best interest of the Vampire Council.

Natasha rushed inside the office and stopped at the reception desk. “I need help! A vampire took my best friend!”

The receptionist pointed down the call. “Go see Krispin, he can help.”

Natasha found the correct door and entered without knocking. “Are you Krispin? Head officer guy?”

“Yes, come in. I heard you at the front desk. What happened?”

“My sire, Godfryd Rosner, he came to town looking for me. I did not want to go with him, so I think he took my best friend to convince me to go with him.”

“I’m telling you old vampires are like broken records, can’t handle rejection at all.”

“Hello Krispin,” Tanek announced, walking into the room finally.

“Well, I thought I would never see your ugly face in here again.”

“Natasha is my mate. She wanted help. What Natasha wants, Natasha gets. I love her. And nothing would bring me more pleasure than to see Godfryd dead after the hell he put her through.”

“One of those I see.”

“Traditionalist,” Tanek added.

Krispin made a face. It was apparent vampires didn’t like the old timers who stuck to the old ways.

“What can you do to help us?”

“I just need a name, and I will see what I can pull up on the database.”

“Godfryd Rosner, at least that’s the only name I knew him by.”

Krispin typed away, his eyes widening as he continued typing and reading. “He is a really old one, ancient. We have no exact made date, but he goes back as far as 900 B.C.E.”

“I knew he was old, but had no idea he was that old.”

“When they get really old like this, they tend to turn bad.”

“I have some pictures. I will send this to all the local vamps and my officers. If we find him, I will bring him in. I wish I could do more, but he’s not from around here, and being the way he is, most likely he will not be out partying and making new friends.”

“Thank you, I guess that’s all I can ask for.”

Natasha hugged Tanek and cried into his chest. She felt so helpless and weak, and hated it. “Natasha, let’s go and let Krispin do his job.”

Natasha nodded, walking with Tanek. She decided she would have to find him herself. She knew him better than anyone, and she would just have to do it herself.

Tanek shut the car door as soon as they were both inside. “I guess it’s up to us to find her,” Natasha decided.

“No! You can’t. He’s too dangerous.”

“I’m the only one who knows him. I can find him. I know what he likes and where he normally hides. I have to do this. She’s my best friend, and I can’t lose her.”

“I know, and you won’t. I know some people who may be able to help. Let’s go back to your place and regroup. If he’s really trying to draw you in, he won’t hurt her; he will hold her until you go to him.”

“You’re right. Let’s go to my house.”

***

Maureen woke and screamed. She was chained at her wrists and ankles, and it led to the floor of an old smelly house. She looked around, trying to take in her surroundings. The floors were bare and unfinished wood, the walls a dingy, dirty, stained white. Almost no furniture, most of which was covered with sheets. It definitely looked like an abandoned house.

She immediately tried screaming, but stopped as her head pounded with pain. She couldn’t remember what happened. She remembered having a fun girls’ night with Tasha and having a drink that creepy Shane guy bought her, and then dancing, and after that everything else was blank. He must have drugged her drink. She should have known better. Never take drinks from creepy guys.

She tried pulling at the chain, but it was bolted tightly into the floor, and no matter how much she pulled, it didn’t budge. This was a pickle she had gotten herself into. She wondered if Tasha was okay. She really hoped whoever it was that had taken Maureen hadn’t gotten Natasha, too.

She could see the light peeking through the blanket covered windows, and she couldn’t hear anyone else in the house. She screamed again, and again, but no one answered. She gave up and sat back onto the couch. She needed to come up with a plan to escape. She tried walking with the chains, but it was difficult. She walked as far as they would let her go. She made it a few feet to the fireplace where there were two silver colored candle sticks on either end. She picked one up, testing its weight. It was heavy, and she thought it could do some damage.

Maureen took it over to the bolt in the ground and tried hitting it with the candlestick. It didn’t even budge. She took a deep breath and slammed it again. This time she saw a bit of movement. She continued working at it as long as she could see. The light from the windows started becoming less and less. It was almost dark and whoever took her would be coming for her.

Chapter 31

Natasha sat in her living room after changing into her silky red nightgown. She was trying to keep it together, but it felt weird being at her house all cozy when she knew Maureen was out there at the mercy of her sire. Tanek came out of the kitchen, and he looked as much of a wreck as she felt.

“So what’s the plan?”

“I called Gretchen and Adrian. They know of someone who may be able to track him.”

“That’s good, but now what?”

“We wait until everyone gets here.”

“I hate this, just sitting here useless. She’s my best friend. I didn’t realize until now, but I need her in my life.”

“I know, she is yours and you are hers. I knew when I saw you two together, you needed each other, and I would never try and tear you apart.”

