He doesn’t feed like Julian. It’s not controlled or precise. Not the way he fed on me or how they say he killed Father Paretti. Brian is an animal. He shreds Liz’s throat to ribbons, pieces of her skin hit the ground. Steam rises from her blood and still warm flesh. There’s screams and a second later headlights wash over Brian.
I almost wish they hadn’t. The lights illuminate the scene of Brian gorging himself on Liz’s body. Her blood. He’s tearing and chewing through her neck. Spitting her out by the mouthful before he goes back for more. Her blood stains his face and neck, turns his clothing black in the moonlight. Police cars come to a screeching halt in front of Brian, there’s two of them. Not nearly enough to stop Brian.
“Hands up!” Sheriff Dayton yells, drawing his weapon. Two more cops get out and aim at Brian. “Drop the girl!”
Brian doesn’t drop Liz. He throws her at Sheriff Dayton. I stare in shock as her body slams into the windshield and crashes right on through. Glass explodes and the cops start firing when Brian charges them. He gets hit a few times before he changes direction with a howl of pain and turns my way.
“Oh fuck.” I step back, ready to duck in case he throws anything at me. I might have killed Brian when he was a human but I don’t know how to handle a fucking vampire. Police firefollows him right up my sidewalk before he veers to the left and runs past my porch to the backyard.
“Perp is on the move. Dayton in pursuit!”
He might have just watched Brian kill a woman and throw her through his windshield with superhuman strength but Sheriff Dayton isn’t scared of shit. I’ll give the man that. He runs right after Brian and a second later his deputies follow after him. They’re shouting to one another and calling for backup on their way past. I hear gunfire in my backyard and race through the house to follow it. I’m at the back door but Brian is already gone. My yard isn’t fenced, there was never a need to fence it with the way it butts right up into the treeline.
There’s another shot of gunfire and I see a flashlight beam swing wildly in the forest. Brian and Sheriff Dayton are in the trees.
“Back up needed at Vesper House! Perp in the woods behind! Unit following now.” Two of the deputies run in after Sheriff Dayton.
Oh my god what if they come across Julian fighting with Rosanna out there? What if they fire on him? Fear and worry almost make me run out after them to try and head them off to explain that if they find Julian he’s not a danger to them. I’d be lying, of course. Julian is absolutely a danger to them.
“Get in the house! Close the door, Maris!” The last deputy in the yard yells at me and shines their flashlight at me. It’s Belinda’s brother, Eric. He’s a decent guy, just like his sister.
“Now, Maris!”
“Okay, okay! Just update me?” Eric looks like he doesn’t want to agree so I add, “Please! He was trying to kill me, Eric. He was here for me. Ask anyone on the street.”
It’s true. They all heard what Brian told Scott.
Finally Eric sighs and cuts his radio. “Fine. I’ll be back by when we’re done out here but lock the windows and doors.Don’t come outside for anything, or anyone unless it’s me or the Sheriff. Got it?”
I nod. “Got it.”
There’s a round of gunfire in the woods behind him and we hear a man shout. That’s enough to have Eric flipping on his radio and racing into the woods. I stand there alone at my back door for a second more but when I hear another gunshot I close the door and lock it like he told me.
Forty-Six
MARIS
Iwait all night and morning but there’s no sign of Julian anywhere. I’m a walking zombie when the sun rises over the sea and breaks through the clouds. The rain has stopped, but the clouds still hang low, promising showers before lunch.
“Where is he?” I whisper and look out the front windows. The central one Rosanna made her grand entrance through is still open to the elements. I knocked out the shards of glass still clinging to the frame and put the living room back to rights as best I could, but it’s still marked by last night. There’s a scorch mark on the floor where the Molotov Cocktail Rosanna threw landed, and the window will need to be replaced entirely, frame and all. Even if she didn’t come in, she destroyed it. I wanted to board it up but the things to do it are in the utility shed out back. Not worth the risk of decapitation to board up the window.
Besides, the monster I want to keep out can’t come in. If a person tried, I’d welcome it as an easy fight, but I don’t think anyone in town is crazy enough to try with the circus outside. It feels like the entire police department is here.
Sheriff Dayton and the others returned from the woods an hour or two after I talked to Eric. The rest of the officers showed up while they were gone and set up camp. I watch the forensicteam taking photos and blocking off the road. They took Liz’s body away a few hours ago. Her head had to be taken in a separate bag. I almost threw up when I saw them pick it up. Brian took it off completely.
He wanted that to be you. I blink and it’s not Liz that I see lying on the ground. It’s me. Throat ripped out, eyes sightless, head ripped off. There’s no doubt in my mind Brian would have done exactly what he did to Liz to me if he had managed to get me out of my house, and like an idiot I almost let him. I sigh and stare at the front door. I’m standing in the foyer now but I don’t go outside. What the fuck am I supposed to do?
Contrary to legend, sunlight doesn’t kill vampires. I’ve seen Julian walk around plenty without any problem, and then there’s Reggie. I’ve seen that man fucking tan when the weather is good. I’m not safe just because it’s daylight out, but what am I supposed to do?
I can’t stay here doing nothing while Julian is out there.
I pace and wring my hands. I don’t know what to do, but when my phone rings and it’s Josie telling me that the cops are down at the newspaper to take statements because some of Brian’s friends tried to break in, I know I can’t stay here. He’s out there and Josie and the rest are brave enough to face him. Sheriff Dayton chased him for five miles according to the deputies that came to get my statement at one am.
“I’m not a fucking little bitch,” I tell myself and grab my bag and phone on my way to the door but I stop right at the door and go back to the kitchen to grab the kitchen knife that I had all night. If anyone says shit about it being in my bag, I’m going to remind them that Brian ripped a woman’s head off in front of my house.
I might not be as strong as a vampire, but I’m angrier than one. If Brian tries to fuck with me I’m taking him with me.
I leave the house and walk out onto the sidewalk. When I open my door the activity comes to a halt and everyone on the street looks my way. There’s a small group of neighbors standing together in front of Mrs. Mulready’s house and they watch me all the way to my car. It’s only when I’m about to get in that one of them says something.
