Blood Red
Chapter 4: Terry
Mick's POV
Vivian grabbed Zephyr by the arm, pulling her out of the office as she closed the door behind them. Zephyr waved shyly at me before the door shut.
Josef sat on the desk, drinking blood from a high glass.
I threw myself in Vivian’s chair, sighed, took the glass from Josef, and emptied it.
”Before I ask you something, and don’t take this in the wrong way… But is there something between you and Zeph?” he asked.
”What makes you believe that?”
Josef raised his hands, his palms facing me.
”Nothing, really. The way she looks at you, the way you speak to her. And about that thing Dario said and how she reacted…”
Josef continued talking, but I didn’t listen to him.
Dario’s words started ringing in my ears. I didn’t think about it until Josef mentioned it.
Miss Zephyr! Aren't you glad I killed that little girl? It was for you I did it, I know how much you love Mick!
Was Zephyr really in love with me?
”… Anyways, if you’re up for it, I think she’s quite a catch.”
”But Josef… Do you think Zephyr asked Dario to kill Beth? It seems like that was what Dario meant.”
”Mick.” The look on Josef’s eyes was practically saying ’You fucking idiot.’
”Ask yourself; would Zephyr – little sweet, caring, adorable, tough Zephyr – ask a fishy guy like Dario to kill Beth just to get to you? Hm?”
I felt stupid. Even though I haven’t known Zephyr for more than about ten months, I knew that she would never do such a thing.
”I guess not…”
”As I said, she’d be good for you. She’d make you get over Beth.”
”Josef! B-Beth just fucking got killed by… by… Why would I wanna get into a new relationship? Honestly, I don’t want to start dating ever again. I can’t.”
”You know what I think about vampire/human relations… Zephyr would be better for you. I’m not telling you to rush into things, just think about it. She has feelings for you, y’know. And don’t deny it to yourself, Beth forced you into that relationship.”
In my mind, I knew Josef was right about Beth.
And Zephyr was nice indeed. And cute. Not good-looking, just a cute little girl with a big heart.
It all made me think of something else, related to all this.
”Speaking of this… What’s with you and Viv?”
Josef smirked. ”Fine lady. Very fine lady, but I don’t think we’ll ever get together. She’s, how to put it, pretty hot to handle, if you know what I mean…”
*
Zephyr's POV
I followed Vivian to her car out in the parking lot.
”Viv, where are we going?”
”To the Clan’s HQ. It’s in Blythe. This little shithole right next to the Colorado river.”
”Feel to tell me what this Clan is, Mom?” I said and jumped in to the passenger seat as Vivian got in behind the steering wheel and put the keys in the ignition.
She smirked and poked my ribs.
”It’s a group of vampires, very old and dangerous ones. They’re all into this ’we’re vampires, therefor we’re better than anybody else’, y’know. They think it’s prestigious to be a vampire. Creepy fuckers. If you go there and challenge them, it only ends in one way.”
”You get killed?”
”Indeed.”
”And you’re what… feeling lucky today?”
”If we go there and tell them that we’re Vivian von Cleese and Emerencia Silverkrown… They’ll get down on their knees.”
I chuckled at her words. Vivian was famous among the American vampires for her blood-smuggling past and now for Blood Red, and I people knew me for being Viv’s closest, and also for Blood Red.
I called myself Zephyr to protect myself from the Vampire Police.
I shivered when I thought of it.
”By the way, any idea of what this friend of Dario’s looks like?” I asked. Vivian hadn’t turned on the engine yet; she was looking for something in her purse.
”Yeah, I know who it is… He’s allowed in to the VIP lounge, too. His name is um… Terry, I believe. Young one. He’s been a vampire for like, twenty-five years. Red-haired, tall, and skinny as a toothpick. Eerie.”
Suddenly, someone banged my window. Vivian’s description of Terry fitted this guy well, with reddish hair and long, thin fingers.
