CHAPTER 15
When I return to the research suite a couple of hours later, the room is completely empty. There is no sign that Rick or Ms. Montgomery have been around yet this evening, which leaves me to my own devices for the beginning of the work night.
I go to the storage cabinet and get the specimen containers and set them on the center island. I begin turning around in a circle trying to determine where I could find a microscope. From overhead I hear a buzzing sound followed by crackling. I look up at the ceiling waiting for the world to come tumbling on top of me before I hear Ms. Montgomery's voice, "Microscopes can be located in the lower cabinets of the center island."
Scowling, I continue looking up at the ceiling. "Okay, that's just creepy. Where are you and how did you know what I was thinking?"
"I'm in the observation room. You were advised that you would be observed by several methods, including being recorded. The observation room is where the recording equipment is housed."
I keep looking over the ceiling, turning before waving at the ceiling. "Okay, thanks." Gazing at my upraised hand I realize just how ridiculous I must look. I try to nonchalantly run that hand through my hair as I walk around the center island to open the lower cabinets. As I am getting the microscope out, I hear the door to the suite open and close. I straighten up just far enough for my head to peak over the island to see Rick looking around the room. "I'm over here."
Jerking back around he says, "Jesus, vampires can get startled too, you know."
I stand, "Sorry, was just getting the microscope." I lift it to prove that I have no ill intent.
Rick walks to the center island and picks up one of the specimen containers. He turns it around in his hands before saying, "So what exactly is this and how did you get it?"
I relay the story of what happened with Thalia and how four of her fingers were cut off for the purpose of our experiment. He just nods as he sets the container down and claps his hands. "Good. Now we're going to use the microscope to try to determine what?"
I just stare at him in complete shock. "Good?" I set the microscope on the counter. "I'm surprised that you would think anything about this is good."
I can see Rick grinding his jaw as he rests his hands on the island and leans forward, "It upsets me to see senseless vampire deaths. But make no mistake about it; I have no sympathy for a vampire who murders in cold blood. We both heard why Thalia is locked up." He shakes his head. "Losing a few fingers is merciful compared to what I would like to do her."
I take a step back, "Okay, Rick. I knew you were passionate about certain things, but I didn't know that you were capable of such violence. I thought you said it was something that you would only do when you thought necessary, like to protect yourself. Was that just bullshit?"
Rick lowers his head, his fingers picking at something on the marble top of the island. "Remember when we talked about how there could be a special bond created between a vampire and a human? And you said that it sounded like I was speaking from experience?" He looks up at me, "Do you remember?"
I nod.
"It was the 1980s. Her name was Serenity. We met at CBGB's in New York. The Cramps were playing that night." He gets a wistful look in his eyes as he continues talking. "There have been multiple subcultural movements within the U.S. that have allowed vampires to easily blend in with humans. Punk, New Wave, Goth, Emo. Any time there has been a group of young people embracing the peculiar to express themselves, vampires have been there. It was easy. With the way everyone else looked and behaved, no one questioned us or thought us out of place. Heroin chic was particularly nice because we didn't even have to worry about explaining puncture wounds." He smiles, "We always kept our identities secret. We would only reveal ourselves to someone special."
He leans back and relaxes more while resting against the center island.
“Serenity was there partying with a group of friends. They were having a good time, enjoying the music, enjoying the alcohol. She was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. She was wearing a ripped black t-shirt, black jean shorts with black studded bracelets and a leather collar to match. Her hair was blond and in complete disarray, like it had been a while since it had seen a comb. She wore no make-up except for black eyeliner and lip-gloss that made her lips shine like a brand new toy covered in candy-coated goodness. I wanted to play with her.” He smiled. “My intent was to enjoy her for as long as I could. But after the debauchery of that night, things changed.”
“Thank you for not going into detail about that,” I say as I cross my arms against my stomach.
He looks up at me with a grin tugging at the side of his mouth. “I am many things, one of which is a gentleman of sorts. Details are for the disrespectful.”
I tilt my head in appreciation before he continues, “In talking to her, I found that she had an understanding of life that I had never seen in another human. She knew just how precious it was, that it’s a gift that could be taken away when you least expect it and should be fully cherished and enjoyed for that reason. I know many people express those words, but very few actuallyfeelit, actuallylive by it. Serenity did.” He shakes his head as if to this day he couldn’t believe it. “Because of that I found her to be the most exotic of beauties. I fell in love. For a vampire on the prowl, I guess it was a mistake. Not falling in love, but actually talking to her, talking to my prey. She didn’t just give me her blood. She showed me her soul. I was completely lost at that point.”
“She let you drink from her? She knew you were a vampire? Didn’t she freak out?” I ask.
