The Loners Ch. 25

This is it, the last chapter in this series. It has been quite the fun ride despite some low moments.

I would like to thank everyone who made it all the way, and I'm grateful for the support and comments that have been made, either good or bad.

Also, yes, I will continue to write on this site, but I'm going to take my sweet time before I begin another story. Not only that, but as promised, I'll be working with an editor from now on as well.

So, enjoy the last chapter! And thanks again to all who have given their honest opinions and votes.

*****

It was night out, yet the lights in the city of Boston almost made it feel like it was in the middle of the day.

Alan had never been to Boston before, though he had been to New York City in the past, so the appearance of a large and crowded city didn't take him by complete surprise.

Besides, he wasn't here to tour the city. He was here for a very specific mission.

"So, what do you want to do? Knock on the front door and announce that we're here?" Rachel asked, a bit of sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Actually, that is exactly more or less what I had in mind. Unless you know exactly where he would be at this time?"

Rachel shook her head. "He owns several buildings in this city, and most of them are guarded by his own personal security, outside of the normal bounds of human enforcers. One of these is right over there." Rachel pointed to one such building, which turned out to be a several story glass building.

"Good." Was all Alan said as he began walking.

That was it? No plan or anything? Just walk right in and start fighting everything? Rachel wasn't sure if she liked that idea.

"Alan, just what do you plan to do?" Rachel asked as she caught up to him.

"If Caleb isn't in this building, then maybe there is someone who knows where he is, and I'll get that information out of them."

"And how do you intend to do that?" Even though Rachel asked the question, she had a feeling on what the answer was.

"Whatever means necessary." Alan said darkly.

They walked on in silence, and as they approached the building in question, Rachel stopped him.

"Look, we can do better than break in the front door, let's use one of the rear entrances." Rachel suggested as she led the way, and Alan silently followed her.

As they left the streets and began reaching the rear of the building, they spotted three individuals standing outside the door that Rachel was looking for, all smoking cigarettes.

Rachel stopped upon seeing them, not wanting to get into a fight if they didn't have to, but Alan kept right on walking towards them.

"No! Stop!" Rachel called out to him, but Alan didn't stop.

"Excuse me! Any of you know where I can find Caleb?"

The three vampires immediately turned, wondering who would dare refer to their Lord in such a disrespectful manner. But then they saw a face they immediately recognized. The renegade, Alan Brooks. And just a little past him was another face they recognized, and that was their own Rachel.

One of the vampires began laughing. "What a lucky chance for us! Who would've thought the renegades would randomly walk up on us like this? Good. Let's capture them and bring them to Lord Caleb."

Alan merely smiled at this, though it was a bitter smile. "Go ahead and try." Alan challenged.

The vampires accepted the challenge, each of them drawing knives, and ran at Alan.

Even though it was three on one, Alan found that these guys were jokes when compared to the likes of Caleb and Hector, and even though he was unarmed, Alan brought them down with ease. Alan also took their knives for himself for good measure.

When all three vampires were on the ground, conscience and in pain, Alan grabbed two of them by the collar.

"Let's go inside, I don't want anyone hearing your screams and interrupt us." Alan said in a low voice as he approached the door, and kicked out down.

Rachel found herself liking the situation less and less. And she most definitely did not like the tone in Alan's voice, or the words he used. She reluctantly followed him inside, leaving the third vampire on the ground and undisturbed.

*****

The security team caught the entire incident on camera, since they had one placed at every entrance to the building. They couldn't believe it, and didn't know what to be surprised at more. The sudden appearance of the renegades, or the fact that the human, who was obviously now a vampire, had taken down three of their own down with ease.

They alerted everyone in the building of the intruders, as well as make a call to their seniors.

*****

Alan dragged them into a decent size room, threw both vampires into a wall, and closed the door behind Rachel as soon as she walked in.

Alan then turned and approached the two vampires as they began to rise.

"Now, can either of you tell me where to find Caleb?" Alan asked lightly.

"Fuck you!" One of the vampires spat in defiance.

In response, Alan kicked him in the gut, forcing him back to the ground. Alan then took one of the vampire's hands, and placed it on the wall. Alan pulled out one of the knives he had recently acquired, and stabbed the hand into the wall, causing the vampire to scream out in pain.

