Morning, and the first few rays of light show Amelia sleeping peacefully, curled up in the white cotton sheet. She is totally unaware that Jason’s alarm clock had gone off, since he slammed his hand down on it and muted it swiftly. A light moan was all that was heard and a shift under the sheet before her regular breathing pattern continued. Only when Jason rolled out of bed and headed into the shower, did her hand slide across the cotton covered mattress and feel that he was missing. Sleepily, Amelia opened her eyes and looked around the room, suddenly getting her bearings of exactly where she was. She had spent the night and flashes of the memory of this raced in her mind, as she sat up suddenly. Standing there, was Jason, fully dressed. He didn’t say a word, and Amelia stretched as she yawned.
“Morning.”
Climbing out of bed, she padded over to him, and planted a kiss softly on his lips, before saying;
“I’ll just get my clothes and get dressed properly. I think I left my bag downstairs.” It had some smalls and her brush and a spare toothbrush, so she could feel good getting ready for the day. Amelia scampered down stairs, and then back up, getting out of the T shirt she had borrowed, and slipping on her own clothes again. Her hair she tied into two ponytails, and fixed her make up, before emerging again, ready for breakfast.
“Did you have any idea of where to go for breakfast?” Amelia asked, unaware that he had hidden a small box for her in the room. She was being fairly casual, since she felt that they could talk more seriously about their relationship over breakfast.
<3>
The motorcycle ride was a fairly long one, from the abandoned hotel to the extensive grounds of Vincent Casales estate. The perimeter had high stone walls with spike like spear tops rowed along the tops of the walls. There was huge ornate iron gates at the entrance, which was shielded behind massive oaks, making it hard to see from the road. An elaborate security network had been installed, and though all it took was a specially authorized swipe card to get in, Matt didn’t have the luxury of being on good enough terms with Vincent to obtain one. He hated the very idea of having to case the estate in the search for Sarah; David’s blood doll. He was going on David’s hunch, and he may well be right. Parking his motorcycle near a large hedge, he took off his helmet and hooked it onto the back of his bike. There were two large lantern like lights on the stone pillars that were holding up the iron gates, and you could see the build up of cobwebs which showed the estate appeared to be in a state of disrepair. Maybe that is what the owner wanted people to think. A celebrity’s home would be immaculately well kept and lawns mowed, hedges trimmed. Here, everything was overgrown, and rusting. The whole scene gave a sense of foreboding, and if he followed his gut, he would have gotten back on his bike and tore back to the hotel. But it was too late now. David had sent him in alone, to find out if Sarah was here, and there was no turning back.
Matt scouted along the perimeter of the stone wall, looking for a spot where the massive spikes at the top had deteriorated to a point he would have an easy chance to climb over. He grimaced, not having someone to give him a leg up, and then saw a weak spot in the wall, that was riddled with holes, large enough for foot holdings and hand grips. The top of the wall had been damaged, probably from a falling tree or a lightning strike. Matt rubbed his hands together, and commenced the climb, making good progress, with only small fragments of the stone wall falling to the long grasses below. The night’s breeze started to pick up, and the whistle in the wind only added to the fright factor.
“I am a god damn vampire, why the hell is this scaring me?” Matt thought to himself as he climbed higher, slipping at one point and then scrambling to re-secure his place. Finally he made the top of the wall, and saw on the other side, large hedges. Maybe an ideal thing to land on. Counting to three, he leapt down, the hedges breaking his fall, though he made a loud “oomph” sound as he hit the ground. For a moment he held his breath, half expecting ground patrols to come and seek him out. But there was nothing. Matt rose up slowly, wiping off the leaf litter and odd branch that was stuck in his clothes. Little did he realize he cut himself as he fell, from one of the spiked spears, leaving a small trail of blood. A calling card?
