Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Necrofiend: Blood Moon ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Thao_Lorakin: You hit the nail on the head. It was a filler chapter to not only get Tiaz’s callousness and what not through but to also get Raven’s sensitivities out there as well. Even though Tiaz is the main character, I wanna put some depth into the other chairs around him. Sorry about your attention span suffering through this. ^_^;;; I’ll make up for it somehow. And you’re half right about me wanting a multitude of reviews. I would like more people to review but I’m grateful for those who do take the time to give me the feedback I [and my muse] crave. You’re wonderful for that <3

THE GOOD THING about sleep was that no matter how sore you were, you could forget about it depending on how deep you slept. I slept like the dead, no pun intended. I was able to forget completely about being shot at, being shot, being a suspect, having to meet a master vampire about a homicide, everything. There were no dreams or nightmares. No movements or voices in the room that could have gotten me to wake up searching blindly for my gun. In fact, had a gunman came in during this sleep, he would have been able to shoot me ten times before I’d even begin to crack an eyelid. That was the first thought that crossed my mind when I finally pried my eyes open. I blinked rapidly watching the room as I slowly pieced together where I was and why. It was my usual ritual whenever I woke up from a sleep that exceeded three hours. It would have taken me about twenty minutes of lazily sorting through my memories. Not this time. A gentle shift of my legs wrung a pained groan, as well as every last detail of what had happened during the past twenty-four hours. “Ah, fuck…” I gasped as I forced my upper half up and back. Though I never moved my injured leg it still managed to send sharp throbbing pain from my outer thigh to my groin, and down to my knee.

“You should have taken those painkillers.” Raven’s voice turned my attention to my left. He was sitting comfortably on the side of his bed, already dressed in a pair of charcoal grey slacks and a white button down shirt. I would have made a comment about him rarely dressing down nowadays, but among the many memories that were filling my head; his disturbed you-killed-a-human-and-are-okay-with-this expression was still freshly burned into my retinas. He seemed to notice the lack of teasing and gave me an awkward look. I returned that look with my usual blank expression. I lost a lot of friends over the years because of the way I was. I had learned to not fight it anymore and simply accept it.

“Look….I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made such a big deal about what happened. I should have been grateful for you saving my life. I am.” He said with a wan smile. It was that smile that caused me to take in the rest of him. His clothes were crisp and clean but his face was tired. The beginnings of bags were darkening the flesh just under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well.

“It’s okay…” I stated and gingerly worked my way to the closest side of the bed. “What time is it.”
“Six …..p.m.”
My movements froze upon hearing him give the time. I didn’t bother trying to figure out how many hours exactly I had slept. All I knew that it was a lot.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Because...I figured you’d get as much sleep as you can now…and for the next year or so you can continue living off of two and three hours of sleep at a time.” He shrugged and grinned at me. I snorted and shook my head ruefully.

“Besides, with Canaan in the hospital and you not being able to leave…what else is there to do?” He had a point.

“I guess you’re right.” I finally confessed as I settled my feet onto the ground. Before I could push up, he tossed me a container of extra strength Tylenol. I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Thanks.” I said as I opened the container. Normally I didn’t like taking painkillers unless I was sure I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I wasn’t sure if I’d have someplace to go today but I’d be damned if I’d be hobbling around like some old man. I shook two pills out and tossed them into my mouth. I swallowed them down dry before Raven could hand me a small glass of water. I took it still and sipped on it. Sleeping for that long had left me thirsty. Once the glass was emptied, I placed it to the side.

“Oh, Remi called earlier. I told her you were sleep.”
“I’ll call her back now.”

I used my good leg to stretch out and snag my jeans without having to get up. Once they were in my hands, I fished my phone out and pressed a few buttons to unlock the device and begin the call. Remi was the only number other than 911 that I had on speed dial. I pressed the phone to my ear and waited for her to pick up.

“Hello? Thiago? What the hell happened!? I send you to investigate a homicide scene and you come up shot! How bad is it? Why aren’t you at the hospital?” I winced away from the phone when Remi answered screaming. She could have the most soothing voice but get her screaming and it was much like grating your nails over a chalkboard.

“Remi….Remi, please calm down.” I tried to calm her half way through her comment about the investigation.
“This had nothing to do with the investigation. Someone had it out for a client I’m supposed to be animating for. It really isn’t that bad, just a flesh wound.”
“Flesh wound!? Don’t you lie to me Thiago Immanuel Tiaz. Your last ‘flesh wound’ required fourteen stitches!”
“I’m not lying!” I almost whined.

