Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter Of Choice ❯ The Hunter and the Hunted ( Chapter 23 )

The Hunter and the Hunted

 

Tegan was a little bleary eyed when she finally arrived in San Francisco. It had been the furthest destination that had been available at that short notice. It had been a harrowing twenty-four hours or so. Waiting in the departure lounge for two hours had been difficult at best. Her heart had been in tatters, and with nothing to distract her she had been constantly fighting back tears, some of grief, some of anger. The flight had been okay and she had managed to sleep for most of it. While she was rested her eyes were dry from the atmosphere in the aircraft, and it would take time to feel right again. Rest also did nothing for the tumult of emotion she felt. She sat waiting at the baggage reclaim feeling hollow and empty. For now, the tears had run dry.

 

She sat in the hustle and bustle, still and quiet in all the noise and movement of the airport. The world seemed to be carrying on without her. She looked at the businessmen in their suits, the holidaymakers and travellers. Children tugged at their mother's skirts, couples chatted animatedly. While they had their stresses they were blissfully ignorant of what dangers lurked in the shadows. Each and every one of them could fall prey but until that time they would never know. The thought saddened her, but the realisation that she was running from the biggest danger of all chilled her to the bone. She had to get on with it and hope that fate would be kind.

 

Finally able to retrieve her bag she slung her meagre belongings onto her back and headed onward. The world outside was bathed in the soft early morning sun, already warm. Back home it would be the middle of the night. Would he look for her and discover she had gone? She had to put him out of her mind, at least for now. First things first, draw out some money, then breakfast.

 

* * * * *

 

Torin returned after his hunt feeling saddened. For some reason he was concerned for the girl. She was so young, so innocent, and shouldn't have had to see her uncle's death. He was also worried about Demetriov; his fixation with Tegan was unhealthy. He had moved them to this place to be close to her when she was a baby. Well, moved them was probably not the right way of putting it. They all chose whether they stayed together or not. He stayed with Demetriov despite all that happened between them, as he was company for the years that passed, and company he could rely on. Their other companions didn't interest him, least of all Adam. He felt that Adam and Demetriov were so similar. While Adam was so evidently cruel at heart, Demetriov kept that part of himself hidden, but it was there and Torin knew well enough not to ignore it.

 

As he entered their current abode he could see Demetriov sat brooding in a large chair in the salon. He knew that look, and knew he had to find out what was on his mind. He sat down opposite him, Demetriov not acknowledging his presence as yet.

 

“What is it?” He put it bluntly.

 

Demetriov looked up at him and chuckled. “You have always known my moods haven't you?”

 

“We have been close for a long time.” Torin conceded carefully.

 

Demetriov stood, going to the window and looking out at the grounds, smiling to himself for a moment.

 

“It seems we have underestimated Stuart and his niece.”

 

“It what way?” Torin was intrigued.

 

“She's gone. Since last night she seems to have disappeared.”

 

Torin breathed a sigh of relief. “They must have been planning it for some time.” He mused.

 

“Mmm.” Demetriov agreed. “She would never have gone so quickly otherwise.”

 

“She's got guts though.” Torin noted.

 

Demetriov laughed gently. “Do you think she's scared?”

 

“I'd bet on it. But she's managed to leave last night behind and go anyway.”

 

“Very true. She fascinates me.”

 

Torin paused. He had to ask, even though he had a feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.

 

“You're going to go after her aren't you?” He asked softly.

 

Demetriov laughed. “Of course I am. I haven't felt this alive in years; now the chase really begins.”

 

“And what about us?”

 

Demetriov mellowed. “I don't expect anyone to follow me. This is just something I want to do.”

 

“Why her?” Torin asked the obvious question.

 

“I have my reasons.” He replied cryptically.

 

Torin knew that would be that. Once Demetriov decided to keep something to himself there would be no arguing about it. He sighed. What should he do? If he went with Demetriov he might seem to be endorsing his hunt of her. But if he was there then maybe he could watch her back. She needed a friend and Torin was concerned for both her and Demetriov. He knew he wouldn't be able to interfere, Demetriov wouldn't allow that. All he could do was watch over her, warn her and try and keep the two apart as subtly as possible. Demetriov had turned to see him contemplating.