Soon he was scouting his way through the mazes of hedges and trees in a garden that had been left to overgrow and form a type of jungle, with no real clear path to the way to the front entrance. Matt wasn’t bold enough to waltz up to the front door and just outright straight up ask Vincent about Sarah. He wasn’t that stupid. The young vampire spied the lights of the house, like candle lights that gave off moving shadows through dirty windows. So….they were home. Matt picked up his pace, and darted through the garden, occasionally getting struck by low lying branches. He was just at the southern end of the building, and crept across the gravel drive, trying not to make too much of a sound, as he approached the nearest window. He crouched low, choosing his time to rise up and take a peek inside. Nerves were getting the better of him, but soon he turned and started to ease up till his head breached the outside of the window.
He could see inside. Vincent, wearing a smoking jacket in black crushed velvet, standing near a fire place with none other than Bridgette. Both seemed to be deep in conversation, but what it was he strained to hear. Suddenly he felt a tapping on his shoulder. Matt froze. He’d been caught. Slowly he turned around, only to get struck hard in the face by a massive fist, that dropped him to the ground in a flash. Knocked out, Matt was in a crumpled pile, with two standing over him. Sarah, the blood doll, and Bruce, Vincent’s right hand man.
Sarah crouched down and gently stroke back Matt’s hair from his closed eyes.
“Master has a surprise for you, Matty.”
Bruce reached down and picked up the unconscious vampire, swinging his body up over his shoulder and together, the two carried the hapless Matt inside….for an audience with Vincent.
<3>
Jason smiled softly as he was kissed but he still could not shake the feeling that the grim reaper was breathing down his neck though he did not know why. As he watched Amelia scamper off to get dressed he would offer a soft sigh of annoyance knowing that last time this feeling had come he had spent nearly six months in physical therapy after his war wound. The war veteran then watched as she walked back in only to ask if he had plans for a nice spot to have breakfast. “Of course I do I know just the place come we’ll take my car.” With that being said Jason Cox would walk from the bedroom to fetch his key’s for the squad car before walking out and holding the door open for Amelia to walk through and once she had walked through he would close and lock the door behind him. Having locked the door he would walk out to his car astride Amelia before opening the door for her to get in before closing it once she was seated within the front seat of his car and walking around to hop in the driver’s seat. The car was a 1980 dodge challenger silver in color that had a big block engine under the hood which roared to life once the key had been slotted into the ignition and turned on. The car then rolled out of the parking space it was in before Jason shifted gears and put in drive so that they could be on their way before driving off to his favorite diner just down the road from his complex with Amelia as passenger.
.JPG)
The ride down from Jason’s apartment was a fairly quiet one, unless of course you counted the engine of his car which was loud. Amelia started to get an odd feeling about the tension that morning. Almost like there was something foreboding hanging over them. Jason’s favourite diner was none other than “Al’s Diner”, a 1950′s style establishment, that had some really terrific decor and replica motorcycles up above the menu boards.
Walking in from the sidewalk, after Amelia had gotten out of the car, she looked back and offered Jason a bright smile.
“I hope your hungry, cause I am.” Her smile was infectious and she quickly found a booth that was by the window, so she could watch the world go by. Picking up the menu, she scanned through it as a waitress in a red apron and classic style gym shoes, licked her pencil and popped her gum.
“What can I get ya’s?”
Amelia hummed to herself and found she was in two minds whether to get a waffle stack, or maybe the trucker’s breakfast. She didn’t want to look like Miss Piggy in front of her new love. She lowered her menu slightly and asked Jason;
“What do you fancy having?”
Oh the music brought back memories of his youth and the time spent with his parents. Though he was quick to snap himself out of his daydream before looking at the menu for a few moments only to place his order a few moments later. “I’ll have the southwestern omelet please?” Jason then looked to Amelia before placing his menu down and resting his hands on the table as he gazed out the window silently for a few moments before looking back at Amelia as he waited for her to place her order. While he waited his cell phone would buzz in his pocket before he growled under his breath and fished it out and flicked it open as he stood up from the table so as to be polite. Once outside he would speak in a flat tone. “What is it Alexis?” The answer would have him grin like a loon before he paused as he spoke again. “Are you sure Alexis? You mean to tell me we’ve been overlooking a possible paper trail for the weapon? Alright i’ll be there as soon I finish my breakfast with Amelia.” With news in hand he would walk into the diner once again before taking his seat once more. “Amelia I just got a lead on Rodger’s case….Soon enough with my assistant running down the paper trail i’ll have the one responsible behind bars, oh and feel free to order what ever your heart desire’s breakfast is on me.” His voice was giddy with excitement but held a hint of nervousness within it not knowing what to expect from a lead like this in a case that’s been cold for three months. However though Jason was ready for anything….but little did he know what he was getting into and what was destined to happen to him.
