Chapter 14

"Looks like they could use some of my special help here in Seelo," Amy said when they were in their room once more.

"Our help Amy, our help. You aren't even going to send me away just because you want to keep me safe. I may not have fangs and super-strength like you but I am not without my own ass-ets," Sam said and smiled as she wiggled her butt to emphasize the 'ass' in her statement.

"And what a cute little ass-et it is," Amy said with a chuckle as she reached out and patted Sam on the butt. "But Sam, your computer is at home," she continued.

"First of all Amy, if we can afford to stay here," she said and waved her hands to indicate the suite, "I think we can afford to buy a laptop for me to use, and they do have the internet here too. Second of all, computer skills are not the only thing I can offer."

Sam and Amy slept late the next day but then went shopping for a computer and more clothes. They returned to the suite and then started plotting their next moves.

"I'm really worried about that girl. If she is not dead already, what kind of horrors is she being forced to endure? How are we going to find her?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I have an ability that I don't often use because it is very painful to me but I think this situation warrants its use," Amy said.

"What is this ability Amy? Why is it so painful to use?" Sam asked with concern in her eyes.

"I usually drain my marks quickly and close off my mind but if I drain them slowly, a link between my mark and I is formed and I am able to read their thoughts. The ones I have chosen to prey upon are the scum of the earth and their minds are cesspools filled with depravity and violence. These thoughts cause me great pain to absorb and I always fear that some of their horrible ideals will invade my mind. I fear that I might become like them. I am already a horrible creature in the eyes of most but I never want to be that type of creature in reality," Amy finished and her voice had gotten shriller as she talked.

Sam placed her hand on Amy's face and looked into her eyes. "Amy, you are not a horrible creature. You never harm the innocent and those you kill the world is better off without. Amy, if this method you speak of is too painful, then we will not use it. We will find some other way. I just wish there was something I could do." Sam whispered.

Amy was silent for a while but Sam could see that she was deep in thought about something. "What Amy? Tell me what you are thinking about." Sam demanded.

"There might be a way you could help ... No, I could never ask you to do it," Amy said and hung her head.

"Amy, if there is any way that I can help, then tell me. Look into my eyes. You know I love you and would do anything for you, anything. Now tell me what you are thinking," Sam breathed.

Amy raised her head and her blue eyes locked with Sam's green ones as she said, "There is a way Sam but I could never ask it of you ... I am afraid of what I might find."

Sam interrupted saying, "Quit being so cryptic and mysterious and tell me."

With a sigh Amy told her, "I can resist and stave off the effects of their thoughts for a while probably a day even but eventually they will start to cause me to change. I will start to exhibit some of their characteristics such as callousness and ruthlessness. There is a way to overcome that though. I must drink the blood of someone with thoughts of kindness, someone who cares for me would be best. Their thoughts would overcome the ones of evil."

"So what you are saying Amy, is that after you drink the blood of scum like Alex you need to drink the blood of someone kind and who cares about you to rid your thoughts of evil? Well Amy, I don't know how kind I am, but you will never find someone who cares more about you," Sam said as she continued to look Amy in the eyes.

"I wouldn't need much of your blood Sam. Nothing like the last time you shared your blood with me," Amy said.

"Sam, I would be violating your deepest thoughts. I would know how you truly feel about me. If deep in your mind you think I am a monster, I would know, ' Amy said in a whisper.

"Then we don't have anything to worry about because I don't think you are a monster and you will know for sure that my love for you is real," Sam finished with a smile and kissed Amy deeply.

"Sam," Amy teased with a grin, "could we maybe try it out tonight? I would love to see your innermost feelings for me."

"Don't push it Amy Bedford, I'm not exactly looking forward to having you bite my tit or any other part of my anatomy. I'll let you bite me, you need not fear that but not until it is necessary." Sam answered.

"You will just have to be satisfied with my words and my love making tonight," she finished and grinned.

Later that night after they had made love, Amy slid out of bed.

"Are you leaving?" Sam's sleepy voice asked.

"Yes. I'll be back as soon as I can," Amy answered.

About two hours later Amy slid back in bed and snuggled up to Sam.

"Got it?" Sam asked in her sleepy voice.

"Got it," Amy answered and snuggled closer to Sam kissing her.

They both fell back to sleep.

The next evening they were parked just down the street from the two-story apartment building that Alex lived in. This building housed four apartments, two on each floor. Alex's apartment was on the second floor with a controlled access door on the first floor that opened onto a common hallway with stairs at that end. These went up to another common hall on the second floor.

He had not been difficult to locate, thanks to the information Chuck had given them and Sam's investigative work on her computer. Alex had a long rap sheet of arrests but thanks to the work of one Bill Handley, his attorney, no convictions. He had been arrested many times over the years for theft, assault, drug dealing and various other crimes and was listed as a gang member. He was the typical low-life vermin that inhabited the streets of many cities.

As the evening wore on, the street and pedestrian traffic lessened and then halted altogether. The lights went out in the apartment and minutes later Alex appeared at the doorway of his building. Turning, he walked down the street away from their parked car. The two women had been sure he would leave because Alex was not the type to stay at home all night alone.

"Ok kid, we're up," Amy said nudging Sam to wakefulness. "Remember wait for my signal," she added.

Silently she left the car and walked to just below the second-story balcony that led into Alex's apartment. With a single leap, she launched herself upward and landed on the balcony. Using a glasscutter they had purchased, she cut out a section of the sliding door and let herself in.

Amy stood in the darkness, waiting for Alex to return and hoping he would be alone when he did. Alex returned an hour later with a woman on his arm. They went into his building and to his apartment. Amy, using her ability to track her mark by holding one of his possessions, was not taken by surprise. She hid in the bedroom closet and waited while Alex had sex with the hooker several times. Amy removed a syringe from her fanny pack and filled it from the vial she had in the darkness. Because of her excellent night vision, she could see almost as well in the dark as in the light. The two of them finally went to sleep. Alex woke up a little later, went to the restroom and then headed for the kitchen. Amy slipped out of the closet and followed silently, glancing quickly to assure herself that the hooker was still sleeping.

Alex was just reaching for a beer in the dark kitchen when a hand covered his mouth, jerked him back and tossed him to his stomach on the floor. Both of his hands were jerked behind him and held in place in the steel-like grip of what seemed to be an impossibly small and delicate hand. A knee replaced the hand that was holding his and then moments later he felt a slight jab as a needle was thrust into his neck.

Amy tossed the empty syringe to the floor mentally reminding herself to get it later and replaced her knee with her hand again. She continued to hold her hand over his mouth until his body relaxed and his breathing became deep, letting her know that he was unconscious. She jumped up, raced into the bedroom assuring herself that the hooker was still asleep and grabbed a robe from Alex's closet.

She went back into the kitchen and slipped the robe on Alex. Flashing the lights twice in the prearranged signal to Sam, she hefted the body up and left the apartment. Holding him in her arms, she raced down the stairs through the hallway and out the front door. Sam was waiting in the street out front. Amy tossed Alex's unconscious form in the back seat and scrambled in beside him.

"Go," she said to Sam before the door was even closed.

Sam slammed the car in gear and rounded the corner before she turned her lights on. They sped away toward the abandoned factory they had chosen.

Alex woke up in total darkness with a pounding headache. When he tried to move, he found that his arms and legs were secured to some type of table.