Читать книгу Barry and the Vampire in the Rosedale Encounter - Darrell Bartell - Страница 10

Barry couldn’t sleep. His adrenaline kept him awake for the duration of their trip. The drive to Lubbock took almost six hours, traveling west on I-20 and then straight up highway 84 after passing Sweetwater. He found out they had at least one thing in common: Casey liked George Straight. She played his latest CD three times before switching to Van Halen.

Probably partied with them too, he thought to himself.

Barry never said a word during the trip, although he had questions and needed answers. Like, why she needed him to help search for her niece.

I’m not an investigator and I don’t have her skills. So what gives? he thought.

They arrived shortly before three a.m. and stopped at the Panhandle Resort. The hotel looked like it came right out of a commercial for Las Vegas.

“We’re staying here?” inquired Barry.

“I may be dead, but I have class.”

Before handing the parking attendant the keys, Casey cleared the GPS to make sure the information couldn’t be read. Next, she pulled a lever next to the driver’s seat and the trunk opened. The attendant guaranteed the car would be safe and offered to retrieve their luggage.

“We’ll get it,” she replied.

A couple minutes later, Casey and Barry were at the front desk with their bags. “Good morning, my name is Benjamin,” greeted the desk clerk. “How may I help you?”

“We’d like a room, please,” Casey informed him.

“Of course.”

“Is the Dallas Suite available?”

Benjamin used the touch-screen computer system with ease. “Yes, ma’am, it is.”

“Good. We’ll take it.”

“May I see your credit card, please?”

“We don’t need a credit card,” her facial expression became more intense.

“I’m sorry. Hotel policy: you must have a credit card or a debit card to rent a room,” he announced.

“You’re not listening.”

Barry observed for a second time in one night the extent of Casey’s powers.

“This is Barry McElroy, the CEO of McElroy Industries,” she spoke softly. “He’s stayed here numerous times before. You didn’t recognize him, because you’re tired.”

“I’m tired,” Benjamin mumbled.

“He’s going to give you his driver’s license; you’ll apologize for the confusion and then complete the registration.”

“Yes, I’ll complete the registration,” he repeated.

“Mr. McElroy always pays with cash.”

“Cash. Of course.”

Barry produced his driver’s license and placed it on the counter.

The desk clerk read Barry’s name and came out of his trance. “Mr. McElroy, I apologize, sir. I didn’t recognize you.” He nervously completed the registration process. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he yawned.

“That’s all right . . . Benjamin.” Barry smiled.

“Will that be one night or two?”

“One.”

“Two,” Casey corrected him.

“Um, yes, that’s right. Two nights,” Barry agreed.

“Two it is.” Benjamin informed them of the price.

Barry’s eyes widened. “How much?”

“It’s okay, Mr. McElroy,” Casey enjoyed the surprise. “Pay the man.”

Barry remembered the stack of fifties he had. He removed the rubber band, counted out $800 and handed the bills to Benjamin, who produced a receipt and $20 in change. “You’ll be in room 926. Sign here, please.”

He signed the form and accepted the magnetic key cards.

“The bellhop will show you to your room.”

“We’ll see ourselves up,” Casey said, picked up her bags. “We know the way.”

“As you wish. If there’s anything I can do for you, Mr. McElroy, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Thank you.” Barry grabbed his suitcase and followed Casey to the elevators.

A few minutes later they arrived on the ninth floor and made their way to their room. The two-bedroom suite was three times the size of Barry’s apartment back in Fort Worth. Complete with dining area, an entertainment center with Wi-Fi, and a living room with a high ceiling.

She placed her bags on the couch. “Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when I’m ready.”

“Ready for what?” asked Barry.

“To meet my family.”

Barry’s jaw dropped open.

“Don’t look surprised. It was your idea.”

“I meant for you to meet them. They don’t know me.”

“They will tomorrow.” She opened her duffel bag. “Tomorrow they’ll know everything.”

“I don’t get it. Why the change and why bring me along?” Barry didn’t know if vampires needed oxygen, but he thought he saw Casey take a deep breath. He followed her over to the sliding glass doors and went out onto the balcony. The lights of Lubbock outlined the landscape.

“You can’t understand what I’m feeling. What I’m going through. What I am. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”

Barry listened to her sincerity.

“I made some bad choices. Running away was one of them. I wasn’t interested in the life of a country girl. My heroes were Charlie’s Angels and the Bionic Woman, because they had cool day jobs and I wanted one.”

“Doesn’t sound like a reason to leave home.”

She became serious. “I had a strict father who didn’t want me becoming an actress. I wasn’t allowed to date and I had a curfew every time I went out with friends.”

