Between Angels and Vampires

The tremor induced by the stone wall ran through Helena. Her heart raced into the next gear when she noticed the restraints around her wrists. She struggled, tugging at the relentless cuffs over and over again. “Looks like she finally woke up,” someone said in a gruff voice. “Then get on with it,” replied another. She turned her head in search of the voices. The sudden action blurred her vision, making her squint. A low-voltage light at the end of the room exposed stacked crates and crates. A bald man was sitting at the table; his legs crossed at the heels as his muscular hands clutched the local newspaper. The second man moved away from the dirty wall, walking towards him. His unnerving smile revealed a set of elongated canines. A breath caught in her throat. “Aren't you a little young to be working for Alexander?” he asked. A deep frown creased his face as his attention darted between his captors. She didn't work for Alexander nor did she want to see him or Lucious again. The stranger stopped a step away from her. His dark, greasy hair clung to his scalp in wispy strands. A few strands parted in the front, covering her heavy-lidded eyes. He reached out, gripping her hair with a sharp twist, and lifted her head to meet her narrowed eyes. “I asked you a question, human.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. His breath—a mix of cheap tobacco, beer, and something else—made her stomach churn. Panic won't solve anything, she thought, but her heart ignored her rationalization. “I don't work for him,” she said, surprised that her voice was unwavering. He nodded at his thin shirt and smart pants. “We saw you leaving his club like that.” Helena fought the urge to roll her eyes. If he'd been inside, he'd have known that Alexander's team didn't wear uniforms. Well, the security guards did… “This is what anyone would wear to an interview!” His eyes gleamed with a light gray gleam, and she instantly regretted her sullen tone. She flinched under his menacing gaze, which made her think of a sullen two-year-old she used to babysit. The boy would always shoot in her direction if she didn't give him any candy. “…Are you listening?” He let go of her hair with a sudden jerk as he yelled at her. Helena's head dipped, encouraging the slight pain to explode into a full blown headache. “I think I hit her harder than I thought.” “Rick…” The chaperone put the newspaper on the table, “…if you can’t get anything out of it…” "I can!" Helena guessed that the person running the operation was not 'Rick'. His literate friend had an authoritative confidence that the man before him lacked. She imagined Rick struggling to read a Tolstoy novel. The image alone made her lips curl upward. "Why are you smiling? Don't you understand what's going on?" Rick snapped. She looked at him. Arguing wouldn't help, but his mouth lost its filter. "I must?" Her left cheek exploded with a burning sting as he backhanded her across the face. Automatically, she moved to rub the pain and realized with a sickening feeling what situation she was in - chained to a wall with two unknown men in a dingy room. As a dull ache settled in her arms, she bit down on her bottom lip to keep her bitter tongue from bringing up more trouble. Rick leaned over and looked into her face. His lips hovered beside her ear. “Let's see how much you know.” He grabbed the sides of her head, forcing her to look at him. When their eyes met, he smiled. Helena struggled, screaming, “Let go!” “Easy, human.” Its harsh tone changed to a smooth melody. Just in time, her body relaxed at his command. His bright eyes became the center of his universe. Anything he said would be mandatory instruction. Inside, she screamed, fighting her overwhelming control, but nothing happened. Why couldn't Lucious influence me and this asshole can? “Are you paying attention?” "Yes." “Will you obey my commands?” Flat and emotionless, she answered him in an instant. "Yes." Leaning in until their noses were almost touching, Rick asked his golden question. “Do you work for Alexander?” "No." The gray gleam in his eyes intensified, making her feel like she was floating. Her wrists throbbed. The metal cut deeper into her skin, and a groan escaped her. “Do you know Lucious?” "Yes." The vampire's fingers dug into her jaw, and she shuddered. "Where is he? What do you know about him?” "Russian roulette. He wanted to find me to break the link. The silent partner jumped out of his chair, knocking it over as he got to his feet. “What kind of call?” Words failed her as she fought her confused mix of emotions. Rick threw back her head and hissed, "Answer his question." "I'm not sure. It was an accident. In his frustration, Rick shook her. "I'll suck you dry if you don't give me some