Gidion's Hunt Read online

  “That attack on you wasn’t random.” He wasn’t sure this was the smartest move, but he didn’t see much advantage to leaving her in the dark.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “I found some of the vampire’s belongings. He had a cell phone. In it, I found a text.” He reached into his bag and pulled out the phone. He turned it on and displayed the text for her to read.

  She muttered a “Dear God” as she read the message. Not every day you get to read that someone wants you dead. All things considered, she took the news pretty well. Come to think of it, lots of kids had probably wanted her dead over the years. Likely came with being a teacher.

  “Who is ‘R-I-C-C-V-N’?”

  “I think it’s just an abbreviation for ‘Richmond Coven.’ For some reason, the local coven wants you dead.”

  “But why?” She held the phone so he could see her picture in the message. “I didn’t even know they existed until the other night. What could I possibly have done to make an entire group of these monsters want me dead?”

  “I was hoping you’d tell me. I can think of lots of reasons, but most of them require you having known vampires existed before that night.” He’d spent the weekend considering that, but he’d come up empty. “I don’t see how you could threaten their secrecy. Is it possible someone you know could have been turned into one or might know about them?”

  She laughed. He heard the fear in her voice, the way it shook. “My father worked in a car plant outside of Birmingham. All of my family still lives there. I don’t see how they could possibly be a threat to any vampires, certainly not here in Richmond.”

  “And no one you know has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, no one with a grudge?”

  She shook her head. “This is insane.”

  “You can’t think of anything that’s recently happened that might—?”

  “No. I haven’t a clue. I’m a teacher.” She looked at the message on the phone. “What is this reward? ‘Admittance’?”

  “The vampire who came after you wasn’t part of the Richmond Coven.” This role-reversal, him teaching his teacher, was just freaking him out. “He was a nomadic vampire. Dude was living out of his trunk. Most covens keep their numbers small to avoid being noticed. Nomadic vampires who overstay their welcome get run out of town or killed by their own kind.”

  Here came the really weird part, the one where he told his teacher what to do. “I don’t want to panic you, but I don’t have a way to know if that hit was sent to just this vampire or if the message was a text blast.”

  “Text blast?”

  “A text blast is when a message is sent to a group of phones. This might not have been a personal message to that vampire.”

  She crossed her arms. “I have to take this to the police.”

  “That’s a bad idea.” He could see her ready to protest, and cut her off. “They might believe that someone wants you dead, but how do you explain the phone? You can’t tell them it’s a vampire’s without them writing you off as crazy. Even if they just investigate this as any other threat, they’re going to ask where you got the phone. That means telling them about the attack at the Canal Walk, and that doesn’t end well for me or you.”

  “Gidion, you protected me that night.”

  “And now I need you to protect me. You can’t go to the police. Assuming they even believe you, they’ll probably wonder why you waited until days later to go to them. Just think about it.”

  “What am I supposed to do? Sit in my house with the doors locked and hope they don’t break down my door and kill me?” Her arms were all over the place, as if to provide each word out of her mouth with a special emphasis.

  “Actually, I was wondering if you had anyone you could stay with for a few days. I’ve already used the information I’ve gotten from that phone to locate a house used by these vampires. Give me time to find them and finish the job.”

  “How much time? I don’t have any family in town, Gidion. I’ve friends, but how do I explain needing to stay with them?”

  “I don’t know. Tell them you’re fumigating your house or something, and you need to let it air out because you have bad allergies or asthma. The point is that you need to take measures to stay safe.”

  She slammed her fist on her desk. He’d never seen one of his teacher’s like this. The idea these adults had a life outside of the classroom just didn’t compute in his brain. She paced in front of the desk, rubbing her forehead.

  “Aren’t vampires unable to enter a house unless they’re invited?” she asked.

  “Sorry, that’s just a load of crap. Most aren’t any stronger than a normal person. They just heal faster, and they aren’t hampered by a conscience when it’s time to kill. And before you ask, the whole garlic and silver thing is bunk, too. The good news is that they can’t get into your house any more easily than anyone else.”