“Hardly. With the crazy shit that was going on at that time, it wasn’t surprising to her. Sorry for the language.” He smiles sheepishly. “To help things for me even more, the New Age movement had been gaining speed in the bigger cities. Interest in the occult was everywhere and many people began believing the old ‘myths.’ So, learning those myths were true only validated their beliefs, rather than shocking them into defense. It wasn’t that way everywhere, but definitely much more so in New York at that time. The punk crowd wasn’t too much into believing much of anything, but the nightlife was weird enough that no one questioned it. So, I prowled, I preyed...and I fell in love.”
I step closer to the island, “What happened to her?”
His head drops down as his fingers tense, curling against his palms, forming half-fists. “Not all vampires appreciated the bond that we could develop with a human. Some were even outright against it, calling it an abomination for our kind. The common feeling in this group was that you didn’t fall in love with your food.” He makes an exasperated sound as he pushes away from the island and begins pacing the floor. “Word got around with other vampires that I had a ‘pet’ human, that I was seen with the same one all of the time. Given our secrecy then, even those who weren’t against the bonding per se wanted nothing to do with those type of relationships as they could out us all. It was considered too risky.” He looks at me, his hands thrust out in the closest thing to defeat that I’ve ever seen on a man. “Love doesn’t consider these things.”
He paces more as he runs both of his hands through his hair, slightly tugging. His pain is so palpable that I can feel it lodge in the back of my throat, making it difficult for me to swallow.
Struggling to keep back the tears, he chokes as he continues, “A group of the more extreme vampires decided that something must be done. Not only did they hate the idea of mixing with humans, they used the fear of being exposed to get support from the calmer vamps of the community. I tried to protect Serenity by laying low, keeping out of sight. We should have just left New York because it got to the point where it seemed like every vampire was hunting us.” He forces a laugh. “It’s kind of funny that depending on the time and who’s telling the story, we give this type of behavior certain names, when a group of people take violent action to protect their identity, their way of life. In the 1960s and 1970s we would have called them freedom fighters...in the 1980s, gangs...in the 1990s, guerillas...the year 2001 gave us terrorists.” He shakes his head, “Regardless of what label you put on it, people died while others were left heart-broken.”
He turns his back to me as his shoulders turn in toward his chest. He stands there quietly for several moments. I feel like I am experiencing the hurt with him and want to comfort him, at least for a little while. I start to slowly walk around the center island when he whips around, rage contorting his face. “They did it during the day while I was sleeping. They had paid some guys to kidnap her. Probably drug addicts needing money for a score. It was easy to do in New York in the eighties. Just flash some cash and a junkie would do just about anything.” He shook his head. “She had gone out to do some shopping. She knew that she couldn’t be seen, so she wore a disguise. Somehow, some way, they knew it was her.” He moves toward me, his stride like a stalking panther. “They caught her outside of a boutique in SoHo. They kidnapped her, the vampires ravaged her, then left her in an alley.”
He stands right before me, leaning in closely with a menacing look in his eyes. I grip the side of the island, trying not to be afraid because I know it is his pain showing.
After several moments of his eyes darting back and forth as if he were watching a horror movie unravel before him, he says, “When the police found her, it was ruled a drug-related killing. They had found what they said were pieces of crack on her chest, but I knew better. What they found was actually the remains of a vampire that had died from sun exposure, the dried pieces of flesh. The pools of blood were ruled to be from the struggle of a deal gone bad. Crack addiction was so rampant that the police didn’t even bother to check into the finer details. But I knew. It was a message about what would happen next. What the punishment for cavorting with humans would be.”
His jaw ticks as he stares at me. Suddenly his fists slamagainst the top of the island. “Thatis why this project is so important to me. That is why it’s so hard for me to see footage of vampires dying in the sun.” He grabs my shoulders, his fingers digging into my skin.“Andthat is why I don’t give a F*ck about what happens to Thalia.”
I can feel myself shrinking in his grip as he practically foams at the mouth, saliva wetting his lips as his eyes dart all around my face. I hold my breath, waiting for him to hurt me in some way. Like a light switch has been flipped, the storm in his eyes calms. He drops his hands from me and storms out of the suite.
I let out the breath that I was holding and clutch my chest. Feeling like I am going to hyperventilate I go to the table to sit down, holding myself as if I am chilled to the bone with everything I had just heard and felt. I know that I can’t let Rick’s personal tragedy distract me so much that I can’t concentrate on work, but it will be difficult. Part of me wants to support him. Another part of me wants to run screaming in the other direction. I like Rick well enough, but his anger scares me. It is probably best for me to be cautious around him, just for my own safety. Or at least for my own sanity.
