In Blind Pursuit by Ash Kennedy Vesta, Georgia: /Clack, Clack, Clack/ Wet cotton stuffing his lungs, sweat as thick as coke syrup rolling off his forehead. It was hotter then the cooking oil they'd used for the carton of McDonald's fries he held, more humid then a greenhouse. All the local weathermen had agreed this was a summer not even the likes of the great peach state had seen. /Clack, Clack, Clack/ Nick stopped drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as the song on the radio died on a low, rumbling note and trickled into a commercial. He shifted in his wool-covered seat, stared at the dashboard clock until he thought the digital display would burn the numbers on to his retinas forever. Night was coming on fast and Sean had gone to buy a six-pack; had been in the 7-11 for a good ten minutes. Another five and he was going in after him. Sitting stagnant in the car he was exposed, as vulnerable as a steer awaiting the farmer's blade. Their situation was fucked up as it was. Completely fucked up. They'd been tracking a particular vampire for a month and it hadn't gotten them anywhere save a trip through the southern United States. But that wasn't their worst problem. This vampire was /different/. He wasn't just vicious and dangerous; he didn't just have superior strength and mental powers. There wasn't a disease flowing through his veins and he wasn't a descendant of the original eight Forsaken. He was a genuine vampire, and up until the moment Nick had seen him with his own eyes he hadn't known such a creature existed. He was contemplating how him and Sean were going to be able take down such a radically different type of bloodsucker when he felt the roar of a powerful engine reverberate through his body. Nick leaned out the window, wiping sweat from his stinging eyes. A second later a six digit sports car thundered past the parking lot, making enough noise for a herd of horses. Nick was already pale, but when saw the sleek black monster of a machine pass him in a blur he went even whiter. "Fucking shit," he swore and he didn't even bother with the car door's troublesome lock as he squeezed through the window space and rolled out on to the black top. Sean was chatting with a young brunette woman near the beer refrigerator when Nick jerked on his arm. "Sean, we gotta go. Come on." Nick's tone rang with insistence, snaring Sean's undivided attention. "What?" Sean's dark eyes darted between his companion and the woman. "Why? I thought-" "Bastard just went by. Let's go. We gotta leave. /Now/. He's already got a head start on us." Sean glanced longingly at the woman again but Nick was persistent and Sean found himself jamming the keys into the ignition and flooring the accelerator of the rust-red car. Nick pointed the way and they were roaring down the highway, their engine growling in protest with every mile they accelerated. In the glove compartment there was a Smith & Wesson six-round, wood gripped .44 Magnum revolver with a satin stainless steel finish. Nick popped the chamber and swore as three Frisbee-backed, gold bullets glared up at him. His aim would have to be dead on or they'd be in the shit so deep that it would be squirting out their eye sockets. "What the hell are you going to do with /that?/" Sean asked him. Nick closed the chamber and tilted the barrel skywards. "Take his tires out. " "/What/. Soon as he gets out of that car, he's going to slaughter us. We don't even know how to kill this guy." "He's a vampire. Decapitation, fire, sunlight. The usual shit should take him down." "We don't know that. And what about hallowed ground, huh? Maybe you think the fucking highway's blessed? This is goddamn insane. I'm just gonna follow him.." "Sean, for your sake, don't. Just don't. We gotta peg him and we gotta do it now. If you fuck this up we might not get another shot at him." Sean grunted but didn't argue. Nick's point was a valid one and this vampire was pure badass. There was no doubt that he'd make an all-you-can-eat buffet out of the locals if they didn't try to stop him now, and a suckhead on a feeding rampage was not something they needed to deal with at the moment. Especially when it was a class of suckhead they knew next to nothing about. The red taillights in the distance ahead of them were getting closer, but the sun seemed to be in a hurry to burrow beneath the horizon. The amber waves of crops to either side of them became hulking gray shadows before their eyes and soon the dark void of night was pierced only by the glow of their headlights. The speedometer was bouncing around the one hundred and twenty mark and the other car was ten seconds way, five seconds -- Nick leaned out the window and squeezed the S&W's trigger. /Crack/ The hammer crashing down on the bullet split through the darkness like a sword through flesh. Nick gritted his teeth as the bullet ricocheted off the ground and rolled harmlessly into the fields. He raised the gun again and steeled his aim. Another crack echoed in the night and this time Nick was rewarded. Break lights flashed in front of them and Sean pumped his own, yelling as the sound of screeching tires became a deafening noise that tore through the delicate drums of him and his friends' ears. It sounded as if a flock of gulls had descended upon them, all scrabbling at once for a lone scrap