Chapter 6

As it turned out, it was three nights before I was able to deliver Sally May back to her home and family. By then I was walking kinda crooked. For someone who just wanted to experiment before settling down, I found she had been imaginative and down right insatiable. Just my kind of girl.

Sally lived in a tiny rural community that in a strange way I felt right at home in. Her family was a wonderful group of down to earth people that reminded me of my own. Little formal education was overcome with hard earned wisdom and common sense.

Sally had been scared of the reception she thought she would receive after her running away. She had been worried without cause. Her family was so happy to get her back they smothered her with love. I especially noted the reaction of a young neighbor. He didn't throw himself all over her, but I could read his eyes and I hoped Sally had also.

They were very nice to me. They insisted on pressing enough food and drink at me to last a normal human for a month. I tasted the home made wine and decided that, as good as it was, I would wait till I was somewhere safe before enjoying it. I didn't want to be howling at the moon when the sun was coming up. Again.

They made objections when I told them I had to leave that night but gave in. I stood on the darkened porch and gave Sally one more long hug.

"You'll be happy here Sally."

"I know." She smiled happily. "I'm glad I got to meet you but here is where I belong and where I'm staying. Besides," her face grew dreamy, "Did you see the way Sean was looking at me?"

I should have known. I kissed her one more time and she went back in the house. I turned to go down the steps. I hesitated when I heard the rocker on the far end of the porch squeak. Looking that way, I saw the coal of a pipe glow, showing me a worn, deeply lined face. I realized it belonged to Sally's grandmother.

"Come here child."

I walked to her, as obedient as I would have been to my own grandmother. She patted an empty space on a chair beside her rocker. I sat and she looked at me for what seemed a very long minute.

"When I first saw you I was sure you was a haint. I didn't want to invite you in. But you brought Sally May home safe and sound and never asked for a thing." Her eyes probed me. She took my hand, turning the palm up. The moon had come out from the clouds and the silvery light poured over us.

She didn't look at my palm. Rather, her fingers gently followed the lines there while her gaze continued to hold my eyes.

"Your journey has been a long one child. Full of laughter greater than most people know, and laden with deeper sorrows too. It draws towards an end though. Perhaps not a final one, perhaps a change, as mysterious as the one that started you on the trail you follow now."

I shivered. My Irish soul stirred uneasily to the deep cadence of her voice. For once, the ringing of my cell phone was a welcome interruption.

"Get moving," Robert's voice instructed me without any wasted greetings. "He hit again in South Carolina."

After listening to his account of a double murder with all the ear marks of our killer, I responded. "I'm heading for Georgia. Maybe I can get ahead of him. I'll call later."

I disconnected and headed for my car. Sally's Grandmother's voice brought me up short.

"One more thing child. This... man... you seek. He's a shadow out of your past. Be careful. God go with you."

I reached my destination the next evening. A mixture of small hamlets, rural areas and one city that actively catered to the tourist trade was perfect for him. I stirred uneasily at the thought of "him". Who was he? What was his connection to me?

I decided to stop at a small restaurant for some coffee and a chance to review the latest findings that Robert had faxed to an FBI office on my route here. I also hoped to indulge is a little discreet eavesdropping. I looked for a place that would be frequented by locals more than tourists. Later I would try to find the local cops watering hole.

I pulled in to the parking lot of a place called "Jason's". It looked like a family type place so I went in and was soon seated at a table with a cup of coffee steaming in front of me. Thank goodness caffeine still affects my body. Double that I can still taste it when its strong enough.

I took out the folder I had picked up in South Carolina. I studied the reports while keeping on eye on the room. I grimaced as I read of the last killing. This time it had been both a young man and a young woman, apparently a couple. They had almost been torn apart. I really had to find this guy.

In looking around, my eyes settled on a woman sitting at the next table with three children. She was quite attractive. Just a bit taller than me with dirty blonde hair, she didn't look old enough to have two teenagers for daughters. The older one called her "Mom" though, so I guessed she was.

My attention was drawn to the door where I saw a yummy looking guy come in. A bit over 6 feet with a powerful build and a broad smile. For a moment I was hoping the smile was directed towards me, but of course it wasn't. The petite blonde got to her feet and hugged him as a chorus of "Daddy" came from the girls, as well as a small boy I assumed was their younger, much younger brother.

I noted with a great deal of envy that the woman was pregnant. I sighed. A good looking husband and adding to an already happy family. There were many things I missed about not being human. The two strongest regrets for me were the loss of the sunrise, and the fact that I would never be able to have children.