Once I calm myself I return to the center island to begin preparing the slides for the microscope. The suite door opens and Ms. Montgomery enters, walking toward me with a purpose. She lays the portable video camera with an USB cable on the island. “Here is the footage from yesterday.” She just stands there and looks at me.
“Thanks,” I half-whisper.
She looks up to the ceiling, taking a deep breath. “Are you okay?”
I look at her. “Excuse me?”
She gazes at me, her face completely blank of emotion. “I saw what happened. Are you okay?”
I slowly nod. “Yeah. But I’m surprised that you’re asking.”
She straightens her blouse. “I have a vested interest in this project being successful. Everyone must be at their best.”
“Your sympathy is reassuring.” I briefly smile at her.
She just looks at me. I shrug. “It’s been very difficult for me interacting on such an intimate level with a vampire,” I say.
She puts her shoulders back and stands straighter. “I will return to the observation room.” And just like that, I am alone again.
Vampires and the humans that care for them. The emotional swaying back and forth makes me feel trapped in a paranormal pendulum, constantly moving. No wonder I constantly feel like I have butterflies in my stomach. I’m suffering from emotion sickness.
I turn my head side-to-side as I start gathering more supplies, such as glass slides, a red marker, an eyedropper and tweezers. I pick up the specimen box that contains the remnants of the finger and built-up condensation. I carefully open it and use the eyedropper to collect some of the fluid and place it on a slide. I mark the slide with a red one and record on a log sheet the contents of slide one. I do the same with a sample from that container and the other in which the finger had been in direct sunlight. I think it would be appropriate to compare the cells from the two specimens to note any differences.
Once I had the slides prepared and logged, I take the specimen boxes back to the storage cabinet. When I turn back around, Rick is there.
I jump, squealing. “Jesus!” Placing my hand against my racing heart. “What was that you said about vampires getting startled, too?”
He has the decency to look embarrassed with an edge of concern. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget that my stealthy abilities are heightened after feeding.”
I take a step back trying not to show any level of disgust on my face. “Well, I hope that you’re in a better mood now,” I say.
He rubs his hand against his mouth. “Look. The last thing that I wanted to do was to frighten you. I do have a hard time controlling my emotions when I think of certain things.”
“You think?” I goad him.
He steps closer and I try not to shrink away from him. “Emma, I enjoy having you as a partner on this project. Even through our bantering, I’ve had nothing but the utmost respect for you and your knowledge. To be honest, I even feel a certain protectiveness of you. That's why I always make it a point to leave before my passion gets the best of me."
He searches my face as if he were trying to determine if I understood. Then he drops the bomb on me. "And it's why I talked to Tucker that day in the cafeteria."
Completely shocked, I scowl. "You what? What do you mean you talked to Tucker? You talked to him about what?"
He holds my gaze even with my blood pressure rising. "You had mentioned in passing that you had some difficulties with someone named Tucker. When I learned that the young man in the cafeteria was named Tucker, I stopped by his table before I visited Rita."
"What did you say to him?" I ask in horror.
"Well, I didn't know specifics. I just alluded that you had mentioned the difficulties with him and Tucker did the rest. He told me about his feelings for you and how he thought maybe he had scared you off. I told him that I didn't want to hear about any more difficulties where you are concerned."
I take a step toward him, slightly trembling in my own anger, "Why did you do that? You had no right!"
"Like I said, I feel somewhat protective of you. I didn't like the idea of someone causing you trouble, much less a man." He says the last part under his breath. Or at least that's what I think he said. I turn my head back and forth trying to figure out if I had heard him correctly. "You shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable," he continues.
Feeling confused, angry and ambivalent by all that he has said, I drop my arms to my sides as if I am giving up. Too many mixed emotions sprinkled with mixed messages is making my head spin. I feel dizzy from his intended act of chivalry.
"I don't know what to say, Rick. I don't need you fighting my battles." Want was another story.
He nods. "I know that you are quite capable of taking care of yourself. I just wanted to make sure that Tucker didn't get any other ideas that might scare you."
I rub my hands over my eyes trying to subtly hide any indication of tears before I say, "As much as I don't like it, I need to deal with this myself. With you saying something to him, he's just going to avoid doing or saying anything while you're around. What about when you're not around?"
"There are ways to convince a person that are permanent," he responds.
I step to the side, away from him. "Now you're the one scaring me." I start to walk back to the center island. With lightning speed he is around me and standing in front of the microscope.
"What the hell? How did you do that?"
"Another vampire perk is being significantly faster than our human counterparts," he explains.
"Lovely," I muse, "now can you move so I can begin viewing the slides."
He blocks my reach of the microscope. "You know, you don't have to be like this."
"Be like what?" I ask.
"Being the one who always has to take care of everything."
I snort. "Yes, I do because no one else is going to do it."
