a bad couple of days

A Bad Couple of Days

"Oh my God! Pip, are you okay?" Anne yelled running up to me.

I didn’t have the strength to get up. It took everything I had to throw my tomahawk at the man who had attacked us. I just laid my head down and closed my eyes.

"Baby, baby look at me! Tell me what to do!" Anne was in a panic.

"Calm down," I gasped. "I just need to catch my breath." I said breathing shallowly.

"Should I call nine-one-one?"

I shook my head, I had a punctured lung. It was hard to get air in and out. I knew if I was human I would be dead. But we didn’t die from injuries like these. I could feel my lung trying to heal, I was breathing easier.

"Help me get off the carpet." I said.

"Pip, what should I do?!"

"Calm down baby, it’s not as bad as it looks."

"Baby there’s blood everywhere. You’re going to bleed to death."

I chuckled a bit and regretted it instantly because of the pain, "I won’t die if I bleed out you goose. Help me off the carpet and into the bathroom"

Anne half dragged me into the bathroom, "Towels. Get something to help stop the bleeding." I whispered.

Anne grabbed some and held them on my wounds. I could see I had lost a bunch of blood. There was no way I was going to be able to get it out of the carpet.

"I broke the door again." I said looking at the empty shower door.

"Oh baby." Anne said crying.

"Don’t cry sweetie, I’ll be fine in a few days. I promise."

"Tell me what to do, what can I do to help?"

"First, I need you to calm down. I’m not going to die. Go down stairs and take some meat out of the freezer and put it in hot water. That will help a great deal, I need as much iron as I can get. That will help me heal faster."

"Okay." Anne ran down stairs to get the meat thawing.

She was back in a few minutes she pulled me up on her lap and held me. There

was no way she was going to calm down until she saw for herself that I wasn’t going to die.

"I think the bleeding has stopped." Anne said lifting one of the towels.

I didn’t want to tell her it was probably because I had run out of blood to bleed out. She didn’t need any else to worry about. I just hoped that there wasn’t any more of those guys out there waiting to attack. I was too weak to fight anyone else.

"I think it was the guy from the beach the other day." Anne said.

I had already thought that, so I just nodded. My lung felt better already, but I knew I had busted ribs. They would take a little longer to heal.

"Find my phone, call Dave." I whispered.

"Okay."

"Tell him we were under attack, we need help." I had to pause to catch my breath before I could go on, "Tell him the house isn’t secured, the bathroom window is busted out."

"Okay."

"Tell him I’m hurt, I need blood, I need it fast so anything will be fine."

"Okay. Do you want a pillow or anything?"

I just closed my eyes, "No," I said faintly; "Just hurry." and I remember nothing more.

"Pip! Pip, can you hear me?"

"What do we do? Is she going to be alright?"

I could hear the voices, but they were far away.

"How long has she been out?"

"Since I called you." I could place Anne’s voice, but the other I couldn’t place yet. I knew I should know it, but the ringing in my ears made it hard to focus on anything.

I felt something on my lips, I knew the taste. It was blood, but it was choking me. I coughed as it was poured into my mouth.

"There you go hun, come back to me. What the hell happened?" it was Dave.

He had come to help; I remember telling Anne to call him.

"Dave?" I asked opening my eyes.

"Yeah it’s me, you told Anne to call me."

"What happened here?" he asked.

"I’m not sure." I said taking another drink of blood.

"Some guy tried to kill Pip." Anne said.

"Anne?" I asked.

Anne came into my view, she looked horrible. She was holding my head in her lap, "Yes baby?"

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine." she looked at Dave, "Is she going to be alright?"

Dave smiled, "Oh yeah. She’ll be okay in a few days."

The blood helped greatly to clear my mind. When I finished the cup, Dave refilled it and I drank it all down in one shot. I could feel my head becoming clear.

"Help me up." I said.

"No baby, please."

"Anne I can’t lay her on the floor all night."

"Here." Dave said picking me up, he slung my arm over his shoulder, "Where we going?"

"Shower." I said.

"I’ll help you in there, but then you’re on your own."

"Anne helped him." I said, "Just get me under the water in the shower."

With one arm over each of their shoulders they took me into the shower. Luckily there was a tiled bench at the back of the shower. They set me down on it and Anne turned the water on. I leaned against the wall and Anne turned the hot water so it was spraying me on my legs.

"Can you find me a broom?" Anne asked Dave.

"Sure."

