Blood Lust: A Supernatural Horror (22 page)

She smiled. “Good. I hoped you would say that.” She reached over and picked up a file folder
from the sofa table
. “The creature has changed its pattern.
It usually feeds every two to three days but so far ha
s
attacked five women, perhaps six, in seven days.
I think it is because of you. I do not think we can prevent it from killing
again
, but we can track it back to its lair. It prefers the old
monastery
for some reason. Normally, it would change locations
periodically
,
especially once it has been discovered,
but I believe it will return if you and I are there alone, waiting for it.”

I looked at her. Her face bore a look of determination. I needed her help, but I could not, would not allow her to place herself in danger again. The creature was too smart and too dangerous.

“This is something I
’ve got to do
alone,” I
said slowly
. Before she could protest, I continued. “
I need your help, yes, but
it’s me the creature wants
. I can use that to my advantage.
All I need is a
lucky shot
and I can put this thing down once and for all.
”

She laid her hand on mine. “Do not be foolish. My father tried the same thing and … and he died.”

“I’m a very careful man,” I assure
d
her. It was more difficult to
re
assure myself. “Somewhere out there
is a
missing
girl
whose
parents don’t yet know is missing
. It’s probably too late to save her, but I can make sure her death is the last one. If the creature has returned to the
monastery
,
then
I must confront it
there
. Trying to bring it to me has proven too costly.”

I could read the sympathy in Joria’s eyes.
I tried to sound flippant
as I boasted,
“By tomorrow morning, I’ll have the creature’s head for you to examine at your leisure.
That should raise a few scientific eyebrows.
”

She smiled,
either at my determination or at my
braggadocio. “There are still many hours until dark. Why don’t you stay here for awhile?”

As she spoke, she
leaned
closer until her
face
was
only inches from mine. I took this as an invitation. I pulled her to me and kissed
her,
as I
had
wanted to do since I
had first
met her
.
Her lips parted slightly as sh
e returned my kiss with a passion
that said she wanted more
.
My
right h
and moved of
its
own volition to her pendulous breast
, cupping it
firmly
, rubbing my
thumb
across her nipple until I felt it swell and harden. She gasped with pleasure and leaned back. I stared into her eyes a
s I
judged her desire
equal to or stronger than mine
. As I began to remove her
T-
shirt, she
obligingly
raised her arms to help. Her naked breasts bounced before my eyes invitingly. I wrapped my lips around one nipple and
tongued it
gently. Her
nails
raked my back,
carefully avoiding my wound,
drawing me to her
, sucking in her breath between her teeth
. Her moans of pleasure enhanced my excitement.
Even my teeth were getting excited
caressing her nipple. I pressed my hand against the flat of her belly and felt the muscles beneath her skin ripple with pleasure.

After a few minutes if this, she pushed me away and stood.
Swaying seductively, s
he
slowly
removed her shorts and stood before me naked, her flawless brown body perfect in proportion
,
her
neat, dark triangle of pubic hair staring me in the face
. She smile
d
and took my hand. I let
her lead me
into
the
bedroom
like a lamb to the slaughter,
wondering why that particular phrase popped to mind. Perhaps my two previous marriages had colored my thinking
.
All I knew was that I wanted to race her to the bed
but I followed meekly, letting her win. S
he gently undressed me, covering my chest with
soft, moist, tongue-tickle
kisses. Naked, we embraced, the heat of our bodies filling the air with sex pheromones.
If our hot flesh had not resisted it would have flowed and we would have melded into one.

I
gently
pushed her onto the bed. She smiled, drawing her legs up
and spreading them
, exposing her
divine pleasures
to me, inviting me
to partake
. I did
n’t
need much coaxing. I entered her gently as she gasped.
We held each other motionless for a long moment, a space of seconds that seemed like minutes until t
ogether we found the rhythm our bodies
sought
and coupled like wild beasts. Our pace increased,
became frenzied,
our breaths ragged until I felt her body stiffen in orgasm.
She pounded my back with her fists.
I suspected she would leave bruises but I didn’t care.
Her contractions coaxed me into my orgasm
. Spent, I lay beside her, my arm across her
sweat-soaked
belly.

“That was wonderful,” she said
a few m
inutes later
.
Her chest was heaving with each deep breath, her breasts dancing seductively.

“
Ditto
,” I
gasped
, realizing how lo
n
g it had been
since I had been with a woman
.