of meat. They stopped within centimeters of hitting the sports car's bumper, so close that Sean could make out the details of the chrome stallion on the trunk. /Fucker has expensive tastes for a leech/ he thought wildly as his breath heaved in his chest. A car door opened and slammed shut in the distance. Moments later it was mimicked by a sound that came from closer by. Sean realized that Nick had gotten out of the car, was holding the gun poised in front of him. Sean couldn't prevent the shiver that ran through him when he saw who the barrel was aimed at. He'd seen the bloodsucker before of course, but only from a distance. Up close he was shorter then had been anticipated, but his height did nothing to detract from his intimidating aura. Sean watched from the comfort of the car's interior as their quarry regarded Nick with coal black eyes. They looked as if they could pierce someone's soul and he would have thrown the car in reverse and stomped on the gas pedal if not for his supposed duty.Instead he kicked the driver's side door open and stood behind Nick, duffel bag full of 'hunting' paraphernalia in hand. He doubted the weapons he carried would help him if it came down to hand-to-hand combat but he held tightly to them anyway. The leech leaned back against his car and crossed his arms over his chest, his rigid posture radiating animosity. His eyes were still on Nick when he addressed him, his tone as cold as a desert night but layered with something else neither of them could identify. "You only have one bullet left," he said and raised an eyebrow. "Are you a good enough marksman to land a fatal shot on the first try?" Nick's aim didn't falter and his finger squeezed slightly on the trigger. Most of the vampires he had encountered had been able to read minds, and this one was no exception. He could handle this. He was cool. "I'm close enough to blow your fucking head off, motherfucker," he growled. "I'm aware of /that/. Hunters, always full of such prattle." The vampire rolled his eyes and Sean had the insane urge to laugh. "Sean," Nick said. "I'm on it," came the answer and Sean retrieved a long blade form the duffel bag, its serrated edge sharp enough to cut through bone. He felt more then a little ridiculous standing there with such an extreme weapon when the vampire wasn't making any moves to attack. But his friendship ran deeper then his personal feelings and he knew he would defend Nick's life without a second thought. The vampire smiled then. It was the smile of a car salesman selling someone a lemon; the smile of a lawyer taking more then his legal chunk of winnings. Though unexpected, it was somehow befitting of his personality. "I advise the both of you to lay down your weapons. It usually takes a lot less then shooting at my bloody car for me to resort to violence, and you do /not/ want to experience that. I am well versed in the details of human torture. I can take you both to the pinnacle of pain and keep you there for a very long time. I doubt either of you would survive when I'm through. So, gentleman... choose your destiny." Sean detected an accent in the bloodsucker's voice this time. Something deep that spoke of darker, bloodier times and uncharted lands full of enigmas. Lush, open countryside and streets built on the backs of underlings long before machines took over. He felt inexplicably captivated by it, nearly forgot they were standing in the road being threatened. Nick brushed a strand of his honey-brown hair from his forehead and wiped the sweat from his eyes. The night had done nothing to deplete the scorching temperatures of the day and even his hands were wet and clammy as he fought to keep his aim steady. His arms were trembling, tremors running through his biceps and forearms and causing his grip to slip, and finally he was no longer able to hold his stance. He put the gun up and tilted his head back, waiting for the vampire to strike. When he didn't move Sean threw his blade to the ground and stood waiting with his friend. The moment of silence seemed to stretch on forever. "Wait a minute, something's wrong here. Where the hell's your day driver?" Sean's eyes were on the car when he spoke, looking for signs of another presence, but there weren't any and the bloodsucker's brow was furrowed as if he hadn't understood the question. "Excuse me. My /what/?" "Your fucking day driver," Nick chimed in. "Your human accomplice. Where the hell is he? You can't have been driving around during the day by yourself. Your ass would fry. And you'd have no protection why you slept. So where the fuck are you keeping him?" The vampire threw back his head and laughed, a sound that was as soft as worn leather. It enveloped the jagged edges of his initial enmity in a sensual skin that Sean had the sudden longing to feel against his fingertips, taste in his mouth. Beside him Nick went still and the desires faded as if they had never come. It had been a long time since he'd had any thoughts of a sexual nature, but now was not the time to dwell on such things. "I see now. You've mistaken me for one of those /lower-class/ vampires. I don't even associate with their kind, let alone tolerate them." "Nick, what the fuck's he talking about?" "I'm not one of those you seek," the vampire answered before Nick could. " I'm of a higher breed, more civilized