I growled, knocked him over with the car door and jumped on his back, one leg on each side of his body, locked his arms with my own, shouted at Viv to call Mick and Josef and bent down to Terry’s neck.
”I won’t kill you until Mick’s here, so make sure you choose your last words well. And stop struggling, I’m stronger than you and you know it, punk.”
I let my now long fangs run down his throat, leaving a thin, red scratch.
”Josef, parking lot, NOW,” Vivian shouted into her cell phone and flipped it close.
Mick and Josef came running from the red building, both with light blue eyes. Mick threw himself onto the wet asphalt, face close to Terry’s and hissing lowly.
I pulled his head up by his hair.
”Speak,” I snarled.
”The Clan’ll get to you, Mr. Mick St John…” Terry coughed and managed to smirk evilly.
”Why do I have to deal with you guys? Huh? Why’d you kill Beth? Why does this Clan wanna get to me? Answer me!”
”You’re a shame for all vamps, Micky… First of all, that little girlfriend of yours was a threat to all of us. Secondly… You won’t keep your pretty lil’ mouth shut! The Clan’ll take care of you, I promise you that. I won’t say anything else.”
Mick gave up a short roar before nodding at me, and bowed my head in understanding before bending down and digging my teeth deep in Terry’s throat. The ground near his head was covered in blood within seconds.
His screams got weaker and weaker until he didn’t move at all. I jerked my head back, stood up and received a tissue from Josef.
”Wipe your mouth,” he smirked.
J.K. was embroidered in the corner of the tissue, it seemed old. It was pale yellow, must’ve been white from the beginning.
”What was that about?” Mick said to himself while watching Terry’s bloody body on the ground.
”He was nothing more than a messenger,” Josef stated and took a few steps to where Mick was standing.
”Gotta call the cleaners again… Thanks a lot, Zepho.” Vivian looked at the blood and sighed, dialing the cleaner guys.
”Don’t call me that!” I shouted at her and poked her shoulder.
I didn’t mean to listen, but I heard Josef say something about ’get over her, think about you-know-who’ to Mick and he glanced quickly at me at Josef’s words.
”Hey Zeph, change of plans. Not a good idea to go to the Clan tonight, I think. Walk up to VIP lounge and wait for us there, couldja? I’ll stick around for the cleaners and I think Josef needs to talk to Mick…” Vivian said quietly. ”Off you go!”
I opened the VIP lounge (VIV really, Very Important Vampire) for the vampires again, sat down on the bright red couch with a little mirror in my hand, wiping off the blood stains from my cheeks and chin, applied some more black eyeliner and red lipstick before Viv, Mick and Josef entered the room.
”Josef, did I ever show you those old pictures of me and Zephyr from 1932? Come to my office and I’ll find them, they’re so cute.”
Josef followed Viv to the office, leaving Mick and I alone again. I was getting used to it.
He sat down beside me, not paying me any attention at all, but then he looked right at me. His hazel eyes made me go week at the knees, as usual.
He smiled weakly before getting serious again.
”To be honest, Beth actually rushed me into our relationship… We were friends for a long time, but suddenly she thought that we should start dating. She was tough with that… This may sound odd, but do you wanna come home with me tonight? I feel like talking to somebody, for once.”
Mick seemed surprised by his own words. I was too.
”Sounds like you have a lot to tell, huh? I’m just gonna get my coat from the office,” I replied and walked up to the office, opened the door and froze.
”Didn’t I tell you this just an hour ago? Goddamn knock if the door’s closed, idiot!” Vivian shouted at us, angry as hell.
She was lying on her desk, Josef on top of her and it seemed like they’d been in the middle of a make out-session when I opened the door. Oops.
Mick sneaked up behind me, pulled me back a little and closed the door.
I looked at him, trying not to laugh, but I couldn’t hold it. We both giggled, stopped and just looked at each other for a while, remembering that I was about to follow him home when somebody downstairs shouted.
”Eh, who the fuck put on ’Sex Bomb’?”
”Um… let’s go, shall we…” Mick said and led me out to the parking lot.
