The vampire and the assassin

Chapter 2

I was chained up by my arms and legs in the cold and derelict building. I didn't dare move, as I'd learned pretty quickly in hotel fix-me-up that the chains that bound me were tight and they bit into my skin, and if I moved too much, they would rub and then cause my skin to begin to bleed. The last thing I wanted was another vampire deciding to use me as a snack because they could smell the fresh blood from the cuts on my wrists. It was bad enough that the one who had kidn*pped me had also decided that he'd teach me a regular lesson until I gave him the location of where Liam was. I'd tried many times to reason with him and even explain that if he took my phone, he'd maybe find the number and track him; after all, he was a vampire, and I was beginning to understand that vampires were very well-connected to the world around them and they had ways to find out anything that they wanted to know. I also tried to make it clear that Liam had taught me that if it was a choice between him and me, I had to put myself first. However, the vampire had none of it and would tell me that I did know where Liam was, and he would angrily bite down on my neck and drain me of blood, leaving me with just enough to survive, but he'd drain enough that I'd pass out. He would then bring food and water and allow me to have my arms freed for that reason, but as soon as I was done, I'd be back in the chains, and if I said that I was pretty pissed at my treatment, that was the understatement of the year. I wasn't sure how long I had been there before; I simply got used to it all, and it became my regular life. I waited every single day for my daily torture of slaps, verbal, or, once I'd got my strength back up, blood-draining torture.

One night, I lifted my head to look up at the broken window on the other side of the room as the cold autumn breeze gushed in. I made myself not shiver, as I desperately didn't want to hurt my wrists more than they already were. I couldn't help but notice the way the full moonlight shone through the broken window onto the floor. I closed my eyes, and again I found myself praying to whatever god or goddess was listening to me. Clearly, I really had screwed up if none of them were willing to at least help me in some way to get out of this situation. I let out a small sigh as a thought came across my mind. If there's any god or goddess listening to me right now, I promise that if you help me out of this house and out of the way of that crazy vampire, I'll get my act together and turn my life around to walk a better path than I have currently. I kept my eyes closed for a moment longer as if expecting something, but nothing came, so I opened my eyes again. I let out another sigh. I knew I had this karma coming; I just hoped that the torture would end soon. This was something I found myself thinking more and more about: how I wished death would come swiftly to end this pain, torment, and torture.

I lowered my gaze and then looked around the room. I don't know why I bothered to look; I knew the inside of the room like I knew the back of my hand now. Shoved up against a wall to the side of the broken window was broken furniture. It hadn't been broken when I'd first got here; there had actually been four chairs and a table, as I'd assumed that the room I was locked up in had been a storage room of some description. Now all that was left were two chairs. The other two chairs and the table had all been broken when Mr. Vampire decided to have an outburst and decided to break two chairs to scare me. I'm not going to lie; it did scare the crap out of me, but I wasn't going to let it show. You see, the one good thing I did learn from Liam was that when you showed fear, people played on it and would terrorize you with that fear, and I knew firsthand about that; that was how I'd gotten into so many fights when I was bullied, as I let my fear of the teasing get the better of me and I'd lash out. When I'd put on a brave face and acted like I didn't care when he'd broken the two chairs, the vampire had stepped up a level and had thrown a piece of wood at the window opposite me and told me to think about it; otherwise, it would be the one behind me next time and that it would hurt me. I knew that he was simply threatening me. I'd seen it with Liam when we'd been arguing; he had kept himself on a tight leash to stop himself from lashing out as badly as he wanted, and Mr. Vampire had been doing the same. I also got the feeling that he wanted something more from me than simply knowing where Liam was. Why else was he keeping me alive? I'd learned that all of this had simply been a game of psychology, and I was fast learning how to win at the game.

When he'd left that specific day, I'd sat shaking, terrified at what he'd done and what he'd said, but I'd put on a brave face to face him, and it had gotten him nowhere, which had all been part of the game.

I'd let out another sigh as I leaned my head back against the bare, cold stone wall and closed my eyes, trying to get a little sleep, wondering if he'd turn up tonight for a visit or not when I'd heard the noise I hated the most. The sound of a car pulling up meant that tonight I was in for some punishment. I'd begun to wonder if it was because he'd fallen out with his mistress again. A grin crossed my face at the idea of asking him if he was in a foul mood. Maybe he'd end my life, and it would be all over... I got the feeling that he was in for the long haul and had no plans for letting my life end until he was ready to do so, and it would be on his terms.

I heard the car doors slam and then footsteps across the gravel outside the front of the house, and then the door opened. I couldn't help but wonder what tortures Mr. Vampire had in store for me tonight; it must be something fun if he brought friends along with him. Maybe tonight he really was ready to end me, and his friends would help him get rid of my body. I heard light footsteps coming up the stairs, and then the door to my room opened. I was about to find out just what fun and games he had planned for me tonight.

Mr. Vampire and his two friends stood by the door for a moment before Mr. Vampire looked at the other two. "Unlock the restraints and let her free." His tone made me move my head to look at him as we locked eyes for a moment, and a cold, cruel smile crossed his face. That simple smile put ice in my chest. Just what was he up to tonight? "I have business I wish to discuss with our guest here."