 

“I'll go where you go. I always have.” He eventually stated after a moment of being regarded with interest by his companion.

 

Demetriov smiled. “Now the fun really begins. Now we have to find out where she went.”

 

* * * * *

 

It had been a long day. Tegan flopped on the bed exhausted. Carrying the bag around all day had been harder than she had thought. It had taken a while to find somewhere where she could draw out the money. From there it was a case of finding somewhere to stay. The waitress in the diner where she had eaten breakfast - okay it had been lunch by the time she'd got there, had advised her to try the place where she was now renting a room. She said she'd seen a lot of backpackers come through in her time. Tegan had smiled genuinely for the first time since Stuart's death. It had been nice to find a friendly face.

 

It had been a hike from the diner. She could have used the local public transport but walking helped her take her mind off things and made the time pass. Her feelings were still very raw and too much time to think was something that she didn't want. So she had walked taking in the sights and sounds of the city. She had no idea how long she would be here. Home would be wherever she laid down to sleep. Evening had already begun when she got to the hostel and was pleased when she discovered that the waitress had been right about Internet access. So now she lay on the meagre bed staring at the ceiling.

 

It was a small room, but she didn't care. It was clean and that was what mattered. She had no time for luxuries now. She didn't bother to unpack only pulling out the laptop and a change of clothes for the morning. Tomorrow she would have to find somewhere to do her laundry. Plugging into the Internet she sent Lynn an email, letting her know that she had arrived safe. She sighed and began to write to Michael. She wrote and rewrote the email again and again trying to tell him how she felt. Finally she wrote it down, all of it; everything that had happened to her, why she left, and how she felt. By the end tears were coming to her eyes once more. She wiped them away angrily, she was so very sick of crying now.

 

She sat on the bed staring at the screen felling numb and tired. Jetlag was setting in. She read and reread the email, realising that no matter what she felt she couldn't tell him. She deleted it, logged off and lay down to try to sleep. Her body welcomed the embrace of sleep with ease, the events of the past two days having take its toll on her. As she lay there, she found herself wondering what Demetriov was doing now, the thought staying with her as she drifted into a deep sleep.

 

* * * * *

 

Demetriov did not have the skills Tegan had. He had no idea about computers, and having no idea if she was still in the country or not, so it was time to work logically. It took him a day or two of careful questioning of the people who lived nearby to find that she had indeed left the country, confirming that it had been planned for months, though where she had gone to no one knew. From there it got a little easier. He knew where the nearest airport was and what day she left. He couldn't get hold of the passenger manifests, he just didn't have the right contacts, but he was able to find out what flights had gone out that day. Coupled with the knowledge that they hadn't left for the airport till the afternoon the list grew shorter.

 

Torin came in a week after she had gone to find him poring over the information. He stood at Demetriov's shoulder looking at the notes he had made.

 

“Getting any closer?”

 

“A little.” He replied. “The problem is I am going to have to take a shot in the dark. I have a short list but nothing definite.”

 

Torin nodded. The situation was filled with unknowns. Would Tegan keep on running, would Demetriov keep following her? If he misjudged would Demetriov search the world for her? Either way, he hoped that Tegan would evade him. If she did, it might dissipate the obsession he had with her. He doubted he would be running after her when she got beyond a certain age. There would be no point in his eyes. What Demetriov wanted was a new companion, young and strong. Tegan was definitely that.

 

He wondered should he be jealous. To a degree, it seemed that Demetriov planned for her to replace Torin's affections, since he had ended their relationship long ago. He could understand the need for affection. There was companionship between the two, but they grew more and more distant from each other over time. He too felt the same need, but worried about the fixation on one individual. But then again, it was exactly what had happened when Demetriov had made him a vampire. Torin had been much more in control of that situation than Tegan was now, but the parallel was there never-the-less.

 

“I just need to try and think like her. Think what she would have done and then I'll be able to find her.”

 

* * * * *

 

Tegan had spent the first couple of days just walking round the city. It helped her to clear her head and it seemed to ease the aching in her heart. Then it was time to start getting down to brass tacks. She was then locked to her laptop for days, sourcing suppliers, sword makers and the like were hard to find. Plus finding one who would do what she wanted, that was harder. She spent a lot of time emailing back and forth looking for what she wanted.

