Dracula's Groom

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Cleaning up the mess

Four hours until dawn and already I was starting to feel the hunger once again. Suppressed by spontaneous sex or lack-there-of. I awoke to find my throat sore to an aching delay as I slid out from beneath the covers and got dressed. Nathan barely stirred from his sleep, his body laid out perfectly in a pile of bed-sheet and blanket.

Once everything was in order. I kissed Nathan on the forehead and whispered soundly in his ear, telling him to sleep deep and not to wake up until the following evening before slipping out the door. The lights protruding down the hallway seemed dimmer, darker. Another fantastic side effect when it came to a vampire's hunger for one such as myself.

As I exited the marble lobby, witnessing the patrons of the hotel pass me by, the scent of blood was strong in here as I attempted to hold my breath until I was safely outside under the cover of darkness. Crisp, clear, clean. The refreshing air washed away all that nonsense as I walked down the deserted block, heading for the police station.

Yes, that very same police station where I was shot earlier this evening and where Nathan was interrogated for my crimes. Leaping over the wall, I landed on the roof of a police cruiser as it made the nosiest little sound. And as luck would have it. An Officer of the law came outside and silenced the car while I snuck up behind him and sank my fangs into his neck, my hand covered firmly over his mouth.

Near death, but still struggling to survive. I exhaled fully, satisfied with my meal for now. The Officer lay permanent on the pavement with two dime-sized holes in his neck. Nevertheless, I was pleased for not having killed the gentleman. A ring of keys were attached to his duty belt as I unhooked them and headed for the back entrance.

A quick scan of the keys eventually lead me to the right one as the lock turned and I opened the door into the prison's inner sanctum. Inside, the place was bustling with activity. Both species, male and female walked amongst the prisons walls like mindless drones in search of their next objective from either their commanding Officer or fellow co-worker.

Within those first few moments of my being there, I was able to learn everything there was to know about my so-called case. From the no evidence, to the list of witnesses who may or may not have seen anything. The autopsy report was still inconclusive with my fingerprints not being registered into the nationwide system.

And why would they? Vampires don't leave behind fingerprints to begin with. Or bodies change from the moment the transformation takes hold, wiping away everything that had once made us human in the first place. Besides, I'm well over eight hundred years old, forever trapped in the body of which I was born in.

Located deep within the bowels of the prison. The air down here was slightly cooler, carrying with it the tiniest odor of decomposition. My sense of hearing detected not a single soul as I pushed open the double doors and began searching the lockers for the younger couple. Once I found them, their bodies covered in white sheets, I decided it was time to finish what I started.

After loading the bodies onto a gurney and into the back of a coroner van. I caught the scent of gun powder and the familiar steady heartbeat of one Detective in particular. Detective Nicolas Gabor stood behind me with his weapon drawn. A brave man, but a fool nonetheless. I admired his courage and his strength. From the moment I met him, I knew he would make a fine addition to my ever growing army.

Tonight, his fate was to be sealed. Permanently.

"Detective," I said calmly. "Nice to see you again."

"Stop! Now, get down on your hands and knees. And keep your hands where I can see them."

"What's the charge, Detective?"