Chapter 4: Seven Oaks

Seven Oaks was a small town just under one hundred miles due south of home. I could easily be there in an hour and a half. It would be late, but I would be refreshed by the time I arrived. The regenerative powers of my species are as phenomenal as their abilities to track their prey.

I found myself in town by eleven that evening. It was still to late to catch any business open and the only motel was a seedy place long past its prime. The Seven Oaks Lodge was nothing more than a flophouse for transients. The desk clerk was asleep behind the counter when I stepped into the lobby.

The dank little room assaulted my sensitive nose as soon as I opened the door. It reeked of too many years of whiskey, cum and shit. If you would cram your nose into the nasty ass crack of a three-day-old corpse of a cheap, drunken whore you could get a feel for what I was enduring.

I dropped my gear on the counter and spoke in a loud voice at the same time. The effect startled the old clerk out of his drunken stupor and almost into action.

"What do you want?" the old man slurred between rotten teeth.

"What the fuck do you think I want? This is what's left of a motel isn't it?"

"No need to be insulting. This place was a glory to behold once. We catered to be best that came down the pike in our day."

"That must have been a while back. Where did they tie the horses back then?"

"That's enough of that. Do you want a room or not?"

"Does it smell any better than the lobby?"

"There ain't no bugs in the beds. There's clean sheets in most of the rooms, and if you want a bath in your room, there's towels and hot water. All that for just $60.00."

"You're out of your mind. I'd rather sleep in my own vomit." I said and turned towards the door and fresh air.

"Okay, just $30.00, but you can't tell the other guests I cut you a deal."

"Give me the cleanest room you have with a shower and I'll stay. If it's as nasty as the rest of this place I'll be back for my money and your ass."

The old man forked over a key with the number seven on the tag. "It's the bridal suite. You gonna be alone tonight?"

"Unless I'm robbed. I intend to be here for one night, alone and asleep. I don't want any interruptions, chambermaids or anything else. Got it."

"I got it. Now pay me and get the fuck out of my office, you surly bastard."

It was more than he should have said to a man of my gentle nature. I laid $30.00 on the counter between us and when he came close enough to pick it up I snatched him from across the counter and hauled his bony ass up to within an inch of my face.

The speed and force of the move was enough to adjust the old farts attitude to a silent, don't tear my head off and piss down my neck, wide-eyed, you have my full attention, gawking stare.

"Do you remember that badass your daddy told you that you would meet some day? Well I'm him. Your life doesn't mean shit to me, and your fleabag motel means even less. So unless you want to wear the results of an ass whipping for a few weeks, keep your smart mouth shut." tossing him back into his chair, I took my key and left to find my shithole of a room without exchanging any more pleasantries.

I hate it when assholes push people because they think they won't be held accountable. The old man may have been the fucking Mayor, but I didn't like him or his motel. It was starting to look like this was a shithole motel in a shithole town and the problem with shitholes are that they are usually full of turds.

It was nearly an hour later when I was washed, shaved and generally in a better mood before the knock on the door," Who is it?"

"Police! Open up! Right now!" came back through the door.

"Or what?" my mood instantly turned to shit again. A dark feeling came over me in the few seconds it took the cop to respond to a question that seemed to puzzle him.

"Or I'll knock it down and came in anyway!" the response was less sure than it should have been.

"Shouldn't you see about, maybe, getting a pass key from the manager?" I was fucking with him now. He was unsure and seemed to be confused over my last statement. This was bullshit. No cop anywhere could be so lame.

"Yeah, you stay here. I'll be right back."

"Or what?" I couldn't help it now. This was going to be interesting however it turned out. Cop or no cop this situation was out of his hands and definantly bullshit.

As the so-called police walked away from the door, I opened it and looked out. He wasn't any kind of cop I'd ever seen, and not very smart. He saw me open the door and turned around to return, and be let in.

I closed and locked the door. It was all I could do to keep from laughing at this moron. He was so serious. Even after he knew I had seen him and knew he wasn't a cop he returned to beat on the door saying," Open up in the name of the law!"