Stalked By The Game

Chapter 18 - Bang

::MICK::

               ‘What happened to you?’ Alex asked as I stormed into his apartment.

               I threw him a look which I’m sure read ‘don’t ask if you value your life’ and being the smart guy he was, didn’t say any more. I knew I was filthy from head to toe, a result of damn Vincent and his little job. Nothing good ever came of something involving the word sewer system and underground tunnels. It did not surprise me when Alex scrunched up his face, looking like he wanted to throw up.

               Half an hour later and I’m sure the full soap supply in the bathroom, I was clean and returned to find Alex settling back for the evening. He had two glasses in front of him, one with bourbon and the other with blood as was his tradition after a day at work. I helped myself to both which didn’t impress him.

               ‘So, where’s your pet hunter?’ he asked.

               Oh shit. Sometime during my trudge through that wonderful play land of sewers, I’d completely forgotten about what Bronson had said about Benny. Something told me that Vincent was not the patient type, hell I knew he wasn’t and would want Benny to play his little game as soon as possible.

               ‘Do you know where our little friend Benny has been laying his hat lately?’

               Alex shrugged his shoulders and then looked thoughtful. ‘Think someone said he’s living in one of those dumps over on Russet Street. I’m sure you can figure out which one.’

               I didn’t hang around to ask anything else. Maybe I was wrong and Benny being the lazy vampire he was would be just skulking around as usual but if my instincts were right, he was about to cause a whole world of trouble for everyone.

::ARI::

               I stood still.

               The last thing I wanted was a jumpy, idiotic vampire to blow a hole through the back of my skull and Benny was both of those. What the hell was he playing at? I didn’t have time for this. Although, I could admit to myself that beating the crap out of him was very tempting after the last few days.

               I had a lot of anger still floating around inside me and it just seemed to keep building and I wasn’t sure who my main target was at the moment. I hated the vampires who had taken everyone I loved from me but there was a feeling of loathing building inside me for the hunter who was involved in all this.

               ‘Benny, what the fuck are you doing?’ I asked him with a sigh.

               For a moment, he said nothing and I hoped the barely suppressed anger in my voice told him exactly what I was thinking. He knew enough about me to know that I was not impressed at all. This was a waste of time, his and mine.

               ‘Doing what the boss wants me to.’ I began to turn around slowly. ‘Don’t move or I swear I’ll pull the trigger,’ he warned.

               I’d been right when he I thought he was jumpy. I raised my hands, showing him that I wasn’t going for any of my own weapons and carefully turned around until I was facing him. If the asshole had grown a pair, he could at least have the decency to shoot me while I was looking at him. I was so not going down with a bullet in my back.

               ‘You owe me, Benny,’ I reminded him.

               He laughed. ‘What for? Wait, do I owe you for all the times you beat the shit out of me? Or maybe the time you set my pants on fire? No, that can’t be it either.’