“I didn’t even get stitches this time. I asked to be released and they let me go. It’s really not that bad.” I could hear Raven off to the side snickering. He’d always found it funny that Remi was able to make me act like the ‘typical little brother’ and that her voice carried from a room to everyone else in the room despite my cell’s volume being at its lowest. I flipped him off and he laughed even more.

“I should put you on house arrest…or lock you away.” I heard her mutter. I could have come up with a retort, but I knew all too well that she could and would do it if she thought it would keep me out of trouble. Instead, I kept quiet and listened to her rustle paper and sigh.

“You are to stay away from this investigation and go home ASAP. If I find out you’re still in Arizona after all of this is cleared out, I will have you locked away until I have the time to escort you back to Michigan.”

I held my breath to keep from yelling at her. Remi was the mothering type, I loved her for that, but I wasn’t one of her subordinates.

“I can’t do that, Remi.” I said through gritted teeth. The moment I did, Raven’s laughter stopped and he cringed.

“The master vampire, you’re suspecting of those murders has volunteered himself for questioning and has personally requested my presence. He won’t talk to anyone else.” She fell silent then. If she had had half as much power as that vampire had, I could have probably felt her anger radiating through the receiver of the phone. I didn’t, but I knew that, just like me, she was trying to swallow down her temper before she spoke. Neither of us wanted to say something that either of us would regret saying or hearing. Not to mention that there was a possible group of satanic murderers out there on the loose.

“Fine, Thiago, but I’ll be hand picking the men that go with you.” Her tone left no room to argue and for once I didn’t feel the need to. I didn’t know her people and wouldn’t know who to pick.

“That works for me.”
“When is this meeting supposed to happen?”
“I’ll call you and let you know when.”
“You better.” There was a long pause. For a moment I thought she’d hung up. “I love you, little brother.”
And just like that, my frustrations with her were gone. I smiled lightly.
“I love you too, Rem.”

I hung up then and cautiously pushed myself to my feet. The pills had begun to kick in, effectively taking the edge off the pain that radiated through my leg. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. I moved to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button down shirt. I didn’t have plans to leave the hotel but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t end up having to.

“Should I call room service?” Raven called after me as I made my way to the bathroom. I shrugged. Once again, I wasn’t hungry. I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind me before he could complain about my lack of appetite. The door was left unlocked for now just in case I needed his help with changing my dressings. In the meantime, I took a seat on the lid of the toilet and began to carefully undo the thick layer of gauze there. It was a very good patch-up but impractically thick should I need more mobility. So I watched as one layer holding a small dot of red gave way to another layer with a larger dot, until that dot became a blotch and that blotch became just a red mess. I hissed as the last of the gauze was removed. The hole looked like it was scabbing over nicely but around it were black, blue and red. Just another scar to add to the list.

I turned on the shower once I was sure that the wound didn’t look too abnormal and allowed it to breathe while I waited for the water to warm. Once it did, I grabbed a towel and carefully cleaned around the wound, making quick work of cleaning up before it began to bleed too much. I stepped out and patted it dry , followed by the rest of me. I took my previous seat once more and began to wrap my leg. The gauze was kept thin as possible without running the risk of me bleeding through. Once that was taken care of, I began to get dressed. I’d gotten to the last button of my shirt when I realized I left my gun under my pillow. I frowned at the slip. It wasn’t often I forgot my gun. It was my tag along no matter my attire, no matter my state of being. It never got left behind.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” He muttered as I stepped out of the bathroom. I had gotten half way to the bed when I heard the faint click of a gun’s hammer. I’d heard it from my gun and several others to know what it sounded like in an almost completely silent room. I didn’t waste time looking for Raven or where the sound had come from. Instead, I ran and dove over the bed with the sound of two bullets discharging. I could have sworn I heard one of them whiz by my head. Just before I hit the floor, I snagged the pillow I’d left the gun under.

As I landed, I heft the gun in my left hand since my right had acted as bracer instinctively to keep me from faceplanting. Still, the aim was near perfect as I shot twice. The first bullet caught the lone figure in the chest and the second in its shoulder. I watched the guy stagger. If he had any defining features, I wouldn’t have noticed them. All my attention honed in on making sure he hit the ground.

“Thiago!?” I heard Raven call from the hallway. He must have left the room to get food like last time.

“Stay where you are!” I yelled back at him without taking my sights off of the man before me.