Anne stepped out of the shower and looked around the bathroom, "Oh my…" Anne said.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. She had her hand over her mouth and was looking grey. I took a deep breath and stood up and walked over to see what she was looking at.

There on the floor was half a finger, "I don’t suppose he’ll be back for it do you?" I asked.

"What are you doing?!" Anne half shrieked, "Sit down!" I smiled and went back to sit.

Dave came back in and walked over to the finger, he bent down and picked it up and threw it in the toilet. He flushed it and looked back at Anne.

"Well, he shouldn’t have left it." he said and laughed, "Nice gun." He said and picked it up.

"Take it." I said from the shower.

"Thank you. You know, when I said earlier maybe you should tear your house up more often, this wasn’t what I had in mind."

"Shut up Dave." I said trying not to laugh.

I pulled my shirt off and threw it on the floor. Anne looked in and saw me and shoed Dave out of the bathroom. She came in and saw me leaning over in pain.

"What’s wrong?" she asked in alarm.

Gritting my teeth, I just waved her away. I grunted and a slug fell out of my chest onto the floor in the shower. A little bit of blood started dripping on the floor.

"I’m okay." I said through gritting teeth,

A few seconds later the second one popped out, "Damn it that hurt." I said trying to catch my breath.

I leaned back against the shower wall and put my hand over my face.

"You’re still bleeding." Anne said with concern.

"It’ll stop in a minute." I said, "Where’s my cup?"

Anne looked around and handed it to me in the shower. I took a few swigs and handed it back to her. I took a deep breath and stood up. I slid my wet panties off and tried to wash the blood off of me.

"Somewhere in the garage, there’s a first aid kit, can you ask Dave to try and find it?" I asked.

"Sure." Anne said going to the bathroom door.

I surveyed the damage; I had small cuts on my knees and the bottoms of my feet from the broken glass. A stab wound that went all the way through me and two

gunshot wounds to the chest.

"Dirty b*****d, I can’t believe he shot me." I said to Anne.

"You’re looking better,"

"I’m feeling better. But it will be a few days before I’m healed." I said shutting off the water.

Anne handed me a towel and answered a knock at the door, Dave handed her the first aid kit and closed the door. As I stood in the shower, Anne tried to sweep the glass out of the way for me.

"Just use a towel baby, it will be easier."

Anne grabbed a few towels from the bathroom closet and did the best she could to get the blood and glass out of the way. I dried off the best I could and went over sat on the toilet. I was glad that I didn’t have neighbors because of the broken window. Dave knocked on the door and Anne went over to see what he wanted.

"I’m going to take off for a bit to get some plywood to board up that window. I’ll be back in about a half an hour. I have some on a job sight right around the corner."

"Okay." I said, "Be careful Dave."

"I will."

Anne followed him out and after a few minutes she came back.

"Dave made sure the house was locked up. I gave him my keys so he could let himself back in."

I nodded, "Will you help bandage me up?"

"Sure, tell me what to do."

"Take some of those large bandages and that tape and put here where he stabbed me."

"Okay." Anne said getting what she needed.

She taped them over stab wounds in the front and back of me. Then I had her fold a washcloth in half and place them over both bandages. Then she took an ace wrap and wrapped it around me a few times to hold them in place.

"Make sure it’s tight." I said.

"I will."

Anne taped two bandages over the bullet wounds and helped me into a shirt and underwear. She grabbed my thick white robe off the bathroom door and helped me into it. Once dressed she put band-aids on my feet, put socks on me and helped me onto the bed.

"He broke my TV." I said looking at it on the floor.

"Actually you broke it. It fell on him when you threw him into the dresser."Anne said and I chuckled at the memory.

I leaned against the headboard and closed my eyes, I felt really tired.

"That guy was really strong Anne. He also knew how to fight. This was no random attack."

Anne came over and sat on the edge of the bed, "Do you think he was a part of that secret organization you were telling me about?"

"Possibly, but why did he come here and bother me? I’ve done nothing in the last two-hundred years to come to their attention."

"I don’t know."

"Can you bring me that sword?" I asked.

"Sure." Anne went into the bathroom and returned with it a moment later.

She handed it to me and I took a long look at it. The blade was old, and had been notched several times in its life. It was short, about three feet. I could tell it had seen much in its life time.

"This has to be a Brotherhood’s weapon." I concluded, "I know a guy in Italy, I’ll call him and see what he can tell me about the one eyed wonder boy." Anne smiled.

"Can I come in?" Dave said knocking on the bedroom door.

