Hunter's Moon

Chapter 14

            Taylor pulled back into the drive of Robert's farmhouse. She saw that Robert's motorcycle and a Crown Vic were sitting near the pole barn. So hopefully they were both still there. Part of her felt bad about leaving Matthew there this morning. They had actually known Robert all of how short a time exactly?

            Getting out of the car, she walked to the house. She saw through the window in the evening light both Robert and Matthew sitting at a table, talking to each other excitedly. She picked up her pace and was soon knocking on the door.

            “It's unlocked!” she heard Robert call.

            She walked in and Cal nearly bowled her over. “Wow, she's really taken a shine to ya, Taylor.” Robert said.

Taylor knelt down and provided pets and head scratches. “Yeah, I guess.”

            “Hey, Taylor, we think we may have figured out what they're trying.” Matthew said. “We found reference to a ritual that will create an immunity for a vampire against the sunlight.”

            “Oh, that would be bad,” Taylor said walking over to table with the collie to join the men.

            “Only problem is,” Robert continued, “that to apply it to one vampire requires a lot of juju. Based off that astrology stuff you found, there's going be an astronomical amount of juice waiting to be grabbed. Just a matter of if they have someone with enough skill to cast this. It'll probably kill them, vampire caster or no.”

            “So we stop the caster, and we stop the ritual, right?” Taylor asked.

            “Yes, but we don't know where it's being cast, only a vague idea of when, and no idea the number of targets they can hit with it.”

            Taylor nodded. “Oh, by the way Matt. Based on the course of events today on campus, I'd really suggest you choose a new dream girl. Juli can be vicious. She told her ex today to chop off his balls and blend them, and he actually went and did just that. Even after they subdued him, he kept trying to do it. Kept saying he needed to do it.”

            “Like he was under a spell?” Robert asked cautiously.

            “Uh, I'm not sure. It's just campus gossip.” Taylor answered, then suddenly became very unhappy that she’d brought it up. “Do you think? . . . Hmm.”

            She pulled out her laptop again and pulled up a video clip that had been posted to a public site. She played it for them.

            “We need to find this girl. Juli you said her name was?” Robert stated.

            Matthew replied, “Yeah. I've kinda been trying to ask her out for the longest time. Wait, why do we need to find her?”

            “You said her boyfriend did exactly what she instructed him to do?”

            Taylor nodded.

            “She might be throwing off spells, forcing people to her will, crushing their minds. Hopefully she's doing it without realizing it.”

            “Hopefully?” Matthew replied. “And if she is aware she's doing it?”

            “Well, then she's a whole lot more dangerous.”

            Walking into the hospital room Juli saw Tony lying in bed, asleep. Through the light bedsheet she could see he was in bandages from waist to mid thigh. Various machines connected to him and monitored various aspects of his health. The EKG emitted a steady beep from the far side of the room. The room was painted in a pale yellow color, Juli assumed that it was intended to be a calming color. It wasn't. Leather straps held Tony's wrists and ankles in place.