FicWad

Joe gazed down at the two vampires at his feet. Even as he thought about them, he wouldn’t allow himself to even think the word ‘friends’; he had to stay objective, he had to stay distant; he had to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

“Am I?” he asked.
“Are you, what?” Andrea asked, not privy to his thoughts.
“Am I doing the right thing?” he sighed tiredly.
“I don’t know if it’ll turn out the way you want it, but, yeah, I think you’re doing the right thing right now,” she replied slipping a comforting arm around his waist.
“You know we’ve got to lock them up, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but they’ll understand, you know.”
“I’m being careful,” Joe insisted, even though no one was questioning him. “I’m doing what Patrick would do in the same situation. He’s always telling me I follow my heart instead of my head… I can’t do that now. There’s too much at stake.”

Andrea smiled as the statement was almost posed as a question. She could tell that Joe was very uncomfortable with what he had done, what he had to do. They were his friends and it was killing him to doubt them.

“He’ll be proud of you, Joe,” she reassured him. “Now, I’ll get Simon, I don’t think he’ll mind helping to get them secured. The questions he’s asked, I don’t think he’s in any hurry to go anywhere until he’s got his answers.”

Joe nodded; Andrea was talking a lot of sense. She seemed to understand everything about him and right now, more than ever, he needed that reassurance.

*

William Beckett drummed his fingers on his desk as Brendon stood silently, leaning against the wall to his left, his right foot crossed casually over his left and his arms folded across his chest.

“Tell me, Brendon,” Beckett finally leaned back in his chair after some minutes. “What would you do in my position?”

After a few moments’ hesitation from his second in command, Beckett looked up.

“It’s not a trick question, Brendon. Answer me,”

Pushing himself away from the wall and relaxing his arms, Brendon approached the desk.

“I say we go to their headquarters and smoke them out.”
“Literally or metaphorically?” Beckett asked raising an eyebrow.
Brendon grinned sadistically. “Can’t we do it literally? I mean really set fire to the place.”
“But if they have the means to repel such an attack, we’ve lost the advantage of surprise,” Beckett shook his head.
“Surprise? I don’t want to throw a party for them, I want to kill them!” Brendon snapped in return.

The corner of Beckett’s mouth turned up. Brendon’s spell in disgrace had only served to make him all the more bloodthirsty. Beckett almost wished he’d done it years ago.

“I want something simple, cruel and foolproof,” Beckett announced. “Besides, fire will kill us too, I’m reluctant to launch such a dangerous attack for us. But I agree, we need to either get them out, or get someone in.”
“They’ll never invite us in,” Brendon scoffed. “It’s not just their base it’s their home, we can’t get in without an invitation.”
Beckett frowned. “I wasn’t proposing that we knock on the door and expect to be welcomed in.”
“Well… then what?”
“Their runner… what was his name? The guy Anton killed the night of the trap.”
“Dirty.”
Beckett rolled his eyes. “Yes, him. They’d let him in.”
“One problem,” Brendon frowned. “He’s dead.”
Beckett smiled wickedly. “Tell me, Brendon, what do you see?”

Brendon blinked as his eyes seemed suddenly to sting. By the time his vision cleared only moments later, in Beckett’s place, to all intent and purpose sat Patrick’s information gatherer, Dirty.

“Master William?” Brendon gasped.
“Yes, Brendon, it is me.”
“B…but your voice, everything… you…”
“I don’t look or sound any different, it’s just what I’m projecting onto your mind.”
“But, the voice… how did you know what he sounded like?”
“I don’t need to know anything about the person. I can force your brain to accept that I am anyone I want. You will see and hear whatever I tell you.”
“I had no idea you…” Brendon paused as Beckett removed the illusion and appeared to return to his own form.
“You may never know the full extent of my powers, Brendon, but occasionally, you will learn of another and this is one of those days.”
“Can you teach me?” Brendon asked eagerly.
“If we are successful, I will teach you this and…” Beckett looked up as he thought of a tasty bait for his hook to encourage Brendon to try his hardest. “And levitation. Would you like that?”
“Yes, Master!” Brendon gasped; it had been many years since Beckett had taught him mind control and now to be offered training in two new substantial powers, Brendon was thrilled.
“Good, then just make sure our plan goes like clockwork. Now sit down, we have much work to do.”

Brendon pulled a chair close to the desk, keen to lay down the details of their plan. It would be foolproof, it would be simple, but above all, if he had his way, it would be cruel.

*

It was a safe bet that neither Pete nor Patrick would or even could wake until sunset but no one was taking any chances. Through the night, Simon, Joe and Andrea each took a turn standing guard. Joe hadn’t wanted Andrea to do it, he was worried that something would go wrong and she would be hurt. She had told him to stop being such a girl and go to bed. He had to admire her courage and determination, it was one of her many qualities he’d fallen for. Yes, he smiled to himself as he headed for his room, fallen for.

Andrea had opted for first watch. She reasoned that she was the only one of them who had had anything like a reasonable amount of sleep lately. Simon took the middle watch, accepting that Joe was best placed to be there when they first woke.

As expected, nothing had happened, the two vampires slept soundly through the day and as sunset approached Joe smiled happily as Andrea brought him a strong cup of coffee.

