Someone In The Dark

SITD 19

The monster silently, efficiently, tracked the scent across the city. He was born and bred for this. A natural. He stalked his prey in the gloomy night, determined not to lose his quarry. The scent led him ever closer, tinged by the metallic taste of crimson blood and the sweaty odor of male flesh.

Michael paused, raising his head slightly. A grin split across his face. It was not the man that smiled, but the beast within. He had been unleashed...and he was wildly carnal in his appetites.

Michael approached the warehouse, surveying the interior, listening for heartbeats. The old worn building was crumbling. Broken windows and chipped brick showed the age of the exterior. To the average human eye it would appear abandoned and without importance.

It was not so with Michael. He saw the guards posted at several entrances, rifles and revolvers at the ready. He knew the building contained about thirty men, engaged in various activities. Men stood on patrol and at sentry. This building was protected. For a reason.

Calculating the best and most lethal route inside the building, Michael leaped to the ground. At the back entrance he quickly twisted the necks of the first two guards and then approached the third, feeding before he had a chance to object, a quick snap, and the body fell to the ground, empty. Drained. He slipped inside, the animal inside him still thirsty, raging, hungry for more bloodshed.

The back room of the warehouse was dirty and cluttered, debris and furniture thrown about in disarray. He entered into the first hall, found it empty, and moved to the room on the right. Only two men. It was done before they could blink.

The next room on the left was full and large. Eight men and three women. The sounds of lust, moans and friction combined with the heat of many bodies. A video camera was recording the debauchery. He decided to skip the room altogether. None would notice his presence.

Seventeen remained. One of them was Michael. Michael continued down the hall, past the closed door on the left. Up ahead, the large factory opened up, lights flickering sporadically above in wide broken ceiling bulbs. He crept in silence. Stalking. Seeking. Undeterred. The shadows hid his ferocious frame from view, none would suspect his presence.

The main room was mostly empty. Two guards, positioned at opposite sides, never saw him coming. To the right, Andrew was held hostage. To the left, men were processing drugs, arguing over a shipment. He paused, deciding to go left first. Another snap and the guard was down. He hid the body in a closet and crept forward.

The Boraggio brothers were arguing over the distribution of cocaine. A shoving match ensued. He almost burst in the room and ended them both. They had ordered the hit on Mare. They had killed Rebecca.

Michael had to hold the monster back. No answers would come from killing these men today. He had to find the right timing. Michael needed to talk to the father first, the leader, Stefan.

He would leave the three men with the brothers alive. Stefan Boraggio would know why his sons were spared. Soon.

To the right he took down the lone guard. His body was discarded behind crates that held illegal guns and ammunition. This warehouse dealt in every imaginable crime. He felt dirty just standing in the vicinity.

He moved to the room where Andrew was being held. Three men stood outside the door, four inside. He let the animal in him run, delighting in the carnage that followed. Blood filled his vision, splattering on walls and flinging on carpet. Three bodies lay at his feet. In only seconds he had defeated them. The monster chuckled. So easy.

Michael opened the door and slipped inside the room, snarling and growling. Andrew was tied to a chair, beaten and bloody, unconscious. Good. He would not have to wipe the moment from his memory.

Two men charged him but never made it farther than a step. Snap. Crack. Both went down. The third dropped his gun and backed into the wall. He turned to the fourth, who foolishly decided to fire a bullet. It never left the gun. Snap. The fourth fell.

The third man stood paralyzed in fear. The smell of urine permeated the air with an acrid scent. The monster inside him laughed and licked his lips in anticipation. Such weakness. A waste of life. His fangs sank into the man's neck, tearing into the flesh. The third man fell, his eyes frozen open wide in terrified agony forever.

Michael untied Andrew, carefully holding his body still. He needed a hospital. Mare would have to wait a little longer. He promised to save Andrew and that was what he was going to do.

They left the warehouse, no one the wiser, for discovery had not yet been made. The animal inside him wanted to stay, lusting for the moment when realization dawned, hungry for the chance to engage again and witness their fear. The carnage and danger called to him, beckoning. Summoning. He would not give in. He resisted.

Michael carried him to the closest hospital emergency room, telling the staff he was in a terrible car accident, and left before questions could be asked. Andrew was being whisked away on a gurney. Michael knew he was safe. A nurse was putting in an IV while they wheeled him into an elevator. Andrew would be fine. He had kept his promise. Relief washed over him.

Mare. His thoughts returned to her now that he was able. Already he longed to return to her, hating the brief separation the night had brought. He took a deep breath and exhaled. The monster in him quieted, retreating back, content and sated. Only the man remained.

He missed her, he realized, and not just a little. He needed her like mortals need oxygen and water to endure. Crucial. Vital. Necessity.

Survival.

For Michael, it was the last part of his humanity that remained. A tiny spark. It reached for her, clung to her, gaining essence, vibrancy, and acceptance. It symbolized the one thing he could no longer attain and needed desperately.

Life. It flowed into him again. Trickled into his veins. Filled his organs. Flooded his system. All because of her.

"Michael!" The smile died on his lips. A single scream reverberated through his head.

Mare!