"Come in." I said.

Dave came in with a bucket of tools and set them in the bathroom. A few minutes later he came back with a sheet of plywood.

"I’m just going to screw this to the wall, tomorrow I’ll get a new window and put it in. But at least for now, no one will be able to get in that way. You’re looking better."

"Thank you." I said.

"Would you like that meat I’m thawing for you?" Anne asked.

"Yes please." I said.

"I’ll be right back." Anne said and went down stairs.

"Will you stay with us until I’m a little stronger?" I asked Dave.

"Sure, but if that guy can tear you up the way he did, I don’t know what good I’ll be. But I’ll hang around."

"I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon, at least till he gets a new one of these." I said holding up the sword.

Dave smile, "You’re probably right. Do you think it was the Brotherhood?"

"I don’t know."

"I hope not, I wouldn’t have stood a change against him."

"He caught me sleeping. That won’t happen again anytime soon."

"What are you going to do if it was the Brotherhood?"

"I don’t know yet. My main concern is Anne."

"There’s ways to take care of that." he said, "She would be almost as strong as you."

"I don’t want to put that idea in her head."

"Just a suggestion."

"I know, believe me, I’ve thought of it."

Anne came back in with my roast cut up into bite size pieces. I smiled at how she would try to make things easier on me.

"Thank you. Is there anymore of that blood?"

*

I crashed on the ground in a heap of pain and glass. I felt the pain truly for the first time in my right hand. I was going into shock, if I passed out now I was dead. I had to get myself moving, I didn’t know how bad the vampire was hurt. If she could move and pursue me, Ryan and I were done for.

I heaved up on my feet and ran towards the front of the house. As I came through the bushes by the garage I fell. The pain from my hand shot through my

arm like I was shocked with electricity. I laid there for a moment trying not to pass out.

I had to get moving.

I suddenly saw headlights pull into the drive way. Great, I was done for.

"Arthur!" someone shouted from behind the lights.

Ryan, I pulled myself up to my feet and stumbled towards the car. Ryan, seeing me hurt came and help me. He got me into the car and hulled a*s back down the drive way. The tires of the car screamed as he took the turn onto the road.

"What happened?"

"She woke up right when I came into the bedroom."

"Is she alive?"

"Yes. But I wounded her. I don’t think she’s coming after us."

"What happened to your hand?"

"The b***h threw a hatchet at me."

"A hatchet? How bad is it?"

"I lost my pinky finger; I’m not sure how bad my ring finger is. But it’s still attached."

"I know an eighth degree member in Anacortes, when you were up at the house I called him and told him we may need him."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing, but he’s a doctor and he’ll be waiting at his clinic."

"How did you know I would need him?"

"When I heard the gun shots."

Ryan pulled the car over and took off his shirt and handed it to me. I wrapped my hand in it and held pressure on the wound. I had to hand it to Ryan, as inexperienced as he was; he was doing quite well in this. Having a doctor ready, and having the good sense to know that things were going poorly.

"How far are we from this doctor?" I asked feeling faint.

"Thirty minutes."

"Hurry." I said drifting out of conciseness.

"Come help me" I heard Ryan say.

I felt myself being helped out of the car. The next thing I knew I was being laid

on a table in brightly lit room.

"What happened to him?" I heard a voice say. It must have been the doc.

"He’s had his finger cut off. Plus the bad cuts on his head." Ryan said.

"How’d this happen?"

"You should know better than to ask!" Ryan snapped.

I was really starting to like Ryan. For his lack of protocol, he was a good soldier.

"I meant no offence Sir, but I need to know what he’s been into. The last thing he needs right now is infection."

"The clean everything like he was climbing in garbage."

"Yes Sir."

"Brother, are you allergic to penicillin?" the doc asked.

"No." I said.

"Okay, I’m going to give you a shot of morphine to help with the pain. Then I’m going to start an IV. We need to get some fluids into you."

As the morphine spread through my veins, the pain dulled and I started feeling more alert. The doc got the IV going and shot the penicillin into it. As I felt more clear headed, the doc sat me up.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"I’ve been better."

"I’m going to numb your fingers and try to sew them up."

I nodded. He shot some juice into it and started cleaning my fingers and hand. I could see I lost my pinky finger between the knuckle and the first joint. I had a deep cut across the top of my ring finger.

The doc sewed up my ring finger first. Then, he worked on my pinky. It took close to an hour to repair my right hand. From there, he started working on my head. I had two really bad gashes on my head from jumping through the window. It took thirty stitches to close them both, plus I had lost my hat.

