CHAPTER 24: THE LINK

The leaves of the fancy green bushes in front of the stairway gives off little sounds as the breeze claps them together. The gray stairs line up to form the path that leads to the wooden door of Elma's apartment.

Gabriel stares at the apartment as Samuel and Amanda step out of the car.

"Why are we here?" he asks, "Well, since the investigation the club has been closed. I will make a few calls to make sure the cops are done sweeping the scene and packing their shit out of the club," Samuel answers.

"What investigation?".

Samuel pauses as Gabriel's question rings in his ears. "What are you talking about Gabe? Dracula's attack on our club. Are you okay man?" "I don't remember," Gabriel says.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Samuel laments as he realizes what is going on.

"It has started Sammy. He is gradually losing it, he is becoming a wraith," Amanda says.

"Fuck," Gabriel grunts.

"Don't worry, we will get your body back but first we need to find out where the fuck that bastard is," he says, "Come on," he leads them to the house.

Rachael and Elma hear the engine's roar come to a stop as the sphinxes return.

The door opens and the two immortals enter the apartment to find the girls looking at them with anticipation. Their eyes stay glued to them as they both sit on the sofa, "What?" Amanda asks.

"Anything new about Gabriel or his killer?" Rachael asks, "Oh, yeah. We got Gabriel's soul. He is here right now," she says.

"I don't see Gabriel anywhere," Elma says, "That's because he is a ghost," Samuel says as he reaches for a canteen from his suit.

"What?" Rachael is confused.

"What do you mean ghost?" she asks, "He can pass through walls and stay invincible, like casper" Samuel says and glances to corner of the living room where he can see Gabriel raising his middle finger.

"He is here, like right in this room?" Elma asks, "Yes babe," Amanda says.

Rachael is flabbergasted by their words. At this point she should be used to the strange reality of the supernatural but she isn't, not for this.

Ghost?

How can spirits exist in this world? Is every single story and folklore true as well?

"No, but most are born from real stories, they just change overtime," Amanda's answer reminds her how easy it is for a sphinx to read what is on her mind.

Gabriel stares at her but she can't see him. He hates the fact that he died just when things were getting good, just when he was falling in love.

Why does the world have to be so cruel?

He stretches his hand to touch her but it goes through her face as the intangibility of his soul is weightless in comparison to the pains of his heart.

"I am here, Rachael" he says but his voiceless words mean nothing to her. Even the touch of the stagnant air becomes louder than his voice and he feels his heart crack open like an egg.

He wants to hug her, he wants to touch her, he wants to kiss her but the dead and the living can never be.

Samuel can see the pain in his brother's eyes. He more than anyone else understands what it feels like to have the one you love in front of you and yet they are unreachable.

Like the sun, always there but yet it is untouchable. That is how Gabriel feels and his brother feels it too.

Somehow the link Ororo created between them makes him understand how sad his brother must be. To sacrifice your strength for the one you love only for them to watch you die.

Samuel gulps down some liquor and looks at Rachael, "Gabriel says hi. He is here, beside you" he says.

Rachael rubs her eyes and forces a smile, "Samuel, please tell me we are going to bring him back," she says with a shaky voice, "Tell him, it is going to be alright," she says.

"I've told you before Miss McQueen, I will bring Gabriel back to life even if it's the last thing I do," he promises her.

He stands up, "Let me get some air," he says as he walks towards the door. He takes a few steps and staggers. His canteen falls from his hand and his legs give out under the weight of his body and he finds himself helpless against the will of gravity.

What the hell is going on?

He falls to the ground and begins to groan in pain. The girls gather around him, "Sammy, what's wrong? Are you okay?" they ask as he lays on his back, wriggling and groaning.

Amanda's eyes glow and she sees a chain around his neck. The chain floats in the air and ends around Gabriel's neck, "Shit," she mumbles.

"If we don't save Gabriel soon, you are going to die as well Sammy," she says.

"What do you mean he is going to die?" Rachael trembles as Samuel lies helplessly on the floor.

"Their souls are now linked together but the dead and the living should not be linked in the way that they are.

Every time Gabriel's soul deteriorates Samuel becomes weaker until they are both dead," Amanda says.

She tugs strands of her hair behind her ears and tries to lift Samuel up. "Come on, help me," they lift him up and help him get to the sofa.

Gabriel and Samuel share a glance as they realize how risky the situation has become. Now they know that they have little time. They have to be fast about it if there is anything they are going to do.

"Damn it," Samuel groans as the pain begins to dissipate. His hands get sweaty and his heart beats fast, faster than ever before. Sweat trickles down his face as he begins to control his breathing.

"I will kill that bastard," he says.

"You need some blood?" Elma asks, "Yes and bourbon if you have some," he says.

The vampire can hear his heart beat, it is erratic and loud. Almost as if he is afraid.

He is scared. Samuel Stone is scared of dying.

Now she understands why he couldn't make the sacrifice for Rachael. He will take risks because he knows he won't die and even if he does as a sphinx he can always come back but now he too is vulnerable.

Guns, silver and holy ash may not work but Gabriel's death will kill him and Rachael may have to watch him die as well.

Elma has never seen them so vulnerable and all this started when they met Rachael McQueen. She wonders, if she was the one would they go this far for her?

She has come to find the human likeable but is she really that important?

She takes one last look at Samuel before she leaves to get him some blood and sees him wipe the sweat off his face.

What will the both of you do now, Samuel and Gabriel?

"Mary, she helped us to find you maybe she can find this guy too," Rachael suggests.

"There isn't anytime to waste, call this Mary. We need her now," Amanda says and glances at her best friend as he struggles to regain composure.

"Don't worry, we will find Alucard and end this,".