unearthly and bone-chilling. It
was reliving the last moments of its life: being shot and staked.
Its hands
wrapped around its bloody head. I was certain the pain was crippling. As the scream slowly died, its hands shot up to its neck and ripped the bolts free. Rolling off the table, it spit the last of the purple concoction out of its mouth. The Vampire looked up with milky white eyes and focused on me. "You,” it stammered. It tried to move toward me, but it wasn't coordinated enough yet. Its reanimated body was still mostly dead. I had used a very mild mixture to bring it back. This pretty much negated the possibility it would go on a killing spree in downtown Vegas, or even kill Crash or me. Stumbling over more debris, its eyes became angry. “You did this to me,Seeker ." Well, at least it remembered me. I stood my ground. The Frankenvamp was no match for me, but I needed it to trust me. “No, I didn't. I tried to help you." "I don't like this, Rose!” Crash shouted, holding the stake tightly. “Kill it!" "No,” I said, holding up a hand to silence Crash. “This will pass. He's disoriented and in pain.” I took a step closer to the Frankenvamp. We didn't have long. He was dying ... for the third time. “I need your help."
The Frankenvamp eyed me warily. He seemed to be regaining control of more of his faculties. Reanimation was a dangerous game. If things didn't go right, you created a powerful zombie with a taste for brains. The mind had to remain intact. “What's your name?" "Luke,” he said as if the name sounded alien. His face slowly started to soften. His anger and pain were beginning to subside. He remembered.
"Luke,” I repeated, letting him hear it. “Can you tell me why Brimstone would have sent the Cleaners into your nest?"
The Frankenvamp pressed his hands to the side of his head as if it hurt to think. Which, looking at the gaping hole in his cranium, it probably did. “I don't know. We were legal. I was legal." "I know,” I assured him. “But was your brood doing anything against the law?” A trickle of blood ran down his bottom lip and started to pool on his shirt. His gaze seemed far away. I was losing him. “Stay with me, Luke. Was your brood doing—"
"Our Master,” Luke replied, during a sudden burst of clarity. “Our Master abandoned us.” The Frankenvamp looked at me with despair thick on his face. “He said he would protect us. He wouldn't let them take us anymore. He didn't protect us..." I leaned closer. “Wouldn't let who take you? Protect you from who?" Luke didn't answer my question. His mind was starting to turn to mush. “Hedid this to us by leaving. Didn't he?"
"I don't know,” I answered honestly. “But I'm trying to understand why this happened. You didn't deserve to die."
"Seeker,” he added cryptically. I wasn't sure if he was addressing me, as his gaze seemed far away. Luke crumpled to his knees unable to support himself. He was just about gone. Another moment of clarity struck him. “I don't want to die."
wrapped around its bloody head. I was certain the pain was crippling. As the scream slowly died, its hands shot up to its neck and ripped the bolts free. Rolling off the table, it spit the last of the purple concoction out of its mouth. The Vampire looked up with milky white eyes and focused on me. "You,” it stammered. It tried to move toward me, but it wasn't coordinated enough yet. Its reanimated body was still mostly dead. I had used a very mild mixture to bring it back. This pretty much negated the possibility it would go on a killing spree in downtown Vegas, or even kill Crash or me. Stumbling over more debris, its eyes became angry. “You did this to me,Seeker ." Well, at least it remembered me. I stood my ground. The Frankenvamp was no match for me, but I needed it to trust me. “No, I didn't. I tried to help you." "I don't like this, Rose!” Crash shouted, holding the stake tightly. “Kill it!" "No,” I said, holding up a hand to silence Crash. “This will pass. He's disoriented and in pain.” I took a step closer to the Frankenvamp. We didn't have long. He was dying ... for the third time. “I need your help."
The Frankenvamp eyed me warily. He seemed to be regaining control of more of his faculties. Reanimation was a dangerous game. If things didn't go right, you created a powerful zombie with a taste for brains. The mind had to remain intact. “What's your name?" "Luke,” he said as if the name sounded alien. His face slowly started to soften. His anger and pain were beginning to subside. He remembered.
"Luke,” I repeated, letting him hear it. “Can you tell me why Brimstone would have sent the Cleaners into your nest?"
The Frankenvamp pressed his hands to the side of his head as if it hurt to think. Which, looking at the gaping hole in his cranium, it probably did. “I don't know. We were legal. I was legal." "I know,” I assured him. “But was your brood doing anything against the law?” A trickle of blood ran down his bottom lip and started to pool on his shirt. His gaze seemed far away. I was losing him. “Stay with me, Luke. Was your brood doing—"
"Our Master,” Luke replied, during a sudden burst of clarity. “Our Master abandoned us.” The Frankenvamp looked at me with despair thick on his face. “He said he would protect us. He wouldn't let them take us anymore. He didn't protect us..." I leaned closer. “Wouldn't let who take you? Protect you from who?" Luke didn't answer my question. His mind was starting to turn to mush. “Hedid this to us by leaving. Didn't he?"
"I don't know,” I answered honestly. “But I'm trying to understand why this happened. You didn't deserve to die."
"Seeker,” he added cryptically. I wasn't sure if he was addressing me, as his gaze seemed far away. Luke crumpled to his knees unable to support himself. He was just about gone. Another moment of clarity struck him. “I don't want to die."