Catharsis [Novel]

Preview of book 2 - Catalyst

Catalyst

By D. Andrew Campbell

 A preview of the second novel

in the Catarina Perez story

CHAPTER ONE

            I watch the handsome, well-built man cross the street and walk into his small, immaculately-maintained house, and I wonder - not for the first time this week - if he will become the fifth person I've ever killed.  His death is certainly not my intention as I follow him, but I've come to learn over the past year that sometimes my - lets' call them "darker" - instincts have a bad habit of exerting control over me when I become extremely emotional (Usually just anger.  A good bout of anger still has the ability to flip my time-to-go-rampaging-crazy switch.  I'm getting better at controlling it, but it's a slow process.).  And this tall, blond, impressively good-looking man is rumored to have made some choices that could very well prevent me from controlling my decisions.

            Truly evil people tend to have that effect on me.  And I should know about evil; for over a year now I've been hunting people so that I can drink their blood.  It’s not all necessarily by choice, though.  It's either that or starve to death, and I fear what might happen to my soul if I choose to abstain from eating and commit suicide (I’ve been given the ultimate version of “screwed if you, and screwed if you don’t”.  I either commit a sin by feeding on other people to stay alive, or I commit a sin by not feeding and eventually killing myself.  Thanks Fate for that sick little twist on life!).  So I choose a life drenched in evil so that I may do the greater good.  I use the evil that's in me to try and make the world a better place (At least that's what I tell myself every night as I lie in my sensory deprivation box.  A girl has to have something to keep her sane, right?).

            And if Renny is right about this guy, then the blond man definitely qualifies for his own spot on the steaming-sack-of-nasty scale.

            Tapping the small microphone on the band around my neck, I whisper into it, "Are you sure this is the guy?  I've been following him for almost a week, and I've seen nothing suspicious.  Maybe he is innocent like he's claimed."

            The response comes from an earbud that's been tucked into my pocket.  With how sensitive my ears have become, there is no possible way to actually have the speaker in my ear without it also causing me pain and possibly deafening me.  Luckily with my heightened senses, I can still pick out my friend's words quite clearly even though they are coming out of a tiny wireless speaker.  Turned down to the lowest volume setting.  In my pocket.  Some days it really does pay to have superhuman senses.

            "It's him, Cat.  Don't let his charismatic demeanor fool you.  He's a complete toad.  Once you get close enough to him, you'll be able to feel the slime on him.  I know it.  He might be able to fool people from a distance, but in your presence he'll fall apart.  I know he's guilty.  Just confront him already."

            I've begun to believe that Ren is a bit jealous of my powers, and his having to stay back at the warehouse and guide me from a distance is a bit emasculating for the poor guy.  Ren has become a good friend over the last several months and his guidance has been invaluable, but at times his drive for justice and vengeance (and occasionally even bloodlust) outweighs even mine.  I like the guy, but sometimes his insistence can get on a girl's nerves.

            "Ok, Renny.  Don't get so worked up.  If you say he's responsible for those girls, then I believe you.  I'll take care of it tonight."