in my coexistence with humanity and far more respected and revered." "It doesn't matter what kind of fucking vampire you are. Lower class, high class-- your still just a leech. One more goddam parasitic plague rat for us to blow to fuckin pieces." The leech raised his eyebrows, his expression guarding the thoughts that skittered across his mind. "I am not your enemy, nor do you want me to be. Don't persuade me to consider otherwise. And I'm here on personal business so I'd appreciate if you left me in peace. You already know the consequences if you decide to make yourselves irritating. " Nick 's face was twisted into a sneer. He coughed up a wad of phlegm and spat it in the vampire's general direction, his disgust evident by the gesture. "Fuck you, you piece of bloodsucking shit." Sean wasn't spared a moment to react. Nick aimed the gun and fired his last shot. But the bloodsucker had moved even before the gun had gone off, had wound his arms underneath Nick's from behind as the bullet whizzed off into the night. Nick was trapped like a rodent in the jaws of a Terrier, the monster's unbreakable grip squeezing the fight out of him as he struggled. The gun slipped to the ground in the tussle and was kicked it into the fields by their shuffling feet. "You brought this on yourself," the leech sighed, and leaned in towards his prey's neck. Nick let out a cry when the vampire's fangs plunged into his throat, the sensation of his skin tearing beneath the brutal assault worse then if someone had shoved hot coals in his veins. His efforts to free himself doubled and the pain swelled and blossomed in his chest with every flex of his muscles. Sean had made him rent the film /Alien/ once when he'd been particularly engrossed in memories of his old life in the entertainment business. He hadn't warmed to the idea, not being much of a movie fan, but the scene where the alien had burst from a crewman's chest had forever emblazoned itself upon his memory. He felt like that crewman now, like his own agony would manifest in the form a squirming, misshapen creature and burst forth from him with a bloodcurdling shriek. And suddenly the pain stopped and he was pushed away from his captor. He stumbled a few steps and fell to his knees in the dirt, taking deep gulps of air as his mind and body let down its defenses. It was as slow and tedious a process as re-spooling thread, since it wasn't often that he let himself fall into such a sedated state. But the blood loss and the dire heat and his own fatigue was taking its toll on him and he found himself slouching over and having to brace himself with his hands. "You're blood's tainted," he heard the vampire say. And then someone let out a furious bellow. Sean watched from the sidelines, uncertain how to proceed. When Damon had seized his friend he'd been prepared to launch an attack but caution made him wary. What if, in aiming to sever the vampire's head from its body, he hit Nick instead? He couldn't risk that. But he couldn't let the vampire drink him dry either. The scale tipped to one side as the sound Nick made when the vampire bit him filled the night sky. For a moment he simply stood there, collecting the battle plans in his head. Decided, he snatched his blade up and charged the vampire, his voice nothing more then a guttural growl. His wrist snapped back for the killing blow. The leech had already let Nick go and had turned around at the noise. The grin that he flashed when he saw Sean coming at him was so confident that it made the hunter's swing of the blade nearly falter. But then the grin was gone and he just stood there, providing Sean with the false sense of security that he was relying on to make the kill. His weapon swooshed through air with an empty, hollow sound. Sean stood there with his face screwed into an expression of puzzlement, blade held limply at his side, until the flapping of wings caught his attention. He swiveled his heard towards the sound. He didn't even see how the immense black bird descending towards him shifted in to the form of the vampire--the transition was that quick. And before he even felt the lingering sensation of the hands that had launched him into the air he came crashing down on the hood of his car, the back of his head smacking the front window with an audible /thunk./ He was disoriented by the taste of the bloodsucker's powers, feeling as if his mind had slowed down his perception of time but his body was still reacting normally. The hood shuddered again, its metal groaning like rusted clockwork, as another body settled on top of it. Sean opened his eyes to see the vampire squatting beside him, one of those suiting grins that were quickly becoming familiar plastered across his face. This close Sean could make out Nick's blood still staining the vampire's teeth, giving them a filmy pink tinge. Sean tried to sit up to face whatever was in store for him next but a wave of dizziness overcame him and he flopped back. His ears rang with the sound the hood made beneath him and he thought he felt a trickle of blood roll down his neck and seep past his shirt collar. It was then that his mind grasped what had occurred. "You're a fucking shapeshifter," he remarked and instantly felt like an idiot for even thinking the words. What was he doing, conversing with a bloodsucking fiend that