  She stared at him, still looking irritated, as if he’d just told her his dog had eaten his homework. That “good news” probably wasn’t much comfort.

  “Do you own a gun?” he asked.

  “No.” She sounded insulted. “Will a gun kill them?”

  “Not really. You need a powerful caliber to do enough damage just to slow them down, that or aim well enough to target a major artery. Your best defense is to make them lose enough blood that they haven’t got any choice but to run. Go to a hardware store, and get yourself a box cutter.”

  “A box cutter?”

  “I’m a big fan of those. They’re easy to conceal in a pocket and safer than carrying a knife, but don’t go cheap. Get the ones that have a grip on them. You’re gonna sweat in an attack, and you don’t want it to slip out of your hand when you need it.” He’d have shown her his, but he knew better than to carry any of his gear while on campus. “Go for the throat or wrists. You can cut the inside of their thighs, but it’s tough to get to a major artery down there with just a razor. That works better with a knife. Cut them until they let go and run for it.”

  She sat on the desk again while he said that, and her grip had tightened on the wood top enough to turn her knuckles as pale as her face.

  “I’m a schoolteacher, not some backwoods hunter. I’ve never fired a gun, much less held one.”

  “Another argument for the box cutter.” He opened his book bag and pulled out a sheet of paper to write on. “Here’s my cell number. If you think of anything or see anything, call or text me.”

  She glared at him. “I don’t have a cell to text with.”

  Oh, yeah. He’d forgotten about that.

  “Sorry. Call Henrico Police and ask for the Telephone Reporting Unit to report your phone stolen.”

  She shook her head, the change in the conversation catching her unprepared. “Why them? I was inside the city, shouldn’t I call Richmond Police?”

  “Call Henrico and you can make a report over the phone about your cell getting stolen.” He’d heard Dad mention “TRU” enough whenever he was talking shop. “You’ll get a report number you can give the phone company, but best of all, you’ll get to talk to a civilian instead of an officer. Just say your cell disappeared while you were at Short Pump Town Center or somewhere else in Henrico County, not the city. Don’t make up a description of anyone who took it. Just say you didn’t see it happen.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she processed the advice. “Why is that better than meeting with an officer?”

  “Cops deal with liars all the time. My dad used to be a cop and now works in a 911 center. He says most people use the same kinds of lies when they try to hide something from police.” She didn’t look convinced. “It’s like students trying to make up an excuse for not having their homework. How many times have you heard the same bullshit lines from different students?”

  “Good point.” She smirked. “But mind your language.”

  “Sorry. Just call them. You’ll get a police report for your phone without a lot of questions, and they won’t assign it to an investigator since you
won’t give them anything worth investigating.”

  She surprised him with a smile. “Suppose this explains why you always look like you’re going to fall asleep in my class, and I just thought you weren’t interested.”

  “Sorry about that. I don’t usually stay out later than two on the weeknights.” He shrugged. “Not much point. Places close too early to make it worth hunting, for me or the vampires.”

  They went silent, and after a moment, Gidion realized they were waiting for each other to say something.

  “I need my teacher’s pass from you,” he said.

  She hopped back to her feet and went around her desk. “I’d appreciate it if you kept me updated.”

  “I will, and one last thing.” He looked away from her, zipping shut his backpack. “Don’t tell anyone else about this. Definitely don’t trust any students, even if they claim to be a friend of mine.” He thought about that stupid dog collar on Pete’s neck. “Especially if they say that.”

  “Here.” She handed the hall pass to him, and he shoved it into his front pocket.

  He wished he could go hunting right now, but he had to wait. At least Dad went back to work tonight, and that meant he’d be able to do the same.