"Let's try that again. Where can I find Caleb?" Alan asked.

The second vampire attempted to attack Alan, but Alan saw his approach. Alan took the vampire and flipped him over his shoulder, and slammed him to the ground. For good measure, Alan took the second vampire's hand, and repeated the same thing he did to the first one, and now both vampires had a hand impaled to the wall, which was deep enough that they could not pull their hands out of the wall.

Alan then cracked his knuckles. "I'm only going to ask this question so many times before I start losing patience. Where can I find Caleb?"

"That's 'Lord Caleb' to you, insect!" The defiant vampire spat once again. Alan kicked him in the chest.

"Keep testing my patience too. See what happens." Alan warned in a low voice. Alan then turned to the second vampire.

"Maybe you'll answer me, where can I find Caleb?" Alan asked.

The second vampire barred his teeth at Alan. "Go to hell." He spat.

Alan's eyes traveled between the two vampires, before he stood completely.

"You know what I think the problem is? I don't think you two are taking me seriously enough. Don't worry, I think I can fix that." Alan announced.

Rachel liked the situation less and less. Sure, they needed the information. However, to see Alan acting like this...just what would Katie have done or said?

"Alan, let me take over. I know how to get answers."

"No, I'm doing this. I'm tired of these fuckers not taking me seriously. It's not just these two, but Caleb and the other Lords as well. No, it's time that I start sending a message that I am not someone they can just fuck with as they want."

As Rachel had feared, she had been right. A deep part of Alan wanted to lash out at the world that had done him wrong for so long. And now with the death of Katie, nothing was going to hold him down any longer.

"Please..." But Alan ignored Rachel's plea.

"I may not be as good at this as The Bride was in 'Kill Bill', but let's see how well I do." Alan said to the defiant one.

Alan then reached out before the defiant one could react, and attempted to grab his eye. He missed, and instead pierced the eye, permanently blinding it, and the defiant one screamed in pain as the socket bled out.

"Hmm, maybe it's not really possible in the first place." Alan uttered to himself.

"So, ready to answer? Or would you like to be a guinea pig for some other tricks I'd like to test out?" Alan asked next, but Rachel stepped in front of him, both of her arms stretched out.

"Alan, stop! Please! Don't do this, don't turn into a monster! Think of what Katie would say if she saw this!" Rachel pleaded, unable to take any more.

"Get out of the way. And I thought it was clear, Katie is dead. She isn't coming back." Alan spat bitterly.

"But that doesn't mean we should just forget her! Leave this to me, just please, I don't want to see you like this anymore! I'm begging you!"

"Get out of the way." Alan repeated.

"Are you even listening to me!?" Tears were now forming in Rachel's eyes.

"Loud and clear, now get out of the way."

"YOU FUCKER! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME!? JUST BECAUSE KATIE'S DEAD DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO START ACTING LIKE CALEB!!"

Alan snapped at this. He growled, grabbed Rachel by the collar of her shirt, and lifted her up. Rachel grasped at his hands, trying to break free.

"HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO HIM LIKE THAT! I'M NOTHING LIKE HIM!!"

"Really? TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR, ASSHOLE! IF KATIE WERE HERE, SHE WOULD SAY THE SAME THING!"

Alan growled as he tossed Rachel into a wall, which she hit with a loud thud.

"KATIE ISN'T HERE ANYMORE! SHE IS NOT COMING BACK! ALL BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD! AND I SWEAR THAT I'LL KILL HIM WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS!"

Alan then took a deep breath, and then spoke again.

"And if you don't want to be a part of it, then leave. Abandon me. That's fine, go run and hide somewhere. But not me. I'm through running, I'm through playing the coward. If violence and death is all that these people know and respond to, then I shall respond in kind."

Rachel coughed, and raised her head. "So that's it, is it?" She said as she stood. "But you're wrong, it's not me who's abandoning you, it's you who is abandoning me. Abandoning me just so you can quell your hatred. I'm afraid I cannot love a man who loves his hatred more than me."

