CHAPTER 42
“Babe, what's wrong,” Will leaned back enough to stare into the phone also, and Allisa passed it to him. The spawn screen was up on the game, meaning their avatars had both bitten the dust. Now, she worried for her brother in this bizarre life of Paradise where there was no spawn screen. Will handed her phone back, and echoed the thoughts on screen. “That's weird.”
“Yeah.” Absently, she picked up her controller, but made no move to play.
“Are you thinking they might do something to him?”
Arching incredulous brows, she silently mocked his question, and saw his face shadow with the nightmares of things he had seen in the group, as well as what had been done to him. Of course Cassie was supposed to keep the group activities under control, but as they had found out the night of Will's horrific incident, that didn't always go well.
“I'm just going to pop in, make sure he is asleep.” Sliding from the bed, Allisa plucked the remainder of her clothing from the floor, and the bed.
“How many ports have you done today?” A concerned scowl replaced his interested appraisal, as she dressed.
“Don't Will.” Without even bothering to pull her tousled hair into a ponytail, or add shoes to the socks she had put on, she didn't even pause at the closet door. “I'll be right back.” In her peripheral vision, she saw him bounce out of bed, but just that quick, she was staring into her old room.
Stealthily, she made her way down the hall. The room her brother was using, was the same as Will's room, and she found his mussed bed, empty. Uncertainly, she stood, trying to recall if it had been made up, when she had passed the room earlier this evening. Beds were one of her mother's obsessive compulsive streaks, and when growing up, even when they had made up their beds, she had always come behind them, straightening them further. With guests, even if those guests were her and Will, she knew this bed would not have been left like this all day.
Something blinked in the mess of covers, and she stepped into the room, picking up what must be her brother's phone. Was he simply raiding the fridge? With the phone in her hand, she went down the back stairs to the kitchen, finding it empty and dark. A peak into the garage found that area to be minus one car.
Scrolling through the texts, she read the last one.
'Be right there'
The one above it.
'Just come'
Continuing up the column reading in reverse order, she read enough to know that her brother was on his way to The Viper, as of twenty minutes ago. Deciding not to chance a doorway that she was not as familiar with, she left the kitchen and sprinted back upstairs to her bedroom closet, quickly pulling it open.
Immediately, she bashed right into Will, who was just standing in front of his closet. “Fuck Lissa! You couldn't have waited five seconds?! I was coming with you!”
In no mood to argue with him, she began to pull on her shoes. “Why? I said I was coming right back and I did. Look, Will, I think my bro--”
“Not exactly! You've been gone almost ten minutes. I wouldn't call that 'right back.'” Fully dressed, shoes and all, he advanced on her with his tirade. “And why? You ask? In case you end up in one of those 'scary places.'” His mocking emphasis on the 'scary,' she had spoken of at one time to him, was not meant to be humorous. “And you didn't even take your phone!” Here he blinked confused at the phone in her hand.
Ignoring his words, she finished her own, that he had interrupted. “My brother left to meet someone named Terrance. Something is not right. The texts mentioned Gloria, but it was not her that was texting him, it was the guy Terrance saying Gloria wanted to see him. Look for yourself.”
A quick stop to the bathroom was in order, and she left him reading the odd messages. Messages that seemed to prove Ashton had done what he had set out to do, earlier that evening, but messages that could undo everything, that could change her parent's lives, as well as her brother's.
'Hey dude, where are you'
'Who is this'
'Gloria gave me your number. A bunch of us are up here at the V'
'Gloria who? Who are you again?'
'Gloria says she's got something for u'
'Is she the ginger?'
'You're a funny guy'
'?'
'Just come'
The indirect lure of promised candy to a former junkie got results, as the last 'on my way' text had inferred. Returning to the room, she found Will holstering a couple of stakes, and a silver star. Shoving the bag of anti vampire goodies across the bed toward her, he said, “I texted Ash, told him what was happening, told him I would text him again when we know something more.” A silver dagger, a choice weapon for humans as well as vampires went into his belt loop, and she dug her own from her purse, doing the same with it in her own jeans.
As Will drove, she called Sayer. Without even waiting for his sleepy hello to finish, she lit into him, “I think M.O.V.E has targeted my brother.” The silence stretched, and she could imagine Sayer struggling awake, but she didn't have the time to wait. “Is Cassie there?”
“Yes. Allisa, they wouldn't touch your brother.”
“Why? They beat the shit outta my boyfriend and went after one of my best friends.”
“They wouldn't--” Sayer was interrupted by Cassies voice.
“Allisa? Honey,” The vampire soothed, “You know that was not meant to happen. And as for your brother, they wouldn't dare go after anyone with the Lambert name. It's in the bylaws.”