Vivian grabbed Zephyr by the arm, pulling her out of the office as she closed the door behind them. Zephyr waved shyly at me before the door shut.
Josef sat on the desk, drinking blood from a high glass.
I threw myself in Vivian’s chair, sighed, took the glass from Josef, and emptied it.
”Before I ask you something, and don’t take this in the wrong way… But is there something between you and Zeph?” he asked.
”What makes you believe that?”
Josef raised his hands, his palms facing me.
”Nothing, really. The way she looks at you, the way you speak to her. And about that thing Dario said and how she reacted…”
Josef continued talking, but I didn’t listen to him.
Dario’s words started ringing in my ears. I didn’t think about it until Josef mentioned it.
Miss Zephyr! Aren't you glad I killed that little girl? It was for you I did it, I know how much you love Mick!
Was Zephyr really in love with me?
”… Anyways, if you’re up for it, I think she’s quite a catch.”
”But Josef… Do you think Zephyr asked Dario to kill Beth? It seems like that was what Dario meant.”
”Mick.” The look on Josef’s eyes was practically saying ’You fucking idiot.’
”Ask yourself; would Zephyr – little sweet, caring, adorable, tough Zephyr – ask a fishy guy like Dario to kill Beth just to get to you? Hm?”
I felt stupid. Even though I haven’t known Zephyr for more than about ten months, I knew that she would never do such a thing.
”I guess not…”
”As I said, she’d be good for you. She’d make you get over Beth.”
”Josef! B-Beth just fucking got killed by… by… Why would I wanna get into a new relationship? Honestly, I don’t want to start dating ever again. I can’t.”
”You know what I think about vampire/human relations… Zephyr would be better for you. I’m not telling you to rush into things, just think about it. She has feelings for you, y’know. And don’t deny it to yourself, Beth forced you into that relationship.”
In my mind, I knew Josef was right about Beth.
And Zephyr was nice indeed. And cute. Not good-looking, just a cute little girl with a big heart.
It all made me think of something else, related to all this.
”Speaking of this… What’s with you and Viv?”
Josef smirked. ”Fine lady. Very fine lady, but I don’t think we’ll ever get together. She’s, how to put it, pretty hot to handle, if you know what I mean…”
*
Zephyr's POV
I followed Vivian to her car out in the parking lot.
”Viv, where are we going?”
”To the Clan’s HQ. It’s in Blythe. This little shithole right next to the Colorado river.”
”Feel to tell me what this Clan is, Mom?” I said and jumped in to the passenger seat as Vivian got in behind the steering wheel and put the keys in the ignition.
She smirked and poked my ribs.
”It’s a group of vampires, very old and dangerous ones. They’re all into this ’we’re vampires, therefor we’re better than anybody else’, y’know. They think it’s prestigious to be a vampire. Creepy fuckers. If you go there and challenge them, it only ends in one way.”
”You get killed?”
”Indeed.”
”And you’re what… feeling lucky today?”
”If we go there and tell them that we’re Vivian von Cleese and Emerencia Silverkrown… They’ll get down on their knees.”
I chuckled at her words. Vivian was famous among the American vampires for her blood-smuggling past and now for Blood Red, and I people knew me for being Viv’s closest, and also for Blood Red.
I called myself Zephyr to protect myself from the Vampire Police.
I shivered when I thought of it.
”By the way, any idea of what this friend of Dario’s looks like?” I asked. Vivian hadn’t turned on the engine yet; she was looking for something in her purse.
”Yeah, I know who it is… He’s allowed in to the VIP lounge, too. His name is um… Terry, I believe. Young one. He’s been a vampire for like, twenty-five years. Red-haired, tall, and skinny as a toothpick. Eerie.”
Suddenly, someone banged my window. Vivian’s description of Terry fitted this guy well, with reddish hair and long, thin fingers.
I growled, knocked him over with the car door and jumped on his back, one leg on each side of his body, locked his arms with my own, shouted at Viv to call Mick and Josef and bent down to Terry’s neck.
