CHAPTER VIII

        Gabriel and Mrs. McQueen are at Oyster Bay, New York, waiting for the arrival of Rachael and Samuel.

"I hope they are alright" Mrs. McQueen says as she chews at the tip of her thumb.

"Don't worry, Mary. Nothing will happen to her as long as my brother is there, he is someone to be feared", Gabriel says.

      The wind beats against the windshield as the speedometer just goes over 120km/ph. Samuel presses his foot hard against the throttle, he overtakes an Audi on the road.

The winds blows against Rachael's hair and it's disruptive blow plays with her ear.

Rachael glances at him and notice his eyes, their blue glow look captivating.

How can such beauty carry darkness of unknown depth?

Is it still the same boss she is familiar with?

Blood.

The image of dismantled corpses highlighted through a wobbly array of lights flashes through her mind. She gets goosebumps as this memory surfaces.

"What is it?" Samuel asks in a harsh voice, "N-nothing," she stammers, "Then look somewhere else, your stare is disturbing".

He sounds cold and doesn't even glance at Rachael. To Rachael, this is a side of Samuel she has never seen before.

Those people, he killed them all.

He says he isn't a vampire; what are you guys, Samuel and Gabriel?

Samuel glances at her from the side of his eye and he frowns, "Monsters" he mumbles under his breath.

BACK AT THE CLUB.

      A woman in a Saint Laurent black jacket inspects the headless corpses on the floor, the marble floor has been almost buried in a pool of blood.

She stands at 6'1ft with a curvaceous body, she tosses a strand of hair to join the rest of her long red hair.

She is fair in complexion and have a pair of sky blue eyes.

She pulls out a lollipop from her red glossed lips and makes a little pop sound with her mouth.

The room Is surrounded by men in black suits and glasses, like detectives in a crime scene.

But these aren't the detectives one would expect at a crime scene.

"This is definitely one of the twins. Clear this shit up, I don't want any form of human interference in this. Especially the police, that would just be bad for business".

"We found this ma'am" one of the goons walk to the red haired woman and hands a book to her.

"What is this?"

"Have a look".

She opens the book and sees his name, Drago Morningstar.

"O, what do we have here?", she says to herself and flips the next page to see another name, Nightmare.

"Nightmare" she says and the book flip pages and stops.

The picture of a dagger appears in the opened pages and she sees the Latin writings underneath the picture.

"O, this could be useful".

************************************

       The drive to Oyster bay is quiet but Rachael is glad to have it come to an end. Rachael and Samuel reach their destination where Rachael quickly sees her mother's car at Coach Grill and Tavern.

Gabriel just finishes a chicken wing when he sees his brother and Rachael step out of their car.

"They are here", he notifies Mrs. McQueen, "Thank God," Mrs. McQueen is relieved to see her daughter is okay.

She rush to meet Rachael and embraces her, " I'm so sorry" "Don't worry mom,".

"Hey" Gabriel greets her, she responds with a nod.

The twins step aside as they let the women catch up, "Hey, what's up? You okay?" Gabriel asks.

"Yes. We got ambushed at the club", "I trust that you took care of it" "Of course".

"I've got good news brother" "Father is dead?" "Not that good but definitely heading there. We've got a map to Nightmare".

Samuel looks at his brother, "Tell me you are not joking man" "Sammy, this is the real deal" Gabriel says as he pulls out a folded paper from his pocket and hands it to him.

Samuel opens the paper and smiles, "How did you get this?"

"Frank did it. He found Nightmare"

"Your stooge came through after all"

"He wasn't a stooge".

"We have to find somewhere to stay, if they can attack us at our own club then it's only a matter of time before the Trackers get to us", Samuel says.

"When they come, we will kill them" Gabriel says plainly, "But for now we need to find a safe place" he adds.

"Elma's?" "Sure. But I'm taking the Porsche, it's your turn to stay with the temperamental old lady" Gabriel says.

"Why? I thought you two would have bonded by now", Samuel complains but Gabriel ignores him.

"We should leave" Gabriel tells the ladies, "Samuel will join you" he says to Mrs. McQueen.

"Well, I'm driving this time" she says, "Just shoot me, dammit" Samuel mumbles.

Gabriel and Rachael enter the black Porsche while Samuel reluctantly follows Mrs. McQueen into her red impala.

And they start their new journey not knowing what the future holds; trouble.

        Rachael closes her eyes and rest the back of her head against the car seat.

"John almost killed me today, what is going? Is this the kind of world my father lived in?" she thinks.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gabriel asks and she nods her head.

       Samuel looks worried as he scratches his head, "What's wrong?" Mrs. McQueen asks, "Nothing".

She saw me like that.

She is afraid, she is scared of me.

"What's going on between you and my daughter?" Mrs. McQueen suddenly asks. Like a frisbee thrown without direction, the question hits Samuel.

"What?", "I said what's going on between you and Rachael?"

"You have the wrong idea, Mrs. McQueen" he says.

"I don't think so. You guys seem to get along and if I recall, my husband used to say you are an ass.

So, I need to know what you are selling because I ain't buying" she says.

"Pfft, ketamine"

"See? An ass".

Samuel stares at her; if only glares could kill.

"If you must know, I am merely worried about your daughter. She is…" he pauses, "…fiery and scared. And she does way more than she's supposed to" he giggles.

"None of these things sound like a flirty compliment so that's good but your tone. Are you in love with my daughter?".

        Rachael's mind keeps replaying what she saw at the club like a song on repeat. Gabriel senses the chaotic state of her thoughts, "It's not always like that" he says.

She knows, after all, those blue eyes were the same eyes her rescuer had back then.

Makes one wonder, could her rescuer be one of the twins? Could it be Samuel or Gabriel?

Is her hero a vampire, a shifter or some other kind of monster?

"My friend, John. He tried to hurt me" Rachael finally says.

"Must have been a shifter, shady little things. They can take the form of anyone".

"Samuel killed him. The scary part was downstairs, he ripped them apart. I didn't see it all but I saw enough" she trembles.

"Looks like Samuel went overboard", Gabriel thinks.

"Don't worry, don't be afraid of him", "How? He didn't feel like the same person" "He is still the same dick that you know. He just gets cranky when he goes over the edge and transforms"

"Transform? Transform into what?"

"Rachael, I don't think…".

The sound deafens them as it hits them hard. The force slams into them like a raging bull, tumbling the Porsche until it is upside down.

Rachael's memories receive a shock and the face she sees is frightening as blood dripped from the side of his head.

No, not again.

Last time he left her but this time she wants to go with him.

She stretches her hand towards him as her vision goes blurry and calls out to him with all the strength she possesses, "Dad".