Two weeks later…
Despite the threat of Vincent, Carmen did venture out to the office to collect paperwork she needed for a couple of cases she had going on. Shane had requested that she send someone else to do it but she had gently denied his request, saying that they were locked up in her safe and she trusted no one but Mary with the combination. When asked why Mary couldn’t get them and bring it to her, Carmen had to admit that she hadn’t seen or heard from Mary in nearly a week and a half. And it had her worried.
“If it makes you feel better, I will bring the twins with me.” she told Shane, kissing him before ducking beneath his arm to grab her keys. She and the twins had left and been back in no time at all, much to everyone’s relief.
It was late evening and Carmen had set up a small office area for her use in Shane’s den. She had paperwork scattered around the room and a pencil tucked into her messy hair as she checked over some things. It was the twin’s night to cook so they were in the kitchen putting their own culinary skills to work. The trio were in the other room, watching a movie and Shane…was somewhere…most likely in the gym.
There was a knock at the front door and Carmen’s head shot up.
Getting to her feet, she left the den and stood in the hall, noticing the shadowed figure standing at the window next to the door.
“Who’s there?” she called out as the twins and the trio joined her.
“Carmen, it’s Dyna. I have Booker with me. Can we come in?” came Dyna’s voice…but it didn’t sound like Dyna and Carmen felt a sense of something not right.
“Prove it!” Carmen stated.
“What?” the voice sounded shocked.
“You heard me! Prove you are who you say you are!” Carmen demanded, thinking her request wasn’t that unreasonable.
“She’s kidding right?” she heard what sounded like Booker state next.
“Have you known Carmen to kid about anything?” Dyna replied.
“Well…there was that time when…oh wait, no that was me…Um…how about the time when…no that was me, too.” Booker snorted. “Oh! The time Carmen told you that guy, George Whatshisface, was a transvestite with a fetish for red shoes!” There was the sound of a slap and then a complaining “Ow! Dyna!”
Sighing with relief, Carmen went to the door to let her friends in. “I’m sorry for that. We’ve had to introduce some new security measures.” Carmen explained.
“Why, what happened?” Booker asked as they all gathered into the kitchen.
Kitchen
“Vincent tried to get to me…very nearly had me too. Almost killed Misty.” Carmen admitted as Shane joined them in the kitchen. Dyna looked at Booker and he back at her…and Carmen’s anxiety shot up a notch. “What’s going on? You guys have that look on your face.” she demanded. Dyna set a folder on the table that Carmen just now noticed was in her hands.
“Carmen…when was the last time you saw or spoke to Mary?” Booker asked, leaning forward.
“I spoke to her on the phone about a week or so ago, asking her to check some files for me at the office. Why? What’s going on?”
“Did she sound at all different?” Dyna wondered.
“No, she sounded like she usually does. What the hell is going on?” she demanded more forcefully, her eyes bleeding red in her anger.
Dyna and Booker looked at one another, a silent message passing between them that made Carmen even more angry. “All right. Something is up. You guys are doing that silent talk again and you know I hate it. Spill.” she demanded.
“Cupcake…” Dyna sighed, thinking there was no other way to say it but be blunt about it, “Mary’s dead.”
If Carmen had a still-beating heart, she was pretty sure that news would have killed her. “What?” she whispered.
“She’s been murdered, love.” Booker replied in a soft voice. Carmen felt as if her whole entire body had turned to ash.
“You’re lying!” Carmen whispered, her body shaking all over.
“You know us, Cupcake. We would never lie to you about something so important.” Dyna stated. She looked at Shane. “We have reason to believe that her murder was a message to Carmen.”
“How do you know it was?” Jarvis asked, just as shaken as Carmen. Mary had always been so nice to him and the girls whenever she was over, bringing them cookies and things. With a sigh, Dyna opened the folder and pulled out two photos, passing them slowly to Carmen as Shane looked over her shoulder.