“It has been
much
too long,” she confided
as if reading my mind
.

“
For me too
.
”

She smiled. “Not
too long for you to forget how to please a woman.”
She
rolled over on her side,
r
ested her head on her arm
and
looked at me. “You will be careful tonight, will you not?”

I smiled. “If I can expect more of this, I will certainly be careful.”

“Whenever you want me
,
”
she answered, bury
ing
her face under my chin.
Now her perfume
mingled
with our pheromones
.

I considered her proposal. “
Hmm.
I’m not as young as I once was. Give me a few minutes to rest and I’ll take you up on that
offer
.”

She snuggled closer
, nibbling at my neck
. “I can’t wait.
”
Her hand went down my chest to my crotch.
I was pleased to discover
not all parts of the body age equally.

Much later, after a quick shower, I
dressed and
reluctantly left Joria
to put my hastily contrived plan in motion. As I exited the hotel, I spotted the now ubiquitous black SUV parked down the street
with its two occupants. I resisted the impulse to wave as got in my car. Halfway down the block, it pulled into traffic to follow me.
I smiled at their
inept
shadowing of me
, poor quality for professionals
.
A first year rookie could have done better.
 

****

Inside the black SUV,
its two occupants watched
as their quarry walked out of the hotel
and stood for a moment on the sidewalk
straightening his tie, staring directly at them
.

“Do you think he’ spotted us?” the driver asked the other occupant of the
vehicle.

The two men looked like clones – dark suits
, white shirts, black shoes and dark shades. Even their hair was similar in color and style.
Tim Hays
removed his shades, revealing
light gray eyes. His partner, Emmett Nelson, had blue ey
e
s
.
“Nah
,” Hays answered
.
“
He’s just
looking around.”

“They were in there long enough.”

Hays frowned
. “Yeah.
They must be hitting it off.”

“Should we follow him?”
Nelson
asked
.

“Give him a
nice lead
.”
H
ays
held out his hand in a stopping gesture as his partner
cranked
the SUV. “Wait. It’s the Alvarez woman.” H
e did not try to hide his dislike of
Dr. Joria Alvarez
.

“Do we follow her?”

H
ays
hesitated. The Alvarez woman had been on their radar for some time but Hardin was their
primary
target.
His orders were specific.
“No, she’s probably going shopping or something. Follow Hardin.”

They slipped into traffic four cars behind Hardin.

“I thought he was off the case,” Nelson
commented
as he
jockeyed
in position behind
a city bus
.

Hays smiled. “That wouldn’t stop a man like Hardin. He’s out for blood.”

“Then we had better stop him.”

Hays wasn’t as certain that stopping Hardin from killing the creature was a good idea.
“Yeah, that’s what they pay us for.”

* * * *

I knew I was jeopardizing everything I had worked for, but it didn’t seem to matter as I prepared for the coming night. My partner was dead, ripped open as I watched helplessly. I might not have been able to save him, but I could have died trying. He deserved
at least
that much loyalty
from me
.
The creature was on course for
scores of deaths if it stuck to its new pattern. Whatever had changed its
killing
habits, I had to stop it.

I had returned the
sniper
rifle at Captain Bledsoe’s insistence, but I still had my resources. After as many years as a detective as I had put in, you knew people, knew their
dirty little
secrets. In the confines of the
old chapel
, a rifle would be too cumbersome
anyway, too slow to bring to bear
. Instead, I decided to meet with a gun shop owner
with
whom I had previous
dealings
a
nd had
ignored
some of his les
s
than savory shenanigans.
His name was Smitty, a short, slight man with a limp
and a speech impediment
who made up for his
shortcomings
by carrying a .357 Magnum
stuck
in his belt.
The gun was so heavy
I was surprised his pants did
n’t
fall off. He was not pleased to see me.

“Detective Hardin,” he sneered as I walked
through
the door. The shop was empty.

“Smitty. Haven’t shot your balls off, I see.”

“What brings
th
you here?”
he snapped.

I tried not to grin at his lisp.
“I need something special, Smitty.”

He waved his hand over the glass case in front of him. “It’s all right here, Detective. What can I
th
ell you?”

I stared at him until he flinched. “I said something special, Smitty. Let’s check out your store room.”

His Adam’s apple bounced
nervously
up and down his thin throat
as he said, “There’s nothing there but ammunition.”