Vampire Boys Of Summer (Completed!)

Episode 70: Is It Him?

For a little kid, Luhan possessed a mind that was intelligent and sharp. Working off the longitude and latitude he’d memorized, he was able to get us to not only the lake, but the exact cove where Devil’s Hole was located. Along the way, possible strategies were discussed on how to gain the upper hand against a whole vampire army. But the truth of the matter was we were up against impossible odds. The way I saw it, there was only one solution to the whole mess. To give myself over to them to be their queen or whatever. Why in the hell they wanted me I couldn’t understand. What made me special? Was my blood made of gold? What kind of deal would I get for my friends if I willingly….

“You’re not giving yourself to them,” Haru said.

Startled, I looked at him in alarm, and then realized how he could sometimes pick up my thoughts. “I’m sorry. I just don’t see another way out of this. At least this way I can get everyone’s life spared.”

“They aren’t going to spare anyone, baby. They want all of us, Luhan, Chi, and I dead. They have apparently gotten rid of Ryo already. And they probably won’t let Angela go either.”

I began to cry over the helplessness of the situation. “What did you do to them? You haven’t hurt anybody. None of you have. Why do they want you gone?”

“We’re a threat, love. Two vampire clans can’t exist side by side like this for long.”

“Then leave. You guys, pack your stuff and go!”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you, Nora. Not ever.”

The tears came even more. “Not even if I want you to?”

He looked at me. “You want me to leave?”

“No! Yes. Oh, I don’t know.I just want everyone to be safe and alive.”

“Then we take out their vampire master. It’s the only way to be safe again.”

“Haru,” Luhan interrupted, “you know what that means don’t you?”

Haru turned his face from mine and glared at the littlest vampire of the clan. “Yes, I do,” he replied quietly.

“What?” I grabbed Haru’s hand. “What does it mean?”

“It means I’ll have to choose between family and blood. Love or honor. Passion or respect.”

“I don’t understand. None of that makes any sense to me.”

“Remember me telling you how we came here? To Chelsea Valley?”

I frowned. I remembered it well. I’d felt like a pawn when he told me. “Yeah, I remember. You said you saw a clipping about my dad attacking that Bram guy. He thought he was a vampire.”

“Right. But do you remember why we were in the area in the first place?”

I had to think about it a moment. “Oh yeah, you said you guys were looking for someone you lost or something…oh….shit…that someone is the vampire master, isn’t it?”

Haru nodded. I thought he was about ready to cry.

“Is he your vampire master? Of your clan, too?”

“Hardly,” Luhan replied for him.

“Well, who is it?” And then I stopped. “Is it…..is it Ryo?”

It sounded kind of ridiculous the moment I said it. But in some manner, I thought I could be right. After all, he had already turned others in town. He was an alpha, able to create other vampires. He had something of a bad attitude, and obviously had had a grudge on Haru for decades. Didn’t they say he had ruined every relationship for Haru since the death of Ryo’s betrothed, Chiyo? It made sense. He’d been after me from the beginning, and then once he realized he couldn’t have me the normal way, then it was time to force me to be queen. Angela was so crazy about him, he could have easily captured her. And it’s not like I knew all his movements, nor did the others. He lived in a house separate from them. He could do his own thing easily. But he had saved me, nursed me back to health. Of course he did, I thought. So I could be queen. But would he have killed one of his own vampire creations, Miss Lazenby, just to keep up the ruse? He seemed genuinely angry about that one, but maybe he had to. Maybe he was just a good actor.

I looked at Haru once more. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

Luhan cleared his throat as if head been listening to my thoughts and was tired of the discussion. “It doesn’t matter who the master is. He has taken your cute friend, and indeed the whole town. Ryo is ryo. Wherever he is, I’m sure he has his own agenda.”

Haru leaned over and kissed me lightly on my lips. “Let’s just wait and see if my hunch is correct. Then we’ll worry about what to do about Ryo. Right now the most important thing is rescuing Angela and stopping them from making their army any bigger.”

“Here comes our chance.” Chi said, and we both leaned forward to look out the front window from the backseat. Even though it had now gotten dark, I could see the water of the cove, the full moon reflecting off its surface. There were a couple cars parked in the grass at the lake’s edge. I couldn’t see anybody around, but Luhan informed me they were out there swimming, save the one couple still in a car making steamy windows.

At first, I thought he’d walk over and investigate, but then he shook his head. “Kids,” Luhan muttered. “Haven’t they seen Friday The 13th?”

I thought to myself I wish this was just some old horror movie. My dad had called them ‘Dead Teenager Flicks’, but this was no trip to the cinema. This was real, and I was starting to get nervous that I may never see the sun rise again. Or set, for that matter.

We all got out of the car. We tried not to make too much noise and alert the partying kids to our presence. It would be best if life just went on for them, oblivious to the danger that existed in a hole in the ground less than 500 yards away.

The vampires led the way through the woods, Chi first, followed by Luhan, with Haru and I picking up the rear. Haru’s hand in mine was reassuring, but so was my dad’s custom made wooden stake in the other. I patted the pocket of my pants, checking to make sure I still had the vial of holy water. The liquid may not have an effect on Asian vampires, but I was banking on the hope it would be a deterrence to American ones.

The trees and brush became thicker camouflage the further we moved away from the car. Along with the night, I could barely see in front of my face. If not for Haru leading me I would have been lost in the woods. Vampires had no trouble seeing in the darkness. To them light and dark were the same. They didn’t stumble over rocks and fallen branches the way I did.

Luhan smiled. “Here we are. Next stop Hell.” He pointed to what appeared to be a dark corner of the night. Devil’s Hole was hidden well from prying eyes. Covered by old railroad ties, thick branches, and a tarp the same color as our surroundings, it would have been near invisible to anyone else. There was only one problem. Two vampires sat on top of it.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“There’s three more flanking us from the rear,” Chi added, with slight amusement.

“Are they all Vamps?” I whispered.

“We’re about to find out.”

Luhan raised a hand. “Um, excuse me, is this where all the kidnapped girls hang out?”