"Fuck you!! You say that like this is what I wanted! I tried doing it your way, the kind way. I've been doing that all of my life, and just where has that gotten me?! No, I've learned that kindness is overrated. The only way to get anywhere is with cruelty and power, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

"Fine, throw away everything you have left. Apparently, I'm no longer important to you. Such a shame. It was nice while it lasted." Rachel spat bitterly, turned, and walked out.

Alan spat towards the door that Rachel walked out of, before returning to the two vampires, who were watching the scene unfold with perplexed expressions.

"Now, where were we?"

*****

The other Lords had all jumped to Boston, deciding that they didn't want to miss their chance of spotting the renegades before Caleb caught them.

The atmosphere was tense, for this was the first time in a very long time that seven Lords were gather in person at a single location, which was currently in a mansion that was outside Boston's city limits. The mansion was guarded by a fence that stretched around a large piece of open property which consisted of several acres. The fence also had it's own set of guards, almost enough to cause one to think that either a VIP or some Area 51 insanity was going on.

"Lord Caleb." One of his followers suddenly spoke up.

"What?"

"The renegades are here."

That caused all of the Lords to shoot up from their current business.

"In Boston?"

The follower nodded. "Yes, both Alan Brooks and Rachel. They currently are inside one of your facilities, though we do not know their intentions at this time."

"Probably to search for me. I'd better not disappoint them, tell them exactly where I am, and that I am waiting for them."

"Actually, Lord Caleb. If you don't mind, I would like to extend that invitation for you." Lady Helen spoke up.

"As you wish, fight them if you want. But, I would appreciate it if you left them to me in the end."

"Of course."

*****

Rachel didn't make it far before she could no longer walk, and found an empty alley where she allowed herself to break down completely, falling to the ground as she began to cry.

The one thing she had feared the most had finally come to pass. Alan was now so far down that he was lost, forever. The man she had loved, gone forever.

She now felt lost, more lost than she had ever felt in her entire life. For so long, she had been striving for the relationship. All of her goals, destinations, plans, had all been for the sake of allowing them to come this far, only to have Alan cast it all aside.

Oddly enough, however, Rachel couldn't bring herself to hate him, despite what he did. She understood that he was also a victim all of this, one that she had dragged in. No, the blame lay entirely with her. It was she who had refused to accept the times that she had once lived in. It was she who ran away from Caleb, starting the chase. It was she who had made the mistake of accidentally exposing herself to Alan at a time when she shouldn't have interacted with any human at all, and dragging him into all of this. And now, all of it had fallen apart right before her very eyes.

Rachel never heard the footsteps approach from behind her, and she was an easy target for a strike to the back of the head, knocking her out.

Christian Victor the Second smiled triumphantly at Rachel's unconscious form. He had been waiting a very long time for this opportunity, ever since this bitch humiliated him by throwing eggs on him and nearly exposing him to the general human public.

Since Lord Christian had more or less disowned him, he had appealed to the rival Lord, Lord Caleb, in search of a new home. He was accepted, though given a low and relatively unimportant role. Who would have imagined it though? He had though that he spotted suspicious individuals heading toward one of Lord Caleb's facilities, only to have the bitch emerge, by herself, and completely off guard crying in some random alley. It truly was a lucky break.

As much as he wanted to finish her right here, she was more valuable to him if Victor brought her back to the Lords, who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the renegades.

Victor hoisted the still Rachel on his shoulder, and made a phone call.

*****

Alan didn't get much time to make good on his word to his two captors after Rachel had left, for before he could begin, he was interrupted.

The security teams inside the building had made their way down to Alan's location, and Alan had heard their approach outside of the door.

That was fine with Alan. Maybe one of these newcomers could tell him where Caleb was hiding.

Removing the two knives from both the hands and wall that they were impaled on, Alan ignored his two captives to face the guards outside.

Alan was at first caught off guard by the number of them. Alan didn't try and count, but it seemed there may be anywhere between fifteen to twenty of them, or more. Most of them had pistols, which were already drawn and now all aimed at Alan. A handful more were waiting in the background with edged weapons, ready to strike.

Alan decided that these guys were jokes, and no threat to him. Not now, after fighting two Lords to get to this point.

"Maybe one of you will be kind enough to tell me, where can I find Caleb?" Alan called out in a challenging voice.

The only thing this earned him was cold hard stares. Alan merely smiled at this.