While I was both indulging myself with regrets and wondering why I was doing it so often anymore, I found my eyes resting on a very appetizing woman. She was tall and slender, with a floating mass of dark hair. She wore a short skirt and had dancer's legs, smooth and firm with a hint of strength. After accepting kisses from the entire family at the next table, and a wild hug from the little boy who called her "Aunt Linda", she sat down. I appreciated the fact she was sitting where I could look her over, and that when she crossed her legs the view got even better.

Damn. No luck again. An attractive blonde came in and sat down beside the slender dark haired woman. In itself that wasn't an interest killer. However the way the two held hands under the table made it obvious they were a couple.

I shook myself. Damn, I wasn't supposed to be scoping out the guys and the girls here. I was supposed to be working. I was on a pretty good expense account but I really wanted to put this rogue vampire out of business. Not just because he endangered the rest of us, but because I just flat considered him evil. I paid for my coffee, cast one more look at the people at the next table and headed for my hotel.

Once I was checked in, a fifty dollar bill in the hands of the night clerk provided me with the names and addresses of all the clubs in the surrounding area, both licensed and underground. I dressed to party, assuming of course a party outfit consisted of loose, dark clothing and running shoes. I completed my wardrobe with a very sharp, slender oak stake. I had been terribly tempted to have "Mister Pointy" carved on it, but the FBI really does not have a sense of humor and I decided not to. Now if I could have had the Agency guys whip this up for me...

Enough wool gathering I scolded myself. Time to get moving. I thought my quarry was more likely to head for the darker places with all the shit he had been stirring up lately. I took off for the nearest underground club on my list.

That was "The Rave". A pretty unoriginal name on a pretty unoriginal place. At least they could have had some decent music. Somehow they had managed to pick absolutely the worst songs from both the modern era and from classic rock. I couldn't even figure out how anyone danced here but they were. I couldn't have done an Irish jig to the songs I was barely listening to so I wandered, keeping my eyes and ears open.

Now that was interesting. The blonde haired woman I had seen at the restaurant was dancing her heart out on the floor. With two guys no less. Damn. Reminded me of me. I didn't buy it for a minute though. I had seen the way she held the hand of that other woman. What was her name? Linda. I had seen lovers of all sizes and groupings over the centuries. If those two weren't together than I needed to get me to a nunnery, because I knew nothing.

I circulated. I peeked. I went through one of my usual laments that I wasn't a foot taller. At five-three I don't exactly have the best view in any crowd. But it was enough to see that the blonde woman was leaning against the chest of a damn tall guy. More I couldn't tell as his back was to me. But it was enough to start me moving that way.

I couldn't catch a good look at the man with the blonde woman. The height was about right though. I tried to slip closer to them but the crowd was too thick. I wormed my way closer, trying not to create too much commotion as I did. I didn't want to spook him, if that was indeed him. At the same time I didn't want to be arriving too late either.

Shit. They were leaving. And the side door too. Now I hurried. Story of my damn life lately, shoving my way through dance crowds. This time I was going to get him.

I came through the doorway loaded for bear. There wasn't anyone there, which rather deflated me. The I heard sharp noises from around the corner in the back parking lot. Perfect place. Dark, as I recalled from a quick look around when I got here that there's but a single light. I ran.

"I told you to put your hands where I can see them." I peeked around the corner. Yeah, it was him alright. The blonde woman was facing him, an automatic in a two handed grip and pointed at him. Okay, she was a cop. Under normal circumstance she probably was very good at what she did, but these were anything but normal.

This was proven as a blindingly fast move saw her stagger backwards against the wall, her weapon falling from her hands. In the same move he was on her and I saw the light glint from his fangs. Before I could move, the dark haired woman I had pegged as the blonde's lover appeared. She launched herself through the air in a graceful leap that culminated in her leading foot connecting to the killer's jaw.

She might have just as well kicked the wall. Even with bouncing off him she managed to land on her feet. A blow from him dropped her on top of the other woman. Even though she was dazed I saw her hand grope behind her, doubtless for a weapon that I knew would not help.

What was I doing, writing a fucking book? I shook myself into action. Time to show that dark haired woman wasn't the only martial artist here. I sprang and nailed the killer with the best front snap kick of my unlife. This time I actually staggered him. I followed with a shower of punches, chops and kicks. He was still so incredibly strong I knew I wasn't doing much more than keeping him busy though. I could hear the women, both cops I now was sure, trying to get back up. If I could just hold him off until they were up I might have the opportunity to get my stake out and finish this asshole.