Cold Blood is Thicker

“Seventy-one fifty,” Charlie said, counting out the crumpled bills and coins from his pockets.

“Twelve dollars and thirty-two cents,” Cain sighed, throwing down a handful of change.

“Eight bucks,” Foks added.

“Forty-seven cents,” Gage said miserably.

Orri looked inside his wallet, seeing only a five-dollar bill and a lonely loonie. “Six,” he said.

“Fuck, that’s it?” Charlie said gruffly.

“Ninety-eight twenty-nine,” Foks grumbled. “And the gas is almost gone, there’s another seventy bucks gone.”

“What are we doing?” Charlie asked, resting his head in his hands. All was silent in the back of the van as the money sat in the centre of the group’s circle. Charlie looked up at Orri, hope in his eyes. “You have money in the bank at all?”

“Maybe. I’m a student, how much money do you think I have?”

“Should bite me a millionaire sometime soon.”

There was a long silence as everyone in the van was deep in thought. They had parked about ten kilometres down the road from where the bar had been torched. Money had always been an issue with Charlie no matter how many people he robbed.

“I say we go to Vegas,” Foks piped up, his large eyes looking around at everyone.

“Now Foks,” Charlie snickered. “I may be old-fashioned, but I know that there is no possible way we can make it to Vegas on a single tank of gas.”

“Well, we could get more money, or steal some cars.”

“Foks, it’s too far. Plus there’s the border which is a pain in the ass.”

“So? We hop the border, or… I could sneak you guys over considering my driver’s licence is still valid.”

Charlie shook his head. “That doesn’t really solve the money problem. And what do you want to go to Vegas for, anyway?”

Foks laughed amusedly. “Are you forgetting who I am?”

“Oh please. You’re gonna tell me that you made an absolute fortune card counting and you had it all in Vegas. You also lost it all in Vegas am I right?”

“Oh, you’re right about the last part. But I didn’t win much in Vegas. I built up my reputation in Vegas getting free drinks, free hotel suites and free hookers. I only made my money by ripping off really rich, stupid teenagers back in Tucson.”

Charlie paused. “So if you want to make money, why don’t you just rip off stupid teenagers here? Hell, you can even rip off their heads now. Why the hell Vegas?”

Foks shook his head. “You’ve never been, have you?”

“Once.”

“In nineteen-forty-one!” Gage snapped.

Foks’ jaw dropped. “You never told me that… We gotta go.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “No.”

“Please, Chah-lie!” Gage pleaded. He was giving Charlie the biggest, bluest eyes he could muster.

“I think we’re all tired of shitty hotels and the backs of vans,” Cain said.

Charlie looked around the circle, knowing he wasn’t winning against them. “What do you think, Orri?”

Orri blinked, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smile. “I say Vegas.”

Charlie leaned his head back, sighing in defeat. “Okay, we’ll go.”

Cain and Foks high-fived and Gage was grinning, the scars on his cheeks flushing deep purple against his pale skin.

“But first we have to find a casino. I want to see just how well Foks can still count.”

“I haven’t exactly forgotten.” Foks smiled, reminiscing. “Of course, you simply cannot win like they do in the movies. It would be insane how fast security would be on your ass.”

“So how much could you win a night?”

“That depends. If I were mortal and good at acting like a gambler, I’d get around a few hundred dollars a night. Now, because we’re a group of psycho-killers…” Foks stopped as an evil grin crept up onto his face. “I can win like they do in the movies.”

“You want us to kill security guards or something? How many work in these casinos?”

“A lot, but that’s not the point. I’m saying that on our way there, we start really nicking money from people. We have to go for expensive night clubs and places where people would have cash.”

“Strip clubs, brothels, got ya.”

“Yeah, whatever. Then we get some nicer clothes and make ourselves look like real high rollers, then it’s not so suspicious if I’m betting really high. That way I can make a few thousand dollars a night, not to mention free drinks and a free suite.”