  Chapter Ten

  Surveillance sounds simple enough. Sit in a car and watch. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works, especially when it’s a one-man job, there’s the small matter of bathroom breaks. In a suburban setting, there’s also the problem of the nosey neighbor. All it takes is one person with too much time on their hands, and the police show up. Even if they don’t flash the blue lights, it’s a safe bet everyone…including the person being watched…will know someone is there who shouldn’t be.

  With that in mind, Gidion opted against a visit back to the safe house. Stephanie would be watching, and she was already suspicious of him. If she spotted him a second time, then she’d know his being there wasn’t just coincidence. Better to sit on that info until he needed to use it.

  The sun was setting as the Little Hearse pulled off the Downtown Expressway. He wasn’t holding out much hope for hunting on a Monday night. Most Mondays, he didn’t even bother with a trip downtown. If nothing else, he hoped the walk would help him clear his mind, help him figure out his next move. He needed a way to find where the Richmond Coven was making its nest. He’d been trying that for a while now, but with Ms. Aldgate’s life at stake, that goal had become a lot more urgent.

  He drove until he found a space down near the Bottom’s Up restaurant. The weather had turned colder, which was good for Gidion. That made his dark grey hoodie a lot less suspicious as he strolled through the Shockoe Bottom area of downtown.

  The crowd turned out larger this night than he’d expected. As he walked around the corner onto East Franklin Street, he spotted a group of teenagers dressed in all black going into the Old World nightclub. That wouldn’t normally grab his interest, but his eyes were drawn to the tallest guy and his dog collar.

  It was Pete.

  Pete didn’t see him, and none of the others with him even glanced in Gidion’s direction as they went inside. Old World was a brick building which had been converted into a dance club a few years ago. The sign out front had “Old World” in white letters in a blue rectangle with a red circle behind it. Nothing about the place had registered on his radar anymore than the rest of the clubs, but to see what he assumed to be a group of feeders entering it changed everything.

  He was about to step inside when the bouncer pushed him back. “No kids allowed. Beat it.” Dang, this guy had to be at least a foot taller than him, twice as wide and all muscle.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “No one under twenty-one. Now, get lost.”

  “Are you kidding me? You just let a whole group of teenagers in there.”

  The bouncer reached for him, but Gidion stepped back. He held up his hands. No point in arguing with Mr. No Neck.

  “Gidion?”

  He looked through the open door. Stephanie smiled at him. She was still all gothed out, but this time, she was in a dress…a really short dress.

  “Is he a friend of yours?” As aggressive and intimidating as the bouncer had been with Gidion, he sounded even more submissive to Stephanie.

  “Well, I don’t know.” She stepped out enough for the light from a street lamp to make her pale skin glow. “Are we friends, Gidion?”

  He wasn’t sure how to answer that, and the show of her legs, which looked a lot longer in that dress, didn’t help his brain form an answer any faster.

  “Sorry.” He shook his head to right his thoughts. “I mean, I saw Pete go inside. Just wanted to say ‘Hi’ to him was all.”

  She laughed. “Do you want me to invite you in?”

  Gidion glanced at the bouncer. The guy was looking at the two of them, perhaps trying to figure out which way this was gonna go. He was suddenly very aware that his car was a good three blocks from here. If he ran for it, there was no knowing if he could get there before this bouncer, Stephanie or someone in her group caught up to him. Of course, going inside wouldn’t exactly improve his odds of flight, if he tried to make a break for it. Then there was the thought of Pete. Maybe he could get him to leave, talk some sense into him or at least learn something useful from him.

  He smiled at Stephanie. “Coming in would be nice.”

  She extended her hand. “Then come inside.”

  The bouncer stepped aside as Gidion took the offered hand. Grandpa would probably hit him in the back of the head for this, but he couldn’t just walk away, not with Pete in there.

  Stephanie slipped her arm around his as they walked inside. If anyone was paying attention, they might mistake the two of them for a couple on a date.

