Dead in the Water

We all walked outside to everyone’s cars to decide who was riding with whom. Andy, Joe, Me, Pete, and Chrissy all rode in one car. Amanda, Erelin, Nonnie, Patrick and Jenny all rode in Amanda’s car. Pete was going to show Amanda some hotspots to patrol. I was the last to get into the car, as was Amanda.

“Pete, hang on a second, Amanda looks lost.” I said before I started walking over to her car.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, apparently snapping Amanda out of her thoughts.

“Do you feel that?” She asked. I looked at her funny.

“No. What am I supposed to be feeling because I don’t feel any vampires around unless I am off my game tonight?” I replied.

“It’s nothing, nevermind.” She said starting to get into her car.

“Amanda, wait. You have done this to me twice tonight. It is as if you can’t trust me enough to tell me what is going on.” I said.

Amanda sighed. “I’m sorry. It is just that if you do not feel it then I must be the one off tonight. I could have sworn I felt as if someone was watching me or watching us as a group. Maybe it is all in my head.” She said.

“Don’t ever think that. Look, I am just a vampire. I have my abilities but Amanda you are stronger and keen to more things. If you felt something, then maybe you did and it just did not register with me for whatever reason. Always trust your gut instinct, Amanda.” I said walking back over to Pete’s car.

“Are we good to go?” Pete asked as I hopped in the front passenger seat.

“I think so.” I replied as I watched Amanda get in and start her car.

Pete took us to some side streets of L.A. that were prone to vampires and had all kinds of back alleyways. He pulled into one street that called, Hope Street. I bet it had hope on it, us.

Pete had parked by a street lamp and Amanda pulled in behind him. Pete pointed where we should just start walking. He felt it was best if we stayed in a group at first and then the next time we go out we split up because Erelin, Amanda, and I were unfamiliar with this part of town.

It was quiet. This was not like the docks when I helped save Patrick. There were all kinds of commotion going on then.

“Hey, let me go!” I heard Nonnie scream as about twenty vampires ambushed us. Some were dressed in normal clothes and others in funny looking suits and hats. I got pushed from behind to turn around and face two vampires with their fangs out.

“They are Dandies which means that Beckett is nearby!” Pete yelled as I started fighting off my attackers.

“What are Dandies and who is Beckett?” Amanda shouted as I briefly turned to see her in action.

“I will explain later!” Pete shouted back at her.

I killed my attackers and headed over to Nonnie who had broken free from her captors. “I am ok. Go help Joe.” She said as another vampire came after her. I looked at her again, and saw that she was in control of the vampire and went after the ones fighting Joe.

The next thing I know I hear Pete and Erelin screaming. Pete was screaming something about Beckett who I think I saw standing in front of Pete. Erelin started screaming that he had her. He who and who did he have?

“Erelin, what’s wrong?” I said running over to her in all of the chaos.

“He took Amanda.” Erelin said pointing up at the top of a building. “He just jumped.” She said in shock as I fought off some vampires that were surrounding us.

I happened to turn around and noticed Nonnie was missing from our group. What? This cannot be! Did this Beckett have his men take her?

Pete was fighting this Beckett vampire one minute then the next he was not. When the Beckett vampire had disappeared, Pete came running over to us where Joe started to break down sobbing. “They took her, man. They took Nonnie.” He barely got out.

“That’s not all. Amanda is gone too.” I said so scared that something might happen to my sister if we did not find her soon.