 

She also started to keep an eye on things, trying to see if he was following her. It was hard, she had no idea how he would travel, whether he would be alone or if she was looking for a group. She didn't know if he would come direct. It was like finding a needle in a haystack but she would have to do what she could. It was hard work and she could only do so much at once. She found herself falling asleep, the laptop still logged in through sheer exhaustion. This was no way to be operating so she decided to change tack. She started spending her time at the library, the books her solace in this strange time of her life.

 

She felt lost, adrift; her life had no purpose; all her plans for a career, for life; straight out of the window. Love would be out of the question, as would a family. She felt she had grown up in a few short days and she had no choice. Why couldn't she be like everyone else? Why couldn't she have a life! These angry questions filled her but she knew it was pointless. It was no good brooding about it now. It was her life and she would make the best of it. Therefore the bag stayed packed and she kept searching for any sign of her stalker.

 

She had found a local gym that she could use on a session-by-session basis. It was helping her keep in shape and it provided a distraction from her troubles. Being able to immerse herself in training allowed her for a little while to feel like she was at home, and that Stuart was still with her, that Demetriov was not coming for her. It was an illusion she knew, but a welcome one. That and having people around her helped a little. It made her feel more normal when they talked about the circuits they did, made her feel a little less alone. She had never wanted to feel this way, had never wanted to have to wander through life on her own, but the truth was that it was a necessity

 

* * * * *

 

Torin sat by the fire thinking. Demetriov had been so absorbed with finding her since their last discussion. It had been three weeks now and he had become more and more withdrawn into his task and yet, as he had said, he hadn't looked this alive for a very long time. It was nice to see the man he still cared about looking like his old self. He still worried for his old friend but his feelings were confused. While seeing Demetriov like this was positive, what would be the eventual cost? Demetriov came in and sat in front of him rousing him from his thoughts. From Demetriov's smile he knew something was up.

 

“Well you look like the cat that's got the cream.” He teased gently.

 

Demetriov laughed. “I know where we are going; we just need to make some plans.”

 

“You know where she is?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, and feeling his stomach tighten, though for what reason he was not sure.

 

“Not a hundred percent certain, but sure enough to take the gamble.”

 

“The others?” He was going through the motions now, the others he didn't really care about in all honesty.

 

“They know. They'll come. Alicia fancies a change of scene. If I'm wrong and they don't come when I move on again it doesn't matter.”

 

It was as he suspected. Inwardly he sighed, but refused to let Demetriov see what was going on within.

 

“So when?”

 

“A few days. I need to sort things out. I'm not sure where we will stay when we arrive. We'll work something out.”

 

And that was that, Demetriov left as quickly as he had come, leaving Torin to absorb what this information really meant. His emotions swirled around in an all too familiar turmoil, but in the midst of it all Torin found himself hoping that for her sake Demetriov was wrong.

 

* * * * *

 

Tegan was getting into the rhythm of her existence once more. She had just about made the arrangements she needed for her weaponry. No matter what happened now she would have to stay put till this was sorted. She would just have to be careful, though that may be easier said than done. She just had to settle on the design. She had been concentrating on this for the past couple of days. Truth be told she was getting twitchy. There was a shipment that she had noticed on a cargo manifest that bothered her, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was being paranoid. She didn't think he could be that fast but she never knew. She hadn't left much of a trail behind her but that meant nothing in the scheme of things.

 

The shipment was due to arrive in two days. It was time she started to watch her back.

 

* * * * *

 

Demetriov's heart was pounding with anticipation. They were here at last and he knew she would be here. He didn't know how he was so sure, but he was. As he looked at the San Francisco skyline he knew she was out there somewhere, and now the real chase would begin. Everything was falling right; fate it seemed had smiled on them. He had met up by chance with a group of vampires, all young. They had lost their oldest companion recently and were a little lost. They had a large mansion out in the suburbs and offered them temporary refuge.

 

Now the hunt was really on. Who would see the other first? Would she fly before he found her? Ah but these questions were what made the hunt so exciting. He wasn't feeding every night he was so consumed by this. Not that he needed to. He was stronger than that. Torin could go a few days between feeds he knew, as could Daniel, but the others were still too young yet. He thought of Torin. Torin was his only real companion, but so much had passed between them there could be nothing more between them now, only companionship. He was grateful for that, but he wanted more. He wanted her.