”I won’t kill you until Mick’s here, so make sure you choose your last words well. And stop struggling, I’m stronger than you and you know it, punk.”
I let my now long fangs run down his throat, leaving a thin, red scratch.
”Josef, parking lot, NOW,” Vivian shouted into her cell phone and flipped it close.
Mick and Josef came running from the red building, both with light blue eyes. Mick threw himself onto the wet asphalt, face close to Terry’s and hissing lowly.
I pulled his head up by his hair.
”Speak,” I snarled.
”The Clan’ll get to you, Mr. Mick St John…” Terry coughed and managed to smirk evilly.
”Why do I have to deal with you guys? Huh? Why’d you kill Beth? Why does this Clan wanna get to me? Answer me!”
”You’re a shame for all vamps, Micky… First of all, that little girlfriend of yours was a threat to all of us. Secondly… You won’t keep your pretty lil’ mouth shut! The Clan’ll take care of you, I promise you that. I won’t say anything else.”
Mick gave up a short roar before nodding at me, and bowed my head in understanding before bending down and digging my teeth deep in Terry’s throat. The ground near his head was covered in blood within seconds.
His screams got weaker and weaker until he didn’t move at all. I jerked my head back, stood up and received a tissue from Josef.
”Wipe your mouth,” he smirked.
J.K. was embroidered in the corner of the tissue, it seemed old. It was pale yellow, must’ve been white from the beginning.
”What was that about?” Mick said to himself while watching Terry’s bloody body on the ground.
”He was nothing more than a messenger,” Josef stated and took a few steps to where Mick was standing.
”Gotta call the cleaners again… Thanks a lot, Zepho.” Vivian looked at the blood and sighed, dialing the cleaner guys.
”Don’t call me that!” I shouted at her and poked her shoulder.
I didn’t mean to listen, but I heard Josef say something about ’get over her, think about you-know-who’ to Mick and he glanced quickly at me at Josef’s words.
”Hey Zeph, change of plans. Not a good idea to go to the Clan tonight, I think. Walk up to VIP lounge and wait for us there, couldja? I’ll stick around for the cleaners and I think Josef needs to talk to Mick…” Vivian said quietly. ”Off you go!”
I opened the VIP lounge (VIV really, Very Important Vampire) for the vampires again, sat down on the bright red couch with a little mirror in my hand, wiping off the blood stains from my cheeks and chin, applied some more black eyeliner and red lipstick before Viv, Mick and Josef entered the room.
”Josef, did I ever show you those old pictures of me and Zephyr from 1932? Come to my office and I’ll find them, they’re so cute.”
Josef followed Viv to the office, leaving Mick and I alone again. I was getting used to it.
He sat down beside me, not paying me any attention at all, but then he looked right at me. His hazel eyes made me go week at the knees, as usual.
He smiled weakly before getting serious again.
”To be honest, Beth actually rushed me into our relationship… We were friends for a long time, but suddenly she thought that we should start dating. She was tough with that… This may sound odd, but do you wanna come home with me tonight? I feel like talking to somebody, for once.”
Mick seemed surprised by his own words. I was too.
”Sounds like you have a lot to tell, huh? I’m just gonna get my coat from the office,” I replied and walked up to the office, opened the door and froze.
”Didn’t I tell you this just an hour ago? Goddamn knock if the door’s closed, idiot!” Vivian shouted at us, angry as hell.
She was lying on her desk, Josef on top of her and it seemed like they’d been in the middle of a make out-session when I opened the door. Oops.
Mick sneaked up behind me, pulled me back a little and closed the door.
I looked at him, trying not to laugh, but I couldn’t hold it. We both giggled, stopped and just looked at each other for a while, remembering that I was about to follow him home when somebody downstairs shouted.
”Eh, who the fuck put on ’Sex Bomb’?”
”Um… let’s go, shall we…” Mick said and led me out to the parking lot.