Natasha couldn’t have said it any better. Tanek took her into his arms. She felt so comforted in his embrace. She looked up into his eyes and kissed him. “I’m going to go upstairs and rest.” Tanek nodded and she left.

She could not just sit there and do nothing. She ran up the stairs and put on some black jeans and a black t-shirt to match her mood. Her hair went up in a no-nonsense pony tail, and she put on her black running shoes. She could hear Tanek downstairs talking on the phone. She took her car keys and opened her window. She leaped out and landed just like a cat. She got in her car and started it, and as quietly as she could, left the driveway. She drove downtown to her first stop,
New Orleans Historical Society
. The sign in the window said
Closed.
She knew they wouldn’t open until daylight. Natasha felt drained and exhausted, but her aversion to light didn’t stop her. She put on her baseball cap, dark sunglasses, and slapped on some vamp strength sun-lotion, and waited in her car. She could break in, but wouldn’t know where to begin looking. She needed someone who would know where to look. She tried her best to stay awake as the sun rose, but she just couldn’t do it. The sun came up and she fell asleep.

***

Natasha woke with the sun full-on in her face. She squinted even under her dark sunglasses. It didn’t burn, it was just unpleasant, like something in her soul hated the sun no matter how harmless it was. She saw the office was open, so she ran inside the door and slammed it behind her. She looked up to see two older, gray haired women staring at her.

“Hello, dearie, can we help you with something?”

“Yes ma’am, I am very interested in old abandoned historic homes. I was considering renovating one, and was wondering if you had some kind of directory or something?”

The old gray haired women smiled at her. “We have many, most in less than desirable neighborhoods or in more remote areas.”

“I actually like a more private area. Could you highlight those for me?”

“It’s so nice, to see young people taking an interest in preserving history,” the other white haired woman added. She brought out an entire booklet, several hundred pages long, and she went through and highlighted a few. Then handed it to Natasha.

“All these homes have been long abandoned, many you can buy for the price of the back taxes maybe even less. I highlighted the ones in more isolated areas. In fact, some may be pretty close to the swamp.”

“Ma’am, this means so much to me. I never had a home of my own, and I just love the history attached to an old home.”

“Well, good luck to you, young lady. If you need anything just call me—here is my card.” She handed Natasha an off-white business card with a lace bordered pattern, with the name Ingrid Colesome in gold foil print.

“Thank you, Ingrid. I may call you with questions.”

Both women waved at Natasha, and Natasha rushed out into the bright sun without even thinking. It only took her a second before she realized she was in the sun. She squinted her eyes and tried to shield her face as she darted to her car. As annoying as it was, she realized it did not bother her as much this time. She started her car and punched in the first address in her phone GPS. The computer voice said it would take forty minutes to get there. She sent a quick text to Tanek to let him know she had a lead and started driving. She hoped not all the houses would be so far apart. If so, the search could take days.

***

Maureen heard footsteps that seemed to come from below. She hid the candle stick under a blanket on the couch and waited until a door opened and the footsteps got closer. She shook and trembled with fear as, finally, she saw Shane, the crazy ass vamp that brought her there.

“Maureen, you are awake. I am sorry for the chains, but the last guest left unexpectedly, and I couldn’t let that happen again.” He sneered.

“I promise not to leave, but these chains are hurting me,” Maureen tried to plead with him, but she knew his type. He didn’t care if he hurt her or not, as long as he got what he wanted.

“Godfryd will be here soon. I hope when he sees you and the precautions I took, he will forgive me for my previous failure. I know he will be pleased. I am giving him a special gift.”

Maureen had been around enough vampires to know the rambling of a madman. “When will he be here? Is there anything I should do to please him?”

“See, I knew you would get it. Be as obedient as possible. It’s so important to him that you do as he says.”

“Will he kill me?”

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. Had hoped to turn you so you could be with me always.”

Maureen smiled her fake smile. It was practiced, the one she used at work all time when she was a blood donor. “I would have loved you for eternity,” she said in the best practiced, seductive voice.

“Maybe I can convince him not to kill you. If you sleep with him, he may want to keep you.”

Maureen gulped. That was the last thing she wanted, but if that would seal the deal and stop him from killing her, she would do it. She had learned a long time ago to do whatever it took to survive, and sometimes that meant doing things she was less than proud of.

Chapter 32

Tanek continued pacing Natasha’s house well into the daylight hours. He looked at his phone as it vibrated. It was a text from Natasha.

Sorry, I have a lead. Will contact you soon.

-N

What was she thinking? She doesn’t even like the daylight.

Blake and Adrian finally arrived, along with another human woman. “Thank you for coming.”