proper answers!" His partner picked up the phone, typing something on the smooth glass screen. "It doesn't have a lot of information, but it can be useful in other ways." Rick trailed his fingers along her arms, inching closer to her jugular. “Can I play then?” His hold on her slipped, and Helena looked to the side of her greasy head. “You can feed, but nothing else. We can get a decent price for it later. Chills ran through her as Rick stared at her with a growing smile. There was little she could tell about the link, so she couldn't use that information as leverage. She didn't know much about Lucious or Alexander or their plans. Helen groaned. Her headache turned into a constant buzz. Closing her eyes, her thoughts turned to a prayer that Michael would appear and tell her some good news. News, of any kind, was better than being with these monsters. The leader glanced at them before turning his attention back to the phone. “You have two minutes.” He left the room without another word. With Rick's Overseer dead, his smart comments would lead to an early death. She stared at the closing door, willing the second man back as her heart slammed against her ribs. Rick fished a folding knife from the pocket of his jeans. Light bled back into his irises as he opened the blade. Helena closed her eyes tightly. She would not be his puppet again. The cold metal tip touched her cheek. "If you don't open your eyes, I'm going to cut that pretty face of yours open until you do." She hesitated. The sting in her cheek hadn't gone away, and she wasn't interested in finding out what it felt like to be cut to pieces. After all, he threatened with more than a paper cut. Gritting her teeth, she lifted her lids. A second of contact was all it took for her to fall under his sway once more. "Good. Do not move. Her body refused any further movement, and she berated herself for being so weak. One by one, the buttons of her shirt appeared on the concrete. With the last one gone; he separated the material. Her eyes sparkled like a child opening her Christmas present. He assessed his chest, and his heavy breathing filled the silence. No matter how much she fought her mind control, she couldn't do anything. He brushed the knife across her pale skin. Blood rose to the surface, trickling down her small breasts and staining her plain b*a. He slid the dull side of the blade across her chest, enchanted by the sweet scent of her blood. She was certain it couldn't be the lack of feminine curves that held her attention. Her mental grip slipped and she regained control of her limbs. When the knife touched her waist, her hips rose. In a painful second, the shiny metal sank into her skin. An agonized scream escaped her, bouncing off the walls of the enclosed space. The boss reappeared shouting: “I thought I told you to feed and nothing else!” Rick pulled the blade out. “This b***h is hard to control. Unless I'm looking directly at her, she breaks the b****y grip. “I don't give a s**t about it,” the man growled. “Leave her alone until he comes to get her. We must prepare.” Grumbling under his breath, Rick licked the blood off the blade and let out a satisfied groan. With a fleeting glance in her direction, he holstered his knife and left with his partner. Her mouth went dry. She studied the cut. Dark red tendrils trailed down her side. She rested her head against the wall, focusing on the chipped white ceiling to keep the nausea from hitting her in its rising waves. What I'll do? Nobody knows where I am, she thought. A silvery voice came from her right. "This is not true." Her eyes darted to the side, and she groaned. A headache hit her like a hammer in the face. Her guardian angel was three feet away, her angular features framed by her long, straight golden hair. She looked at him. "Where have you been?" Michael bowed his head in apology. “I should have come sooner, I know. I wanted to find out who they contacted, so I followed…” He paused mid-sentence and hurried to her side. His hand hovered beside his wounds. He gritted his teeth. “He hurt you.” “I'm fine, but can you—” She stopped before asking him to untie her. This whole situation was too comical not to be in a TV drama. He was right there, but he couldn't save her. His ghostly presence forced him to become a mere observer in his realm. He couldn't help her in this situation even if he wanted to. She knew it, he knew it, and the pain on her face proved it. Michael sighed. "He will come." “What if I don't want to see him?” “Helena, you know what will happen to you if you don't leave this place.” She arched an eyebrow. “You cursed him out a few hours ago, what changed?” "If he can get you out of here, I'll adjust my terminology." Helena snorted. This day keeps getting better and better.