Beyond Nocturne Ch. 07

Michael had taken extra care to find as many of the bullets from the Uzi's as he could with a metal detector, but only found about half of them.

Lydia folded the paper shut, and the front page caught her attention. The headline read, "Two Mount Shasta Teens Murdered." Below the headline was a color photo of a bashed up SUV spattered with blood. She looked at Michael, "Rhonda Hedges, age 17 and Donald Smith, age 18...both dead and mutilated...you think they bumped into Steven?"

Michael took a drink of his coffee. "It's possible."

"What a shame," she sighed, shaking her head putting the paper down. She looked out the window of the Black Bear Diner. The streets of Redding were bustling in the evening rush to get home as hundreds of cars rolled slowly through the heavy traffic. The sun had been down for an hour now, and the stars were trying to twinkle through the haze. A crescent moon had risen into the sky, lazily going about its business.

"I hope to be out of California by tomorrow morning," Michael said as he looked at the menu.

"Where are we going?" Lydia asked, offering her hand to him.

"First things first," Michael squeezed her hand, "We're going to get our new identities. Names, birth certificates, licenses, social security cards... everything. I know of a guy in Reno who does it all top notch."

"And he'll help us because?"

"His wife owes me a favor," Michael said casually.

"I don't think I want to know."

"You don't," Michael grinned devilishly.

"And after that?"

Michael looked thoughtfully at her for a moment. "Lay low for awhile, catch some moon light, have a lot of sex..."

"I like that," Lydia slid her foot against his leg and smiled.

"Good," he said, "Me too."

"You do know that others will be coming," Lydia reminded him, "We're wanted by both the human authorities and the Vampire Nation. The Elders will dispatch hunters to come after us. There'll probably be slayers too. I broke a lot of Vampire Nation rules and laws... so did you."

"We also stole fourteen gallons of blood from the hospital here too," Michael took another drink of coffee, "And I broke wind when we walked in here. Let's face it, we're rebels."

Lydia laughed. "Charming."

"Hey," he said.

"What?"

"I love you."

Lydia smiled. "I love you too."

***

EPILOGUE

The night was frigid, bitter and bathed in blue nightfall as the lonely, hooded figure walked through the ruins of the cabin formerly owned by Michael Wolverton. The stranger could still feel the presence of the vampire woman called Lydia and her young woman convert. He was certain it was the convert that had died in the fire along with the creature Lydia had accidentally created. The initial thought amongst the police here was that Lydia had died in the fire along with Wolverton. Some bullet casings had been found, but nothing of any substantial concern. Certainly nothing that could add anything but more questions to the already baffling case. He supposed he could see how that might be true. The remains were so burned they could have passed for anyone. They were so destroyed than not even dental records could be established.

It seemed that the bodies had been doubly burned, especially burned...

He knew Lydia was not dead, nor was Wolverton. They were out there somewhere, seeking shelter, a safe haven from the retribution of the Vampire Nation and the human authorities. The stranger smiled and thought how when he was done with them, Lydia will have wished she had perished in the fire. She was clever, and experienced, but she was not a killer. And that's what separated her from him. It was what separated him and his brothers from all the others. What she lacked was what gave him his edge.

A killer instinct.

The stranger took a step back and prepared to leave, his long black cloak billowing behind him. A rustling in the bushes stopped him, and his perfectly attuned ears heard something moving towards him. He grasped his blade from its sheath and prepared for the attack. It was getting closer and closer as he stood still, waiting patiently for it to make its move. The night went strangely quiet, and the only noise was from the distant passing of cars and semis on the freeway a few miles away.

The lake was calm and without any ripples on its surface.

The sky was cloudless and clear, the crescent moon hanging loftily above.

There was the snap of a branch and spray of blood as the slayer was torn apart by his stalker. He desperately tried to cleave the attacker with his blade, but it bit into his throat and pulled violently. His head came loose with a gristly snap and rolled away as the shapeless figure ravaged his body. His hand finally realized he was dead and let go, dropping the blade to the ground in a clatter. The stranger's lifeless eyes reflected the stars above and nothing else.

"Slayer?" the attacker looked at the severed head with impassive yellow eyes, it's pale skin burnt and scarred "Why do you walk on the grave of our mother and father?"

From the dark bushes, two other sets of yellow watched intently as their sibling dragged the carcass of the slayer into the shadows to feed.

Finally, to feed.