A Movement Of Vampire Extermination had bylaws?! She would have laughed if she weren't so panicked, and because she was so panicked, she almost didn't remember--”But he is not going by the last name Lambert. For some reason he has been calling himself Alex Smith.”
The silence stretched again, ominous and time consuming, until at last she screamed, “Can you check into it immediately? I found out yesterday he has been hanging out with leec—uh vampires and tonight Russell is at the club looking for him, then someone named Terrance got him out of the house on the pretext of seeing Glor--.”
The explanation was rushed and Cassie interrupted, “Terrance?! Allisa honey, hang on to your phone I will get to the bottom of this.”
While waiting for Cassie to call back, she received a call from Ashton. Apparently, Jane had accepted Russell's friend request, as she did many of The Viper's patrons, on an online social site, and the locate feature showed him to be a few blocks from the bar. Allisa hit the address link, bringing it up on her own phone, and Will made a u-turn.
The electronic map ended on a dead end road, but several cars were parked in the vicinity of an abandoned warehouse that was a popular drinking spot on the weekends for teenagers and college students. Being a weeknight, it was not normal to see several cars.
“Stay here.” Will grabbed a penlight from the bag, and it blinked on and off as he quickly tested it.
“Like hell,” Allisa retorted, taking another of the tiny flashlights.
“Lissa,” He dragged out the protest, but quickly gave in' as she had already stubbornly exited the car, and pointed to a moving shadow a few cars over.
“Allisa Lambert.” The shadow moved toward them, “To what do we owe the honor? And Gillis, old buddy? Just couldn't stay away?” But when the guy whipped his phone out as he spoke, Will imprisoned him with the same smooth succession of moves he had used on her brother. Holding the with an arm around his neck from behind, Will stared over him at Allisa, with a muttered, “Fuck.” The next thing she knew, the guy crumpled to the ground, and Will was looking from the heap of body, to her with a resigned expression.
The thump of her heart was only matched by the gasps of air she tried to take in. “What did you just do?! Is he—Will, WHAT did you just do?!”
“I didn't kill him!” The indignant and defensive words blasted from his lips. “He's only going to be out a few minutes, so we better get going.”
“But what?”
“Sleeper Hold.”
“You learned that in Judo?”
Will didn't correct the martial arts form that she could never remember. “Learned it from somebody there. No they don't teach that in the class.”
Will paused to send a text to Ashton, and turned his own phone locator on as did she, and they both made sure their phones were on silent. All talk stopped as they neared the building. The faint glow of a light came from within, and the voices heard were muffled, but broken up, suggesting it wasn't normal talk, there was an argument in progress.
Carefully, they crept into the shadows of the large open area doorway, onto what must have once been a loading dock. They were standing about twenty feet above where the others were grouped, and automatically they ducked down. Her brother was easily recognizable, and he stood confused in the midst of about ten other guys. Will sent a text, presumably to Ashton, a confirmation that they had found Alex in trouble, and pocketed his phone.
“I swear to you I do not know.” Her brother was protesting. “Is this woman married to one of you?”
“All we want is your confession, and a swear to keep away from the leeches.”
“Leeches?” That ignorant answer got him hit, and Allisa sucked in a horrified breath. Unfortunately, at the same time, she must have jumped, displacing something metal. It grated as it slid, then with a loud clang hit the concrete below them.
A bright light blinded her, and she knew it was Will that grabbed her wrist, because the hold, though firm, was gentle as he tugged, an obvious attempt to get her to follow him to safety.
“Al?!” Her brother's voice shrieked his surprise, then his worry, “Run! Al, run!”
Will pulled at her again, this time harder, dragging her a foot or so.
“Get her outta here! Run Al! These people are crazy—ah!” A grunt of pain punctuated that outcry.
The dejavu was intense when she finally came out of her frozen state, enough to let herself be dragged behind Will, and they ran straight into the muzzle of a gun. Will's estimation of a few minutes must have been right on the money. The guy he had knocked out, escorted them back inside.
Alex began throwing punches, trying to fight his way out of his circle, and when he was restrained, began to yell, “Let my sister go, you sons of bitches.”
Movement ceased, amongst all involved. A dozen, give or take, became so quiet, the flutter of bat's could be heard in the high rafters of the old building. “Your sister?” Someone finally ventured.
“Uh, listen up. I just got a text from Cassie. This actually is Allisa Lambert's brother.”
“Doesn't matter.” An argumentative voice from the circle shouted. “He's still a leech lover.”
“Leech? Is that some kind of new rush?” Alex still clearly confused, dared to venture.
Gabrielle, Hector, Cassie, and Ashton, all arrived on the scene with in a minute of each other. The confusion among the M.O.V.E members had them all milling around, speaking in groups of two and three, although her brother was still confined to his area by three of them.
