Vampire Fidelity

Chapter One

Becca's POV:

I knew that Dr. Ellie would have her strat-meeting with all the staff today so I snuck off to go see Max. I always wanted to see him, something about him called to me. Whatever it was it drew me to him and him to me - or at least that's what I hoped. When I arrived he was digging at the bars on his cell window again.
"Back again?" he teases without turning to face me, but I hear the cocky grin on his face.
"I had to see you..." I mutter, fighting the urge to blush.
"If you knew why I am in here you wouldn't come and see me - in fact you wouldn't come anywhere near me!" he growled and dislodged yet another bar. Today the space is big enough for him to slip through.
"I believe you!" I finally get out, my words obviously pass right over his head because he turns and stares at me, a haunted look upon his face.
"I'm not guilty... I didn't hurt her!" he's got this pained look in his eyes and I ache to reach out and comfort him. Oh my poor Max...
"I know! I believe you Max!" I declare stepping forward towards him.

Suddenly there's a commotion down the corridor.
"Go... I'll distract them!" I declare and as I'm about to turn away, his hand reaches out for me and he pulls me to him. His lips come crashing down on mine in a desperate kiss and then he pulls back and scales out the window and I turn to rush off and distract the guards.

I run into one of Dr. Ellie's consulting rooms and disconnect the telephone and then running back to my room making sure to attract as much attention as I can and I speak loudly as if I'm really making a phone call.
"Hel-hello? Yeah, can you hear me? No, hello? I can't hear you! Hello? Our line is bad!" I skirt around the corner hearing the heavy boots stomping after me. "Can you hear me now? Hello?"
I trip near the doors of my room and the telephone cord gets tangled around my arms. Groaning I sit up slowly and start protesting when the guards take the phone away from me.
"No, no! Dr. Ellie gave it to me!!" I howl at them, but they ignore me and walk off to put it back in her room. I smirk behind their backs and look around at the other two faces peering at me from their cells.
"Yeah, everything is going to be alright now!" I go into my little room and wait for Collette to come get me. After all I'm leaving this loon house today too.

There are two more police officers waiting for me at the reception when Collette walks out with me. The man introduces himself as Detective Barton and his partner is Charlotte. They drive me home with Collette sitting beside me in the backseat. Since I'm serving the rest of my time at home Collette has brought along a house arrest ankle bracelet, the unsightly little bugger makes my skin cringe, but I'm easily distracted when my front door is only two feet away and I feel my heart jump. Barton knocks on the door and my mum and my sister appears.
"Becca?!" Amy gasps; her eyes wide in surprise. Amy looks different, but before I can scrutinize her to find out why I think that, mum's pulled me into a hug and is squeezing the life out of me.
"Becca!! Oh Becca! Welcome home my darling!" mum cries peppering my face with kisses. Next Amy's squeezing me and crying into my shoulder.
"Welcome home little sister!" she mumbles squeezing me a bit too tightly. "Oh I've missed you!!" I gulp and cling to her as the realization that I'm out of the madhouse hits me. I'm home, safe and sound.

Mum invites everyone in and makes us coffee. They all sit down, but Amy stands beside my chair watching Collette carefully as she attaches the bracelet to my ankle. Barton and Charlotte are staring at me intently and I fight the urge to squirm. Then Amy shifts and puts herself between them and me. Charlotte's eyes go wide. I pick up the immediate tension between them and watch Amy's face shift into a blank slate one that I've never seen on her before. Trying to dispel the tension I speak up, calling Barton's attention and immediately he looks away from Collette and turns to me.
"So what do you want to ask me?" I ask sitting back when Amy takes the seat beside me.
"We want you to go undercover into the cartel and find out -"
"You want me to do WHAT?!" I shriek my voice high pitched and frantic as terror grips my heart. "The whole reason I was in the Asylum is because I was protesting against vampires ruling our home and you want me to just what? WALK IN THERE?!! Hell No-!" Amy flinches and shakes her head, looking around the table as Barton scatters a couple photographs.

"The cartel is run by this man, William, and we want you to find out anything you can about the slave traders who are coming in and out of there and the kidnap-"
"No, no, no... Absolutely not! Undercover in the vampire society?! Are you insane?!!" I shriek.
"Alright then you can spend the rest of your sentence back in the Asylum!!" Barton snaps angrily.
"I'll do it!" Amy suddenly says, standing up slowly. Her eyes are strange, they're not their usual light brown instead they seem darker. They are cold and penetrating. They are terrifying!
"What?" Barton splutters as he recoils from Amy's intimidating gaze.
"I'll go undercover... in exchange Becca goes free and she gets a clear record!"
Silence descends over the table and everyone just stares at her.