had just knocked the wind out of him? Nick would kill him if he saw how he was acting. Nick-- he hoped his friend was all right. He couldn't see him from where he laid. The vampire stared at him as if he were studying artwork and debating if it was to his liking. It unnerved him, having those black eyes scrutinize him so intently. They looked like they could tear his soul from his body, pierce his flesh and cleave his heart in half. He'd met many vampires' in his line of work and never had he felt so helpless under one's gaze. "Ignorant for a hunter, aren't you?" the vampire remarked and his shoulders heaved with a sigh. "But still a hunter, nonetheless." Ignorant? Sean thought but didn't have time to dwell on it. The vampire lifted him up as if he weighed nothing at all, draped him over his shoulder, and carried him to the Ferrari. Nick didn't think anything was broken but the rough handling still hurt like a motherfucker and he grunted as pain unfolded like wings from the base of his spine and crept up his back. He was definitely going to be bruised badly later; there was no doubt about that. Sean winced as the vampire flung him into the passenger seat and his stomach lurched with sudden dread. He didn't have time to ponder the situation for the bloodsucker had gone off and come back supporting a limping Nick. Sean felt relief wash over him like the tide and smiled as, with a shove, Nick was sent hurtling into his lap. "You ok?" Sean whispered to him. Through sweat-stung eyes and golden-brown hair that had been plastered to his forehead, Nick looked up at his friend and managed a weak smile. "I'm just fuckin' great." Sean could hear the sharp edge of wariness in his friend's voice, and as he spoke the edges of his wounded neck spasmed and drooled blood. Still, It didn't seem to deter him. "Listen, we got a small problem on our hands here. This guy --" Nick coughed and Sean tried not to let the blood that pooled in Nick's mouth and glistened on his lips unnerve him. "I don't think he's one of the Forsaken." "No shit. And I swear, he can fucking shapeshift. Did it right in front of me. " Nick's eyes widened at the news but he kept his mouth wisely shut as their prey slid into the driver's seat and greeted them with a disarming yet predatory smile. "So you knew my nature, you knew where I was heading, and you knew what kind of car I drove," he mused as he started the six-digit sport car's powerful engine. It purred like a contented cat as he pulled it into gear and sped off down the highway. "That leaves only one possible solution to this scenario. How long have you been tracking me and why?" Sean was busy adjusting the seat belt so that it would fit around him and Nick, leaving Nick to answer for them. Nick looked over to the leech and sized him up with his eyes. Slowly, as to not miss any details. Elegant, pale hands that looked as if they hadn't done an ounce of honest work seemed out of place on the steering wheel, and it was this that triggered Nick's acknowledgement of other noteworthy features. Expensive taste in clothing, a refined air hinting at pedigree lineage, the lack of a fixed set of fangs. The most intriguing was a silver ring he wore. Set with a darkish-blue stone and appearing tarnished and worn around the band, he wondered about its significance. The seat belt locked around them with a click and when the vampire looked over Nick met his gaze. Those eyes were as black as oil, and empty the way a human's could never have been. He didn't like the way they made him feel-- vulnerable, insignificant. Like looking out from the middle of the sea and seeing nothing for miles in every direction. At last the vampire returned his eyes to the road and Nick took a moment to bask in relief before he spoke. "We're not gonna tell you shit." He spat the words like a curse, the anger that suddenly and inexplicably took him raging in defense and pumping newfound strength into his veins. "I don't think that's /really/ the answer you want to give me." Sean stole a glance out the window and noticed they had pulled on to an exit ramp that was leading them to the heart of a small town littered with both cheap and expensive lodging and 'family-style' restaurants. A cluster of gas stations sprung up on either side of them, their stadium lighting blinding after having gotten adjusted to the deep darkness of the highway. The gas stations disappeared as they had been mere apparitions and Sean made a decision as they were plunged back into darkness. "Alright," he said, and noticed that the hotels were looming on the horizon. He swallowed as the worst-case scenario swam across his mind in brilliant blood reds and bruise-like purples and greens. "We'll talk. But you have to explain to us who and what you are." "Sean" "Shut up, Nick. You're not up to this. Just let me handle it." The pair of them both wanted to flinch back from the bare-toothed grin the leech turned on them. He might as well have thrust a rattlesnake in their face, so violent was their reaction and so difficult was it for them to choke back their hunter's instincts. "Sounds like a reasonable proposition," the vampire agreed and pulled into the visitor's parking lot of one of the more expensive hotels, /Embassy Suites/ "The name's Damon Salvatore. And who might you two fine gentleman be?" To be continued.