"Good, looks like we'll do this the hard way then." Alan said in a low voice as he gripped his knives. A part of him was enjoying this, grateful for the chance to seemingly overturn everything in his life. For him to finally be the one feared, rather than the one fearing. He also had a lifetime of anger just itching to be unleashed. But most of all, he had a mission. Katie's death would be avenged, at any cost. No matter who died, or who got in his way, that was the one thing more than anything else that drove him at this point.

Alan gripped the two knives in his hands, and raised them. The other vampires took that as the first move, and several fired shots at him.

Alan had no idea how, but he somehow could see the bullets as they flew at him. He didn't take the time to ponder that, for he allowed his instincts and reflexes to take over. Not only could he see the bullets, but he was fast enough to avoid them as well. As he did so, he ran straight at the group of vampires, taking out the first two by slicing them both in the neck with his knives.

Alan dropped his knives in favor of the two pistols that the two vampires he just killed had, and turned them loose on the crowd around him. Alan didn't bother to count how many went down from his firing, but as he did, the vampires armed with swords pounced on Alan as soon as he ran out of bullets.

Tossing both pistols aside, he held his ground, and turned towards the one that was closest to him. Gripping the arm, he broke it with ease, forcing the vampire to scream and released the sword he was holding, and Alan silenced him by stabbing him in the heart, and turned to engage the other vampires as they closed in one by one.

They had no chance, and Alan took them all down with ease. After that, no further attacks against him followed, which allowed Alan a chance to observe his surroundings.

Several were on the ground, dead with a small puddle of blood forming around them, while four more were still standing, and staring at Alan in shock.

Alan smiled grimly, and pointed his sword at the four who were still alive.

"So, ready to answer my question? Or shall you fall as my next victims?"

"Don't tell me you're all impressed with yourself after crushing a handful of ants?" A woman's voice suddenly called out.

Alan's smile faded as he turned to the direction of the voice, and saw a woman with long blonde hair and a pale face emerged. And that was all Alan concerned himself with.

"Who the hell are you?" Alan spat. The woman smiled.

"How rude, it's not wise to disrespect those you don't know, for that can have dire consequences. Allow me to correct your ignorance, I am Lady Helen."

'Lady Helen?' Alan thought to himself. 'This one's a Lord?' Alan then smiled. 'Perfect.'

"Since you're a Lord, maybe you know. Where can I find Caleb?"

Lady Helen's smile vanished, and her eyes narrowed on Alan.

"You ask that question as though you'll cast me aside that quickly? Don't speak outside your league, boy!"

Alan's smile faded. "I'll speak however I want to, to whoever I want to. Now, I'll ask again, where is Caleb?"

Lady Helen stared at Alan for several moments, before she smiled, which turned into a laugh.

"You've got balls, I'll give you that. This is your lucky night as well, for Lord Caleb is actually waiting for you. However..." Lady Helen said, reaching behind her back and drawing two sai, to Alan's slight surprise.

"You'll have to fight me first. I want to see for myself if you can back up that cocky attitude of yours." Lady Helen finished as she raised the two sai as Alan raised his sword as well.

*****

Rachel felt her head throbbing as she moaned. Her hands attempted to reach for her head, but for some reason, were unable to. It was then she realized that something cold and metal were wrapped around her wrists.

Her eyes shot open, and she tried to rise, but found herself bounded to the bed she was currently laying in by chains, two at her wrists, and two more at her feet. She was also nude, but the next thing she was by far the worst thing she could've imagined.

Lord Caleb stood tall before her, and was sneering.

"Ah, at long last, you've awakened. I can't tell you how excited I am that we finally get to see each other again." He mocked.

Rachel growled, and attempted to struggle against the chains, but it was no use. She was trapped, defenseless, and at the mercy of Lord Caleb, who slowly stepped closer.

Lord Caleb's sneer turned into a bitter smile. "As you can see, or rather, feel, I haven't actually done anything to you just yet. But don't worry, I was only waiting for you to awaken. You see, I want to make sure you see and feel everything I do to you before you die."

Rachel actually swallowed at this, knowing some of Caleb's twisted mind. But, she was determined not to give him what he wanted. She would not plead, beg, or yield to him. She would fight to the very end.