He leans against the counter with a wispy look in his eyes. "Wow. You have some serious trust issues."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask.
"Well, you didn't want to ask Sarah for help. You didn't want to tell me about Tucker. Now you're upset because you found out that I went ahead and talked to Tucker on your behalf." He shakes his head. "You don't have to do it all."
I grit my teeth. "Fine. Okay. You got me. Now I trust you to get serious about working on the project. Is that good enough for you?"
He grins. "Nice try at deflecting the attention away from you."
Groaning in utter frustration I exclaim, "If you weren't a vampire capable of snapping me like a twig, I would smack the grin right off your face!"
He nods calmly, his grin fading. "There it is."
Confused I look around. "There is what?"
He takes my hand. I try to pull away from him only to be caught in his arms. My brow furrowed, I wiggle against him as his grip becomes firmer, contrasting the gentler look on his face. "When something upsets you beyond reason, even you, Emma Burcham, can be provoked into violence. That's what happened with me. When watching the videos and when talking about Serenity. But I controlled it because I didn't want to hurt you." He brushes the back of his hand against my cheek, searching my eyes, "You don't have to be scared of me."
I turn my head, looking away from him, suddenly feeling completely foolish and a little bit excited. I turn back to him. "Okay, Rick. I won't be scared of you because I trust that you won't hurt me."
He runs his hands up and down my arms as he lets go of me. A soft smile slowly turns the corners of his lips up. "That's a start."
I take a step back, overwhelmingly aware of his fingertips slowly brushing against my skin, tickling the hairs on my arms and warming me to the core. I turn toward the island trying to get my mind back on track. "I've already prepared the slides and have logged everything. Now all we need to do is look at them and assess how the sunlight impacted the tissue."
He smiles more broadly as he walks around to the other side, giving me a wide berth. He picks up the pen and readies himself to be our note-taker. I look at him and inhale deeply. I pick up the first slide and put it under the lens of the microscope. I carefully position my eye over the microscope. After a few moments of adjusting the lens I say, "This appears to be nothing more than water with slight traces of sodium crystals. There also appears to be some traces of blood."
"Where did it come from?" Rick asks.
"I kept one of the fingers in the container when I set it in the sun, just to see if there was any difference in impact compared with the finger that was set in direct sunlight."
He nods. "Makes sense."
I exhale rather forcefully while removing the first slide. "It appears to be nothing more than a vampire sweat-like residue along with blood spatter. Which would fall in line with the theory that vampires experience an accelerated form of dehydration. Yet, the question is why is there any blood spatter at all? Why didn’t it all dehydrate?"
I pick up the second slide and put it under the scope. I begin looking through the lens as Rick is scribbling notes on the log. I suddenly stand up straight.
"What's wrong?"
"It just doesn't seem right," I respond. "I would expect the cells to be more damaged than this if it were dehydration. They look like they're just damaged, rather than completely dried up and lifeless."
"May I?" he asks as he moves forward to look at the slide. "Hhhmmm. Maybe it's just a delayed response since the specimen was encased in plastic."
"Possibly. But part of the damage appears to be a warping of the cells. Maybe not all of the cells dehydrated and some only partially dried up. Still, in those cells, the warping isn’t consistent with dehydration."
I maneuver him out of the way so I can look at the third slide. "Now that's what I was expecting. Some of the cells are so shrunken and shriveled they look more like squiggly lines." I look up, staring off into the distance while thinking about whether or not a delayed reaction is a good enough explanation for me. I tap my fingers against the top of the island. "Another experiment," is all I say before I start walking back to the storage cabinet.
"For what?" he asks.
I turn around as a tingling sensation of foreboding creeps all over my skin. "If we're talking about dehydration, then rehydration is possible."
He chuckles. "I don't think we need to fear soggy vampire parts."
I step toward him, almost excited at the direction my thoughts are going. "What if it's more than that? With a vampire's healing ability and resistance to most things fatal, what if rehydration actually had the effect of re-animation?"
Laughing loudly he says, "Are you serious? If that were the case vampires would have taken advantage of that a long time ago."
I step to the side of the island, leaning against it, inclining my body toward him. "Only if they knew. Think about it. What usually happens when a vampire is caught in the sunlight?"
Smiling broadly at me while listening, his smile slowly begins to fade as he thinks about what I have said. "The remains usually get scattered in some way. Either by the wind, force of the exposure - almost like an eruption - or by the person who did the deed."
Nodding I say, "Many people believe that the effects are caused by the vampires catching on fire. If people believe this, then why would anyone even think to gather the remains and rehydrate them? Can you imagine the implications?"
He looks at the table then back up to me. You can visibly see him considering my words. "Can you imagine what some vampires would try to do if that were the case?"
I lean back. "I hope to God I'm wrong."