The first photo nearly dark and grainy and she could make out the wall of an alley somewhere in the city. The flash from the forensics camera brought everything out in detail, right down to the pools of blood beneath the torn body. It was the body in the photo, face clearly visible that caught her attention. “Mary.” Carmen whispered, her tone filled with pain. It looked as if she’d been torn to shreds, no inch of her body was left unmarked. Carmen wanted to be sick, but with her physiology, it was an impossibility. She covered her mouth, an animalistic sound of hurt and anger bubbling up from her throat.
Dyna handed over the second photo. “This is why we think Vincent hasn’t given up on having Carmen for himself.” she murmured.
The second photo stood out in stark relief, the photographer using a flash to get the whole wall over the body of Mary.
She shoved both photos back at Dyna and wrenched herself away from Shane and the others, standing at the doors leading to the patio. Her whole body was trembling with rage, the vampire beneath the surface wishing to rise and face the one who attacked an honorary member of her family. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms hard enough to draw blood and leaving splatters of it on the floor at her feet.
Lost in her own pain, she didn’t notice the conversations taking place behind her as there was another knock on the door.
Jason placed his order with the gum popping waitress who gave a cheesy smile before tapping her pencil on her pad and looking at Amelia expectantly. Amelia was still browsing the menu when she piped up and asked for a pancake stack with ice cream, and maple syrup along with a black coffee. The waitress snatched up the menus and strolled back to the counter where she stuck the orders in a small metal wheel above where the cook was delivering up fresh orders.
Amelia was busy checking out the decor, and happened to notice all the photographs of ’50′s cars that were parked in the parking lot. Perhaps they had car clubs come to this diner on Saturday nights for the hot rod and happy days conventions. She could understand why that would be so popular given the look and feel of the diner.
Jason’s cell phone rang while they were waiting for their orders, and he went outside to take it. That was pretty considerate of him, considering how annoying it can be for people to have to listen to one sided conversations while eating their breakfasts. There were all manner of folk in the diner, from business men, to young groups of girls grabbing a meal before catching the bus to school. The hubbub of noise mixed with the back ground music from the fifties gave the whole diner a welcoming feel.
The waitress came over with the tray of their meals, and Amelia could see that Jason had not yet finished his call. Amelia held off on eating, till he returned back inside. When he did, the news he had shocked her.
“Amelia I just got a lead on Rodger’s case….Soon enough with my assistant running down the paper trail i’ll have the one responsible behind bars.”
Amelia was so shocked she completely forgot her breakfast. So there was a lead in the case. While she still grieved for losing Rodger, finding out who did it and why remained ever constant with her.
“Do you still have time to eat, or are you going to go back to the station now?”
<3>
Unbeknowns to those inside the house, a lone motorcycle had pulled up outside the entrance to Shane’s house. The growl of the motorcycle came to an end as the rider shut off the engine. Ripping off his helmet, the rider was none other than David, and he looked furious. It took a lot for him to even come to Shane’s house, especially with the “feelings” that were between the two vampires. Clenching his fists, he marched up the driveway and pounded on the door, yelling out.
“I KNOW YOUR IN THERE. AND YOU ARE GOING TO ANSWER ME!” David roared as he stood in wait for Shane or someone to answer the door. Misty heard the commotion, and raced to the door, shocked to see who was on the front steps, but the feelings in the house were already one of shock, after learning of the death of Mary at the hands of Vincent and his stooges.
“Now’s a bad time, David.” She said through the door, but he was not taking no for an answer.
“So help me Misty….Don’t argue. I want to see SHANE NOW!”
Shane, who was in the kitchen and going over the photographs that Booker and Dyna had delivered, heard the altercation coming from the front door. “Now what?” He rumbled, pushing past Booker and marching out towards the front door. The fact his own enemy was on the front door step was not what he wanted to see.
“You have to invite me in. I mean it. No more fucking bullshit.” David snarled, as Misty looked back at Shane, not sure at all what was going on. Shane snorted. “You have five minutes…so make it quick.” Shane allowing David inside, and he pushed past Shane, walking into his den. No sooner had he got in there, he turned and then let Shane have it.