“Drop your gun!” I ordered as I put my right hand on the gun my hand to steady my left. I had practiced firing with both hands but it was a great deal weaker when it came to accuracy. I didn’t bother with a second warning. The gunman was already raising his gun again despite the obvious wounds to his chest. He’d turned off the lights in the main room, probably to get the element of surprise and stealth. Even in the dim, pale moonlight I could see the blossoming darkness that was his blood spreading over the front of his shirt. I’d hit something vital. Good. I fired again and was left staring into his wide dark eyes. In the very center there was a perfectly circular dot where my bullet had caught. Bull’s eye. Over the ringing in my ears, I could hear the splatter of brain matter and skull fragments. The sound was close to rain only thicker, heavier and with the wafting smell of copper.

I let go of a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. It was then I felt my heard thudding in my chest so hard that it made me shake with each pump.

“I…Is it over?” Raven called from the door. I didn’t answer him right away. Instead, I stood and made my way over to the body currently bleeding all over the soft colored floor. I bent down and pressed a hand to the side of the man’s neck.

“Yeah, it’s over…” I called as I straightened. While Raven poked his head around the corner, I went to find the light switch. He was already on the phone, with the police I would guess. While he busied himself with that, I pulled my cell out to make a few calls of my own. I wanted out of this state, but not before finishing what I’d started or had gotten myself tangled up in. This meant that the interview with Adriano would be happening tonight, if they didn’t lock me away, and I’d be finding out just who had tried to kill Canaan.

I dialed the number from memory then pressed the phone to my ear.

“Are you okay?” Raven whispered and I nodded a little too quickly. I could feel my pants leg sticking to my skin, meaning I’d reopened my gunshot wound. It was a small price to pay to avoid having yet another bullet meet my flesh. I twisted and scowled at the body while I listened to the phone ring.

“We’re going to need a new hotel room.” I told Raven, before the person I was calling picked up. I watched as his face scrunched up again. Again, there were those sensitivities rearing their ugly little heads. I’d killed a second man less than twenty-four hours after killing the first and my concern was getting a new hotel room. Not to mention, my voice sounded flat, as if we were talking about something less intriguing than death.

“Hello?” I switched my attention to the phone upon hearing the voice on the other end and suddenly my voice hadn’t sounded as flat.

“Hey, Nigel, it’s been a while.” I greeted. Nigel was in the same job field as I was, but bordered more on the title of bounty hunter rather than executioner. While I waited patiently for court orders, he waited on less than legal contracts. It didn’t have to be for serial-killers either. He helped pelt hunters who wanted the fur of a lycanthrope rather than your average run of the mill animal, body guarding, and several other gigs. I’d never asked for details on anything past the pelt hunting. It was best that I didn’t know, just in case he was busted. Though I wouldn’t trust Nigel not to take a contract on me, i still didn’t want to be used against him should the law catch up with him someday.

“What happened this time, Tiaz?” He questioned. There was no accent to his voice. No drawl, nothing that would distinguish his voice from anyone else. I suppose that alone made it unique.

“What makes you think that something happened?” I muttered and shifted to stand with my back against the wall. If someone came into the hotel, I wanted to see no matter which entry point they tried.

“Because that’s the only time you call: when you want something.” Anyone could have made that statement sound hurtful. Not Nigel. We were friends, but not in the way you’d expect. He was older than me by ten years and impressed that I could keep up with him even when he was at his best. I ran into him during one of my executions, that had been the beginning of the only rivalry that I could be bothered to entertain. He’d had a contract on the same vampire I was ordered to execute. I’d gotten to the vampire first but only just. He’d called it a fluke, I did too.

I couldn’t fight a light grin. That bone numbing surge of adrenaline dissolved with the motion and rising amusement.

“You’re right. I seem to have gotten myself tangled investigating a homicide and being a suspect in another.”
“I’m listening.”

I explained everything that I knew about the homicide, including the interrogation date I had with Adriano ,then moved on to explain the situation with Canaan. Nigel remained silent through it all. Only his breathing on the other end let me know that he was still there and probably thinking as hard as I should have been. For the life of me, I couldn’t focus at the moment. It was like looking at a room that was so dirty that you couldn’t see the floor. You didn’t know where to start to begin the process of tidying up.

“I’ll be there in about five hours.” Nigel finally spoke.
“Are you bringing back up?”
“Of course but I’ll be arriving before they do.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll call you when I get there. Try not to get killed before I get there.”
Had it been Remi, I would have said I’d do my best but there was a click signaling that Nigel had hung up already. I hung up as well, just in time for the first officer to walk in.


Author’s Notes: This took a bit longer for me to write. I didn’t want this to be another fill in chapter. This has turned out very well I think.