“So,” he smiled taking a sip. “You want to bet on who’ll wake up first?”
“Are you kidding me?” Andrea replied. “It’s got to be Pete.”
“Because he’s been a vampire longer?”
“No, because fixing his hair and doing his make-up can’t be a quick thing to do.”

Joe chuckled and placed his free arm around Andrea’s waist to pull her close. He loved how she could always make him feel relaxed and safe.

“Well, I think it’ll be Patrick, just because I know his sleeping habits and…”
“Really?” Andrea turned a fake shocked expression towards Joe.

Placing the mug down on the table next to him, Joe turned his attention to tickling the pretty brunette sitting on his lap until Patrick’s voice cut through their laughter.

“Well, I wouldn’t normally interrupt, but you have me at a disadvantage here.”

Joe’s head snapped up, the tickling stopped immediately and both he and Andrea turned grave expressions towards the cage.

“And, congratulations on winning the bet, Joe. Who’s your friend?”

Joe raised his eyebrows, it hadn’t occurred to him until he said the words that Patrick hadn’t met Andrea.

“This is Andrea, she saved my life the night of the trap,” Joe explained simply.
“Really? Well, it looks as though you’re enjoying paying her back.”
“Hey!” Joe cried angrily in return, easing Andrea quickly from his lap and jumping to his feet.
“Joe,” Andrea warned. “Take it easy.”
“What’s going on, Joe? I help Pete escape from Beckett’s and you still don’t trust me?”
“Who do you think you’re chained to?” Joe snapped back.

Patrick glanced over his shoulder as far as he could turn and saw he was back to back with Pete, his head lolling to one side, still very much asleep. Patrick sighed his annoyance. Moving his fingers, he could tell that his and Pete’s hands had been chained together behind their backs. They were both seated on the floor of the cage, their feet sticking through and chained to the bars. Two more long chains threaded under their arms and around the bars either side of them. Patrick had to admire the ingenuity of the intricate pattern, but not the fact that he could barely move.

“Did Andy do this?” Patrick finally asked, knowing his ability to secure a vampire had gone unrivalled since Pete’s turning.
“You’ve got the nerve to ask that?” Joe asked stepping forward.
“What?” Patrick asked oblivious to the injuries he had inflicted. “Okay, so I hit him but…”
“Hit him!” Joe fumed. “You nearly killed him!”
“He tried to kill me!” Patrick offered in his defence. “What do you mean, I…”
“He got a stake to defend himself!” Joe snapped. “Wouldn’t you, in his position?”

Patrick’s shoulders sagged at the question. Of course, it was exactly what he would have done, and more besides.

“Did I really nearly kill him?”
“He’s concussed,” Simon replied entering the room. “You guys could wake the dead with your shouting!”
“Very fucking funny,” Pete grumbled.
“It wasn’t meant to be a joke,” Simon sighed, realising what he’d said.
“Well, good, because I lied,” Pete snapped. “Any chance of something to eat?”
“Wait your turn!” Joe yelled. “We haven’t even eaten yet!”
“Oh, so what? We’re like dogs now are we, we get fed after the humans?”
“Pete,” Patrick sighed shaking his head. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.”
“You’re damn right it isn’t!” Pete growled, pulling on the chains and only succeeding in hurting Patrick in the process. “Sorry,” he added contritely on hearing a pained yelp from his friend.
“You think you could do any of this quietly?” a tired voice asked from the doorway.

All eyes turned to see Andy standing, almost upright, in the doorway, leaning on the frame for support.

“I can hear you all the way back in my room.”

“Andy?” Patrick’s face was ashen as he saw the usually strong, but now drained and weak man struggling to hold himself upright in the doorway.
“What?” Andy asked apparently without malice, but Patrick suspected that weakness played a large part in his lack of emotions.
“I’m sorry.”

There was so much feeling packed into those two words that it unexpectedly caught Joe’s attention and sympathy. Turning back to face Patrick, he found himself trying to stop himself believing that Patrick was as remorseful as he looked and sounded. He wouldn’t allow himself to be tricked again. But what if it wasn’t a trick? What if they genuinely were still his friends? If only he could be sure.

“I was only going for the stake to defend myself,” Andy explained in the silent room. “I wasn’t going to kill you.”
“I… I know that now, and, I wasn’t trying to hurt you, just knock you out long enough to get free. Andy, please believe me, I… I don’t know my own strength.”

Andy nodded and said the one simple thing that would give Joe the proof he was looking for.

“I do believe you. You could have killed me, drank my blood, but you didn’t. You drank the shake I made for you. You could have stayed at Beckett’s, but you rescued Pete.”
“Well, I was pretty much…” Pete began only to be cut off by Patrick.
“Pete, shut up. You were chained up in the dungeon waiting for Beckett to come and kill you.”
Pete shrugged. “Yeah… well… I guess.”
“Can you forgive me?” Patrick paused as he waited for a reply. “Andy?”
Andy drew his lips into a thin line. “Joe, can we talk, please?”
Joe nodded before indicating Simon and Andrea. “Shouldn’t we all?”

Nodding, Andy turned away to head for the adjacent room to debate their friends’ freedom.

“So,” Pete sighed. “I guess the jury’s out.”
Patrick took a deep breath and looked about the cage that he himself constructed. “I hope it’s not a life sentence.”
“Trick,” Pete turned his head. “Trust me, which ever way it goes, it’s a life sentence.”