“Alright Asshole…WHERE IS HE?” David shouted, clearly angered about the disappearance of Matt. Matt was his right hand, and David assumed that Shane had something to do with his disappearance after snooping around Vincent’s.
“Where is who? What are you talking about?” Shane questioned, clearly out of the loop. David got right in his face and you could see the blood pumping through his forehead. “Matt. He was doing your dirty work, you son of a bitch. Now, he is missing. So…again..WHERE IS HE?”
This was the first that Shane had heard of Matt going missing, but it was clear that the relationship between David and Shane was not at all what they had made everyone think.
“Shit!” Shane yelled, as he started to put the pieces together. “If he went to Vincent’s, its highly likely they got him. We just found out that they killed Mary, Carmen’s secretary.” This was news to David, who practically knew everything that was going on in and around the police station. “Mary? Why would they want to harm her?” He asked, as Shane took out the photos and showed them to David. David checked them over, especially the one with the message written in blood.
“Okay, this is worse than I thought. I knew the guy was a psycho…but this takes the cake, man.” David said, placing the photos back in the file, before saying. “He wants Carmen.” David was spot on, and Shane turned around, only to see that Carmen..was missing.
“Booker…where is Carmen?”
<3>
Jason blinked before nodding slowly. “I’m sorry Amelia but i’ll have to head to the station i’ll pay the fare and drop you off there…I’ll eat later” As he nodded slowly he would have that predator’s grin upon his face while hailing the waitress and giving her the necessary fare. With their meal paid for the waitress would come back with a pair of container’s for their meals which Jason then neatly placed his omelet in the container before looking at Amelia. “You do want a ride to the station right?” As Jason waited he would make note that he had to run into the station to retrieve his M1911 colt forty five caliber pistol. As soon as Amelia was ready Jason would walk out of the diner with Amelia at his side before settling her in his car and hopping into the drivers seat. Once seated the key would slide into the ignition causing the big block engine to roar to life beneath the hood. With the engine running Jason would back out of the parking space before dropping the car into gear and pulling out of the parking lot. Then once out of the parking lot Jason would tear through the back roads with his courtesy light spinning into life.
It took only a maximum of ten minutes for Jason to pull into the Station before he killed the engine and got out to let Amelia out as well as retrieve his faithful sidearm. As he walked into the station Jason would call out to Alexis before she came over to him and handed him a piece of paper with an address written on it. All it took was one look at the paper as Jason walked into the locker room to change into his uniform and grab the keys to his squad car to cause him to whisper to himself. “You done screwed up now your mine…” Once he was dressed he would come back and grab the forty five caliber pistol with a seven round magazine already loaded into the receiver though at the moment it was on safety and slide it into the holster on his utility belt. Now armed and ready with another two magazine’s at his waist and bullet proof vest he would walk out to his squad car which was a 2012 dodge challenger before he keyed the engine and turned the lights on only to back out of the parking lot and tear off down the road as he radioed into the dispatch. “Unit 446 to dispatch please have another two squad car’s dispatched to 66 haverstraw lane….”
It wasn’t quite the breakfast that she had hoped, after Jason asked that they have their meals put into containers to be brought with them to work. With her pancakes in a small box, she was driven to work, where Jason let her out and went on inside to attend to his police work. Sighing, Amelia headed in the main entrance, then took the lift down to the forensics lab.
Getting out of the lift, she went into her office and set down her breakfast, before pulling down one of her lab coats, and putting it on over her clothes. Least she was at work on time. Doctor Haggart came through the doors, wearing his blue forensics coat, and holding a file full of xrays. He could smell the pancakes coming from Amelia’s office, and stuck his head in.
“Big night out and eating on the run, Amelia?’ He questioned, looking at her as she sat down to eat her breakfast.
“You could say that. I know I shouldn’t be eating in here, but I am starved and the staff room is on the far end of the station.” She implored him with doe eyes, and he waved it off. “So long as you start work on time, that is all that matters.”
Amelia gave a little salute, then went on to finish her breakfast.
<3>