  He studied the place as best he could. The club included one of those light-up dance floors and strobe lights mounted high on the walls throughout the place. Despite all the lights, the place was damn dark. The only reason anyone could see the bar was the mirror behind it reflecting all those lights and a long, blue neon line running across the front of the bar. Good luck having a quiet conversation in this place, too. The bass was cranked well above good sense. He recognized the music playing as Apocalyptica. A vampire could drag someone into a booth, drain them dry and no one would ever hear a scream.

  Gidion stiffened as Stephanie leaned closer to him, her lips far too close to his throat for his liking, even if she wasn’t a vampire. “I’m starting to think you’re following me, Gidion.”

  She had to scream her words for him to hear her, but that didn’t rob the statement of its subtle accusation. He needed to play this right.

  “Guess I’m just lucky.” He went for his best James Bond smile, hoping she’d believe he was really flirting with her. “You look really hot in that dress.”

  “Thank you, but you look dressed for track practice.” Hard to tell if she was just teasing or making another accusation.

  “So, how is it you can get past Mr. No Neck at the door?”

  She laughed. “That’s good. I’ll have to start calling him that.”

  “So how do you get him to let you in?”

  She stopped walking, the dance floor behind her. The lights cast her in a rainbow-edged silhouette. “Guess I’m just lucky.”

  He didn’t need to see her face to know he’d probably overplayed his hand by pressing that question.

  “You’re cute, Gidion, but you seem too much of a goody-two-shoes to be club-hopping on a school night.”

  He shrugged, hoping it came across nonchalant. “Funny, up until this school year, I’d have sworn the same thing about you.”

  “Guess neither of us is what we seem.” Definitely nothing subtle in that statement.

  “So where’s Pete? If it’s all the same, I’d just like to say ‘Hi’ to him and get out of here.”

  She slid closer, her body pressed against his, arms slipping around his neck. No girl had ever made a move that forward with him. He wasn’t sure how to react, even if his bo
dy was pretty sure how it wanted to respond, and as close as she was, she could probably feel it.

  “Why not take off the lame hoodie and play with me? Pete will come by soon enough.”

  His voice cracked as he tried to answer, and cleared his throat for the second try. “Didn’t realize you and he were such good friends these days.”

  She laughed. “Pete? My friend? Please. He’s more like a decoration, a very tall gargoyle.”

  He knew he should say something to defend Pete, but that was hard to do with her hips up against his.

  “I wouldn’t mind making you a friend, though.” She leaned in close as if to kiss him. “That reminds me. You never answered me at the door. Are we friends?”

  Her arms slid from around his neck and then beneath his arms to reach behind him. Dammit, she was frisking him! He broke free of her hold and stepped back before she could find anything. She’d most likely felt the box cutter in his hoodie’s front pocket when she’d pressed her body against his. Maybe she’d just assume that was his car keys. Right.

  “I don’t think we know each other well enough yet to be that friendly.” The desire for her didn’t vanish when he’d pulled away. He took a breath to get his wits back and hoped he didn’t need to run anytime in the next minute or two. “I’ll just go see Pete and be on my way. Thanks for getting me in the door.”

  The shadows didn’t hide her glare as he slipped into the crowd. He needed to find Pete fast and get the hell out of here. Old World didn’t look very big from the front, but it made up for its lack of width with plenty of depth. The further he got into the place the darker it got. The smell of cigarette smoke and sweat grew thicker in the back. Light poured in to his right. He turned to see a door closing, but not before he spotted a set of stairs that led up. Did the vampires own this place? Most likely, given Stephanie’s pull with the bouncer. The vampires might even live upstairs, but he didn’t think that was likely. Health inspectors would probably check out the entire place.

  Gidion had looked all through the back. He earned a few dirty looks from folks making out in the back booths. As he worked his way back towards the front, he saw Stephanie. She didn’t see him, and he moved fast to keep it that way. She was yelling something at two gothed out guys he’d seen walk in with Pete. They could pass for No Neck’s illegitimate sons, Thing One and Thing Two.