Charlie was silent, scratching his chin. “Okay, that sounds all right. But you have to promise you’ll be able to get us some cash. Tonight.”

“No problem. We should start with doing what we’ve never done and that’s rob people with actual money.”

“Okay, okay. Next town’s bound to have a strip club, people usually have money there.”

“Does your mind always have to go directly to the strip club?”

Charlie ignored Foks and stood up to a crouch in the van. He got to the driver’s seat, calling Gage over to the passenger’s side.

“Are you sure Charlie’s going to be able to control himself in Vegas?” Cain mumbled. “All the glitter and lights and whores?”

Foks smirked as the car started. “If we get lucky, he’ll die.”

“Maybe he’ll get hooked on coke again.”

Orri gave Cain a look of disbelief but she rolled her eyes.

“It was the seventies… And the eighties.” She tilted her head to the side, her long fluorescent pink hair brushing over her shoulders. “Hey, Char,” she called. “I ain’t goin’ wit choo guys t’ the titty bah.”

“Are you going out on your own?” Charlie asked.

Cain clucked her tongue, thinking. “I’m taking Orri with me.”

Orri looked up, smirking at Cain. He hated strip clubs, anyway. All it was to him was another place to be judged. Though most eyes weren’t on him, he wasn’t comfortable. That, however, was mere sexual frustration.

“All right.”

The city was a relatively big one, and somewhat lively in the night. Foks, Charlie and Gage had taken off to a strip club and Cain and Orri were across the street.

“Why did you volunteer me out of the titty bar?” Orri asked.

Cain laughed. “I don’t know. I don’t really like going out on the streets at night alone, for one thing, no matter how much throat I can rip apart.”

Orri nodded. “You could’ve taken someone a little more threatening looking like Gage.”

Cain made a sound of disgust and visibly shuddered. “No fucking way, man. Gross. I don’t hang with Gage, I don’t know where he’s been.” Cain shoved her hands in her pockets and sighed. “Foks and Charlie have some crazy master plan now, anyway, and Gage loves being the instigator.”

“He’s fucking freaky.”

Cain huffed. “You haven’t had to live with him for over thirty years.” Cain started walking down the sidewalk, Orri beside her. “So what’s your story?”

“Nothing much, really. I’m a social reject for the way I look, I was always picked on in school, workplace, and I was harassed on the streets rather often. I just kinda hate people.”

“Interesting. Really, I can understand.” Cain linked her arm around Orri’s as they walked. “I’m eternally sixteen. I was a whore then, when I was human, living on the streets, pretty much. Worst pimp ever, uh… Met Charlie, and he ultimately improved my life.”

“Wow.” Orri’s eyebrows raised. “A sixteen-year-old prostitute?”

“Yep. Oh, it wasn’t good at all. I suppose this isn’t a lot better now. I still kinda hate my life, but… At least some people aren’t so terrible.”

“Like Foks?”

“Foks, yeah. I can’t imagine he’s happy at all. Charlie completely ruined his life, as well as Julia’s. Gage he practically saved from death. I would let him tell you all about that, though. It’s kind of depressing.”

Orri didn’t say anything.

“I like you, though. You’re cute.” Cain stopped walking to face Orri to poke the end of his nose with a gloved finger. He smiled at the gesture, but looked back at the strip club down the street. “Is that why you took me out here?”

“Consider this a first date, then,” Cain said, wrapping her arm around his waist. Sirens could be heard faintly in the distance, growing louder. Stopping to listen, Cain and Orri had a gnawing suspicion the other vampires had gotten themselves in trouble already. They hurried along the streets, ducking into an alley as the sirens grew even louder. The rule was that when sirens approached, don’t worry about anyone else, just get out of there. Cain stayed back in the alley, her back pressed against the brick wall. Three police cars pulled up in front of the club, sirens flashing.

“They’ll be fine?” Orri asked.

“Six cops? No worries.”

“Empty your pockets,” a different voice said followed by the sound of a gun clicking.