unwanted attention to them. The three here in Bayport are probably wondering what I am going to do with the book.”
“What if they come after you?” Chloe cringed.
“I will do what I have to,” Andrew was blunt.
“Not like Germany,” Chloe swallowed hard.
“I don’t know.” Andrew downed a third glass. “That will depend on them. We should go to bed,” Andrew announced. He stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He put the bottle of scotch back. Andrew glanced for a moment at his daughter and Roxanne. He headed off to bed. Chloe felt unsettled and afraid of what her dad might do. She left the kitchen to go after him, and left Roxanne alone at the breakfast nook. Roxanne had a bad feeling and took off after Chloe and Andrew.
Dawn approached and soon it would be too late. The hunt would have to be called off and there would be no measure of satisfaction this night. Where could the others be? Why were they not here yet? With each tick of the clock, time slipped away.
Night Blade, frustrated, waited in the shadows. Off, in the not too far distance, were the ones she hunted. They were only ‘baby bats’, naive, but none the less satisfying to kill. She had received a call that these ‘baby bats’ had planned a blood feast at the boarded up Higgins’s house. Night Blade had always been curious as to why these creatures always chose abandoned places to gather. Either way it would prove poorly for them this night. Night Blade watched as the ‘baby bats’ and their blood dolls broken into the house. She could wait no longer and stepped forward, but suddenly stopped when she heard a noise from behind her.
Star Blade and Moon Blade came in from the north. Each had received a call from their respective sources that there would be a blood feast at the abandoned Higgins’s house. They stopped at the edge of the woods when the ‘baby bats’ and their blood dolls broke down back the door. Both of them wondered where Night Blade could be. It would be morning soon and time was running out.
“We can’t wait any longer,” Moon Blade cursed.
“We need Night Blade to help with the attack,” Star Blade growled back.
“There are only six of them,” Moon Blade fired back. “Besides, we are supposed to let the blood dolls go. You know the rules of the code.”
“I know the code,” Star Blade fired back. “They would just become blood dolls for some other of those disgusting creatures.” Star Blade watched as the last one entered the house. She removed her swords and continued, “I say we finish them all.”
“Then we will do it without Night Blade,” Moon Blade drew her own swords.
Moon Blade and Star Blade burst forth from the bushes and without delay entered the house through broken door.
Chloe couldn’t sleep. She was very worried at what her dad was going to do about the Knights of VanHelsing in Bayport. She was afraid that he would take matters into his own hands and kill them like he had in Germany.
Chloe got up and put on her robe. She left her room and went down the hall to her dad’s bedroom. Chloe wrapped on the door first and opened it. She peered inside the room. Her dad was gone! An overwhelming feeling of fear washed over Chloe. She slammed the door shut and ran back to her room. Chloe quickly put on some clothes and shoes, and grabbed her keys and jacket. She had no clue where to look, but had to find her dad before he did something horrible.
Chloe hurried down the stairs while putting on her coat. She leapt from the second step and bounded for the door. Chloe reached for the handle, the door opened and her dad entered the house.
“Where were you?” Chloe jumped on him.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk.” Andrew did not look at her. He closed the door.
Chloe walked up to her dad and felt his coat; it was ice cold.
“Where did you go?” Chloe was more subdued.
“Just around the neighbor hood, why?” Andrew looked and saw the disbelief in her eyes. How dare she question him about where he had been?
“I was worried that you might, um,” Chloe stammered.
“You thought I was going to do something bad tonight, right?” Andrew smirked.
“Yes.” Chloe took hold of her dad’s hands. They were ice cold too. “Did you?”
Andrew was about to answer when there was frantic pounding at the door. Whoever it was, they seemed very much in a panicked rush. They kept knocking. Andrew left Chloe to go and answer the door. When Andrew opened the door he saw Storm standing there. Her eyeslids and face were black from the mascara. She was still crying. Her whole body was trembling. Andrew escorted her inside and shut the door. Storm was trembling so badly that Chloe put her arms around her. Andrew told the girls to go into the family room and for Chloe to start a fire. Andrew grabbed a blanket from the foyer closet and joined them soon after. Storm had taken off her coat and sat in a chair by the fireplace. She thanked Andrew for the blanket and wrapped it around herself. Storm sobbed between labored breaths. What could have upset her so much? Chloe started the fire. Andrew sat in the chair beside Storm. He knew something terrible had happened and need to find out what it was right now.
“Are you okay?” Andrew started out simple.
“Y..Yes,” Storm sniffed back her tears.
“Are you hurt?” Andrew asked. He looked Storm over and bent down to pick up her coat. There was blood smattered on the right sleeve and shoulder. Andrew did not see any wounds on Storm. So whose blood was it?
“Where you at a blood feast?” Andrew took a chance.
“No, I mean yes,” Storm violently shook her head from side to side. “But it… it was much worse. He made us do it. Why…why the house?”
“Who made you do what?” Andrew grasped hold of Storm by the shoulders.
“We killed them!” Storm shrieked. She shook loose of Andrew’s grip and headed to the front door. Andrew and Chloe went after her. Storm reached for the doorknob, but it was Chloe that stopped her. She put her arms around Storm and subdued her. Exhaustion finally caught up with Storm, and she passed out in Chloe’s arms. Chloe struggled to keep standing, and Andrew came to her aid. He picked Storm up in his arms and carried her into the family room. Andrew laid her on the sofa and covered her with the blanket. Chloe and her dad slumped down in the chairs.
“What was she talking about?” Chloe looked at her Dad for an answer.
“Storm was part of a blood feast,” Andrew explained. He glanced over at Storm who looked peaceful now. “Something went wrong.” Andrew stood up and walked over to the gun cabinet. He unlocked it and took out a Glock 9mm and belt clip holster. Andrew clipped it to his belt and also grabbed extra clips. He also grabbed the pouch with throwing stars and clipped it to his belt.
“Where are you going?” Chloe stood up.
“To the Higgins house.” Andrew put his coat on.
“How do you know she came from there?” Chloe inquired.
“Storm said ‘the house’.” Andrew looked at his daughter. “It is safe to assume Storm meant her house.” Andrew took hold of Chloe’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “I need you to stay with Storm and keep a watch on her. No one can leave the house. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked when I am gone.”
Andrew looked over at Storm again. She was still asleep, which was a good thing. He went on, “I am not sure what it is yet, but I need to go and find out.” Andrew now looked at his daughter, “At any sign of trouble, call the police.” Andrew kissed his daughter on the forehead and left the family room. Chloe followed behind and when Andrew left the house, she locked the door. Chloe returned to the family room and checked on the fire. She lay down on the other sofa.
Andrew parked the car on the side of the road. The Higgins house was just a short trek through the woods to the south. Andrew checked his weapons and headed into the woods. He hadn’t gone far when he noticed several tracks headed in the direction he was going. By the number of prints in the snow, Andrew knew it was a group of six or eight all together. Some prints were larger and others smaller. So there were both male and female in the group. By the distance of the steps, Andrew knew they were not in a hurry, but walked at a normal pace. Andrew continued on his way to the house.
When Andrew cleared the woods, he saw that the back door to the house had been forced open. Andrew knelt down and scanned the area. He did not see any movement. Whoever had been at the house was long gone