Barry had read stories about runaways for his paper. He didn’t expect to hear one firsthand.

“There was a boy in high school, Bobby Joe Freeman. I liked him and he liked me. We did what all teenagers with strict parents do. We found ways around the rules. Papa caught us at a movie theatre. He grabbed me, told Bobby Joe to stay away, then dragged me home and nearly beat the fire out of me. That’s when I decided to leave.”

“And made your way to Los Angeles?”

Casey nodded her head. “I had no idea I was trading one prison for another.”

“What happened when you got there?”

“The rest is my business.”

Disappointed, Barry reminded her, “You’re not answering my questions.”

“You’re here because I need your help.”

“With what?”

“To protect my family.”

The answer shocked Barry. “I don’t understand.”

“Vampires are like mortals. Some good, some evil, but we all have one thing in common—the need for blood. Some detest killing, but others don’t give it a second thought. The most sinister of our kind give in to the one desire that causes us to lose what’s left of our souls and become true vampires.”

“What’s that?” asked Barry.

“We kill off our immediate family. Parents, siblings, even our own children if we have any.”

Speechless, Barry stared at her.

“Before we find out where Kelly went, I’m going to teach you how to kill a vampire. If it looks for an instant like I might lose control, you’re going to have to destroy me.”

His mixed emotions went into overdrive. “Now wait a minute, I didn’t sign on for this!” He pulled out his inhaler and took a deep breath.

She pleaded, “I know I’m asking a lot.”

“Ya think? You should have told me this before we left,” he argued.

“And if I had, would you have come along?”

“Of course not!” Barry went back inside the suite, Casey following closely behind him. “I’m a teenager trying to get into college, I’m not a murderer.”

“I’m already dead, so technically it isn’t murder.”

“You know what I’m talking about,” he said as he paced the floor. “There has to be another way.”

“There’s no other way,” she countered.

“There has to be somebody else!”

“There is no one else.”

“What about one of your rock star friends?” He snapped his fingers. “I know. Ozzy Osbourne! I heard he bit the head off of a bat once. He’d be perfect for the job!”

“Barry, this is no time for jokes.”

“Who’s joking? What’s his number? I’ll call him.”

“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” she yelled, turning away from Barry and walking over to the dining room table.

He didn’t mean to push her to the limit. Any more and she might lose control—on him. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, Casey. I’m sorry, but this is a lot to take in right now.”

“I understand.”

He tried looking for a way out. “But why me?”

She turned to face him. “You mean you haven’t figured it out yet?”

“I’m new at this, remember?” He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “What are you not telling me?”

Casey looked down at the floor like a schoolgirl being scolded for keeping a secret. Finally, she spoke. “First, I need your help to find out where Kelly went and to make sure I don’t lose control.”

“I got that part,” he reassured her.

“Then we have to find Kelly.”

“I’m on board with that.”

“If we find her in time, then we’re good. We’ll bring her home.”

This part Barry didn’t understand. “What do you mean by ‘in time’?”

“If she’s been brought across like me, I can’t kill her because she’s part of my bloodline. It could trigger the desire—the hunger—and I’ll be back here to wipe out everyone. I’ll become evil incarnate. A true vampire.”

“And if you don’t kill her, then she could lose control and come back here to kill everyone.”

“No,” she corrected him, “if you don’t kill her.”

Now it became clear. “You can’t be serious. What part of ‘I don’t hunt or kill vampires’ are you not getting?”

The desperation could be heard in her voice. “Barry, there is more to it than that.”

“Like what?”

“Saving my family. I made a mistake running away; they shouldn’t have to pay for what I’ve become.”

Barry remained silent. Arguing with her was pointless and fatigue started to take over. The opportunity didn’t come along every day to make a difference. Casey needed Barry’s help for redemption and a second chance. He already knew the answer when he asked himself the question, What would Dad do? He picked up his suitcase.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting some sleep. Tomorrow has ‘long day’ written all over it and I need some rest.”

“Then you’ll help me?”

Barry knew the next words would change his life forever. “I’ll help you.” He saw the heavy burden lift from her shoulders. For a second, she appeared to have found peace of mind. He turned toward the bedroom.

“Barry.”

He stopped at the door.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet; I might change my mind.”

“I hope not,” she said.

After stepping inside the bedroom, Barry turned around. “You better be a good teacher.”

He watched Casey pull out a Japanese katana from her duffel bag. Using both hands, in one fluid motion she removed the sword from its saya. The light glistened off the blade.

“Me too.” Casey looked at him and smiled. “But I am a little nervous. After all, it’s my first time.”