 

* * * * *

 

“No!”

 

Tegan sat bolt upright in bed, waking from the nightmare, sweating profusely. She swore, breathing heavily, trying to calm her racing heart. She swung her legs out of bed holding her head in her hands. Her nerves were killing her, but she still didn't know if she was being paranoid. She didn't want to run again for no reason. Mind you sleepless nights and a semi-permanent state of anxiety might be reason enough. She sighed heavily. There would be no getting back to sleep now. She dressed quickly and went into the warm summer night.

 

The city was alive despite the late hour. This was something she had never understood. She had always known of the bars and clubs, she was a teenager after all, but had never seen a place throbbing with so much energy in the small hours of the morning. She walked along at a slow dawdle, not really caring where her feet took her, just putting one foot in front of the other. The aim was to make the time pass until either she was tired again or until morning came. Though she ambled along slowly looking quite calm she stayed alert.

 

She allowed herself to drift along in no particular direction. Looking up at the sky you couldn't see the stars for all the lights in the city. She missed them; she had spent so much time watching them before all this. It had been a clear and starry night when all this had begun. She sighed, her nightmares were getting worse she realised. Even if she moved on she didn't know if they would settle, or whether she would ever sleep properly again. She had as a result bought some sedatives but hadn't yet come to the point of being desperate enough to use them.

 

Life seemed to be passing by in slow motion, the slow passage of time unbearable. The time being eked out in small measures until the inevitable happened. No matter how she looked at it she wouldn't be able to do this forever. One day she would get too tired and wouldn't be able to any more. What then? Take a stand when she was no longer as capable as she had been? Wait and let it happen to her? These had been issues that she and Stuart hadn't faced. There hadn't been time. Now she was lost in the mire not knowing where to turn.

 

She wrapped her arms around her waist finding some cold comfort in their warmth. She rounded a corner, not paying enough attention, lifting her head up. Suddenly the world fell away, the moment stretching out, seeing in slow motion the object of her fears, stifling a gasp and turning back quickly diving round the corner out of sight. She stood breathing hard, her heart pounding. Demetriov! He was here already, the fact opening the door for panic to try and take hold of her. She stood for a moment trying to get a hold of herself, and when no attack came she suddenly doubted herself. Taking a deep breath she dared to look.

 

There he stood, calm and collected unaware that he was observed, and he was not alone. He was with another vampire, deep in conversation. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. She wasn't ready for this yet; she had things she had to do here. Demetriov paused suddenly turning to look her way. Tegan turned and ran. She didn't dare wait to find out if he had seen her. She ran through the streets as best she could, but weaving through the night revellers was not easy. As she reached her room she slammed the door behind her, leaning against it heavily. Closing her eyes she slid down the door, vaguely aware that she was crying.

 

She sat there knowing that she couldn't go on like this. Five weeks and he was already here, and she wasn't ready. If that was how long it had taken him to realise she had come here, how long would it be till he found her bolthole? Even if she moved hostels it wouldn't be of any real help. She needed those blades she had invested too much in this to leave them behind. Besides, how long would she have next time? She needed to buy some time, do something.

 

As she calmed she realised how she felt. She had run scared, and she found herself hating herself for running. Surely there was more to her life than this. Surely there was more to her than this. She was more than a frightened lamb waiting for the slaughter. She screamed in frustration kicking the bed, angry tears falling down her cheeks freely. She was trapped in hell with no way out! She sobbed for a few moments, letting out the frustration and fear that plagued her every waking moment, her dreams. She lifted her head up, seeing that Stuart's knife had slid to the floor from its place under the pillow when she had kicked the bed. She had taken to sleeping with it there; it made her feel a little safer. She sat looking at it, and all it represented to her.

 

Then fear left her eyes, being replaced by a fierce determination. It was in that moment that she decided to take the biggest risk of her life. She had to see what she was made of.

 

***************************************************************** **********************************

 

Author's notes:

Hmm, so the chase is on, and what will our dear Tegan do? Well I know I know the answer, but it does get interesting at this point I assure you. Things are gonna change. Fun!