“Care to explain, young Allisa?” Gabrielle arched her brows. The four vampires, she and Will, still stood on the loading dock. The guard who had herded them back in, had joined his buddies below.
“That's my brother. He was just in town for a couple of weeks helping my parent's pack up and...” Here she dwindled off, not knowing what to say that would ensure her family could leave town as planned tomorrow.
Cassie broke in, “From what I understand, they did not know he was her brother, and are giving him a hard time because he is dating Gloria.”
“Does he know he is dating Gloria?” Gabrielle inquired, moving her eyes in a sardonic lift, and Hector chuckled quietly.
“He doesn't.” Allisa assured, and when Will gave her a meaningful squeeze on her arm, she said no more.
“Bring him!” Gabrielle commanded.
A few members obeyed immediately, and a few waited for Cassie's nod, but the group parted and a couple of them accompanied Alex up the ramp to where Gabrielle regally awaited.
“Your name young man?” Gabrielle turned her attention to Alex, who seemed surprised at being addressed in such a manner, by a woman who appeared to be younger than him. Nonetheless, he let it pass, and muttered his correct name. Moving her face distastefully away, Gabrielle affirmed drolly, “He's been dating Gloria and Helena, and,” Then with a twitch of her nose, her chin slowly arched back to Alex, then to Ashton in surprise.
Ashton grew unnaturally still, and Allisa knew if he were human, that he would be shifting uncomfortably. His words were quiet, devoid of any inflection. “I can explain.”
“I would love to hear it.” Gabrielle seemed positively gleeful at the prospect, at least as excited as a vampire could seem. “Later though, I think.” The inference that it was not for everyone's ears seemed to embarrass Ashton further. “Young man.” The vampire turned her attention to Alex, who rested inquiring eyes on her face, then a charming smile.
Allisa watched as her brother's eyes become entranced, and less than a minute later, he was looking around in confusion.
“Everyone be safe going home!” Gabrielle grinned, even adding a bounce to her steps as she said her goodbyes to the group. “Rockin party! I am the sober driver, if anyone needs a ride!”
Of course no one took her up on it.
As she and Will, and Ash, herded Alex to the car, Allisa heard Gabrielle demand a meeting with Cassie sometime the next evening.
Allisa got into the backseat of the car with her brother, letting Ashton ride up front with Will. Closely, she eyed her brother, with each reflection of the streetlights on his face, and it wasn't until five minutes into the ride that he spoke. “Al, did I drink too much? I'm sorry if I drank to much around your friends.”
“You didn't,” The assurance was quick, and she was touched that he seemed to care. The memory of how protective he had been, also thawed some of her chilly feelings where he was concerned.
“I must have. Or I took something. I don't remember anything...”
“We were just hanging out. Just the two of us, like we talked about, before you move tomorrow. I didn't see you take anything...” Remembering the scuffle she had witnessed, she added, “I'm sorry those guys jumped you. Maybe you hit your head...”
“You're the doctor...”
“Yeah.” Pulling the penlight from her pocket, she checked his eyes, then felt over his skull genuinely looking for injuries, although she knew that a concussion was not the cause of his memory loss. “You seem to be fine, are you hurting anywhere?”
They dropped Alex off after assurances that he was fine, although he was still obviously confused. Will and Allisa even walked him into the house, and watched as he went up the stairs. Which was a good thing, because right before he disappeared safely into his room, her mother came onto the landing.
“Alex? I thought you were staying home tonight?”
“I uh,” Alex was clearly stammering, the fugue of tonight a predominant part of him and Allisa rushed to the rescue.
“Hey mom. Me and Alex went out. Sorry we didn't mean to be so late.”
“Oh, well that's nice...”
“And I came in to bring him his phone.” Pulling the device from her jacket pocket, she met her brother on the stairs. “You forgot it in the car. Anyway, sorry to wake you.” The guilt was actual and heavy, knowing her mother would wake up for a long day in just a few hours, and that her brother would most likely give her parent's problems about waking up so early after the night he didn't remember.
The next morning, she saw her family off. Between good byes, she couldn't help but ask her brother, “Glad to be off to the big city?”
“For sure. The mosquitoes in this town are about to eat me up.” Flinging his arm with it's wounds out, he muttered, “Damn blood suckers.”
Somehow she held her laugh until the cars were out of sight, then collapsed on Will laughing.
"Damn blood suckers." They both imitated at the same time then fell together again, in uncontollable mirth. Looking up at the house, that was now her's and Will's, she felt so many emotions. An emptiness at her family being gone, a closeness to her brother that she had never felt until now, vast love for Will, and the loom of a ticking time bomb that would fall on her to diffuse. Soon now.
~END CHAPTER 42~