Someone furiously rang the doorbell and Bernard flashed to the door to check who it was. It definitely was not Miss Rita. When he checked through the peephole what he saw was a group of men in combat uniform. “What the fuck?” Bernard whispered. Did she fucking rat out on them? He knew it! He should have just tampered with her memory and not let Alice persuade him. Now they were in for it.
“Who is it?” Bernard asked. Hoping to everything in the otherrealm that they were not. “This is the police. Open up.” The one in front said.
Bernard backed up. “Shit!” he whispered. And ran from the door in search of Alice.
“Alice! Alice!” he whispered.
Alice was coming down the stairs, a feather duster in hand. “Bernard, I'm here. What is–” Bernard flashed up and clasped her mouth shut with his gloved hand. Fear in her eyes.
“She ratted us out to the police.” he furiously whispered.
Alice trembled. “What?” she whispered in a small voice and clutched her belly. Instead of the doorbell the police chose to knock.
He grabbed hold of Alice's right wrist and dragged her down the stairs. “Come on, we have to get out of here!”
Alice took large steps to keep up with him. “But how?” she asked. There were no escape routes inside except the fire escape and it was going through repairs and refurbishing.
A series of hard knocks that could have been mistaken as the action of a battering ram came from the other side of the door. “Open up or we are coming in!” One shouted.
Bernard could not flash them out of the building. It could kill either Alice or her baby or both. How were they going to get out of here? They were trapped.
Bernard heard the jingle jangle of keys. The manager must have brought the keys. Damn it! The door opened and in came the police men from the outside.
Alice screamed from behind Bernard's back and he was ready to punch their way to freedom if necessary. “Police! Stay where you are?”
The men filled the room, aiming their guns and long distance tasers at them.
Bernard bared his fangs. “You can't just barge in here. Where is your warrant?” he asked.
“Stand down Bernard.” The manager called. Bernard turned to the pudgy old human man that was the building's manager. He had forgotten he was even here.
Bernard jerked his head to the police in the living room. “Tell them to stand down first.” he growled, keeping an eye on the things aimed at them. The first person that took a shot, bullet, blank or otherwise was going to have a one way trip to the emergency room or the grave.
“Stand down everyone.” someone said. Bernard jerked his head to the new comer. Unlike the rest he wore no combat gear, just a suit and tie. His light brown hair gelled in place with equally light brown eyes and a dark skin colouring. The officers stood down putting away their guns and tasers. Bernard hid away his fangs but still kept his hackles up.
“You wanted a warrant? Show him Frederick.”
“Sure detective.” One of them, the Frederick presumably said and reached into his vest and took out a piece of paper and handed it to Bernard. “Here.” he said.
Bernard took the paper out of his hand, unfolded it and read through it. He looked at Frederick, folded the warrant and gave it back to him.
Frederick took the warrant back and stuffed it back into his vest. “Why didn't you open the door?” he asked. Looking between Bernard and Alice with a knowing look.
Bernard wanted to wipe it off his face. Alice moved around uncomfortably. “I could not be sure if you were really police with H.Q.E going around saying the same thing.” he answered. Frederick looked embarrassed but Bernard could not tell much with the helmet strapped on.
The man in a suit walked closer to Bernard. Bernard moved closer to him. The height difference was very clear. “Now we have that out of the way, I'm Detective Pepe, tell me do you both know this woman?” he inquired, bringing a photo of Rita in front of them.
“Yes, she lives here.” Bernard confirmed. Not sure where this was going anymore but still on guard.
“When was the last time you saw her?” The detective asked, taking out a notepad and a pen from his suit jacket pocket.
Alice answered this time. “It was around 1 pm. She said she was going to the park. The one adjacent of here.”
“So that means she has been gone since one p.m. this afternoon, correct?” The detective asked looking at her.
Alice nodded. “Correct." she affirmed. He scribbled that down.
“It is nearly five p.m. now. Have you called her phone?" He asked the both of them.
“Yes but she is not answering. She is supposed to take her pills before six. Is something wrong?" Bernard inquired.
The detective ignored him. Instead he asked another question. “What did she leave the apartment with?”
Alice answered again. “She left with a black bag, a pack of small snacks, her phone and I think, her earpiece.” The detective wrote that down.
“That's it?” he asked.
Bernard nodded. “Yes, that's it.” Watching as the other officers went in and out of each and every room. Thankfully he had taken Alice's and his bloody laundry earlier this afternoon and gotten them taken care of.
He continued with his enquiry. “What was she wearing?”
Bernard answered this time. “She was wearing balck pants, a purple jacket and a pink scarf.”
The detective wrote it down.
“Detective what is going on?” Alice asked.
"Rita Anozim had been kidnapped.” he said.
“What?!” Bernard and Alice said in unison. Bernard was wrong. She had not ratted them. But right now he wondered which was worse.
“You both are required to remain in this area and not leave until further notice.” he Informed.
“Federick! Did any of you find anything?” he called.
Frederick and two others appeared from Rita's room. “No, nothing.”
“Lets get going then. We still have to take a closer look around the building.”
The detective turned to Alice and Bernard and retrieved a card from his jacket. He handed it to Alice. “This is my work line, if any of you notice anything strange or anything that can help the case, give me a call.”
“If we do, we will.” Bernard stated.
“Sorry about the scare. Thank you for your time.” Detective Pepe said before walking towards the door, the officers and the manager behind them.
Alice slumped onto a chair and Bernard rubbed his hands over his face and his hair. Not knowing whether to be relieved or worried.
****
Max ride the motorcycle he bought a few days ago beside Samuel's car. Samuel or rather, the wolf had informed the police about Rita's disappearance beforehand. He had been right. When Samuel was back in control. Max blurted out everything. Absolutely everything.
And if his shocked expression was anything to go by, this was not just serious and bad but equally or more dangerous. Max had no idea where they were going but he hoped that it was not somewhere where there would be serious fire power because all he had with him was a semi sized pump action Glock. He hoped to the sky and back that Samuel had not taken out the weapons he had stashed in his vehicles because he had a feeling they were going to need it.
****
Carmilla screamed in rage and indignation. The stem of her riot of emotions caused by her left arm's refusal to regenerate even after draining more than half of her slaves. She tore her fangs from the dead human she clutched close to her and through the body away like discarded trash.
She stood naked and bloody before a sea of dead broken, mangled and torn bodies. A hundred and seventy three. Dead. And still no new arm. Sakaer was going to pay for this shame and the disgrace he had put her through. The memory of the smile he had on his face as he tore her apart and marked up her face made a deafening roar escape her bloody lips. Her eyes, a burning set of twin fiery rubies wanted vengeance. Sakaer's pain. Sorrow and Indignation.
He had managed to steal from her, humiliate her and tarnish her seven thousand year old reputation in a single night! All for the sake of a single human mortal. All for a woman who could barely hold a flicker of a flame to her. Carmilla. Daughter of Hell's Keeper! The first daughter of night, blood and sin!
When she found them, she was going to tear her apart in front of him slowly, so he can watch her agony and pain and sink in his own before he ended them both. She would make sure she paid for his heinous mistake. And set his punishment up as an example for any and all created demons who went against her or their creators. And show any one what happened when they chose to make a fool out of her!