"It doesn’t appear there was any tendon damage on your ring finger." the doc said. "I’m going to give you some antibiotics to help with infection. Make sure you take all of them."

"Okay." I said. I really hated doctors; I think I hated them more than being injured. But tonight, I was grateful for him.

"Also, I’m going to give you something for the pain. Take them as directed. I’m going to give you another IV, and then you’ll be good to go. Come back and see me in a few days so I can check your pinky."

"I’m leaving to go back to Paris Thursday evening."

"Where are you staying?" he asked.

"Oak Harbor." I said.

"Okay, I’ll come by Thursday morning to change your bandages."

"Here’s where we’re staying." Ryan said handing him the address.

When I finished the IV, the doc gave me a little bit more morphine and gave me a sling for my arm. Ryan helped me into my coat and we headed back to Oak Harbor. I couldn’t believe how bad I failed.

*

It took me two days to heal and feel back to normal. Anne had been right there nursing me back to health. I didn’t really need her too, but she had been so worried about me hurting myself I let her. By Friday morning, I didn’t even have a scar where my wounds were.

During my convalescence time, Dave repaired the shower door again. Put in and new bathroom window, and laid down new carpet in the bedroom. There was no point in trying to get all the blood out of it.

Once I was showered and clothed, I went into my office to look for a number of an old friend. Anne had followed me in and sat at the edge of my desk as I looked.

"What do you think the guy will say?" Anne asked.

"I don’t know, but if he was Brotherhood, Alec will know." I dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

"

Hello." a voice said in Latin.

"

I need to speak to Alec." I responded in the same old language.

"One moment."

"This is Alec."

"Alec, this is Penelope."

"It’s been a long time. What do I own the pleasure?"

"I have a problem; I think he might be Brotherhood."

"Hmmm, why would you think that?"

"Good fighter, he knew I was of our kind."

"What does he look like?"

"Older for a human, middle fifties, I would have to say. White beard, about my height, medium build. Missing his left eye."

"My, my, my, Penelope have you been naughty?"

"No Alec, do you know him"

"Yes."

"

He knows him." I whispered to Anne in English.

"

He’s well known to us here, he’s Arthur the One Eye. He’s a tracker. Probably one of the most deadliest vampire hunters the Brotherhood has ever had. He made a name for himself long before he joined them."

"

Great." I said in English.

"

What is it?" Anne asked with concern.

I waved her off before I continued, "

So he definitely Brotherhood." Dave came into the office to see how things were going with the call.

"Yes."

"He was injured; do you know where I could find him?"

"There’s a Hall in Seattle, you might want to try there. Here‘s the address."

I wrote it down on a note pad,

"I will."

"What’s your plan?"

"Go there and kill him."

"And the Brotherhood?"

"I guess you’ll have to wait and see Alec."

"Good luck my young friend. You know you’re going to steer up the hornet’s nest if you go to Seattle."

"I know unfortunately."

"Be careful."

"I will. And thank you."

I set the phone down and looked at Dave, "Well?" he asked.

"He’s definitely Brotherhood."

"

What are you going to do?" he asked.

"There’s a Hall down in Seattle. If he’s sticking around, I’m willing to bet that’s where he’ll go to recover."

"You’re not planning on going after him are you?" Anne asked.

"I have too Anne. He’s the most dangerous type of hunter."

"How so?" she asked.

"He’s a tracker." I explained.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he’s a descendent of vampires." Dave answered, "His ancestors used to be vampires. They’re blood deluded enough that they were able to pass as humans. One of them ended up having children with a human and their offspring become like him."

"See, he doesn’t have the powers that vampires have Anne. But he above average in speed and strength. Most pro athletes probably are decedents of vampires. But what makes him more dangerous than anything else is, because when he comes close us, he can feel our presence." I explained.

"So he’ll be able to always find you." she said.

"Yes." Dave answered.

Later that day, I started getting ready. As much as I wanted Dave to protect Anne when I was gone, I knew that was a bad idea. Arthur would be able to find a vampire here in Oak Harbor, and since I was leaving that would leave only Dave.

I had my armor down in the wine cellar in a duffel bag, it was the first time I had ever worn it to go into battle. Anne was sitting on our bed when I brought it up to the bedroom.

"What’s that?" she asked.

"My armor." I said pulling it out and laying it on the bed.

"You have armor?" she smiled a humorless smile at the thought.

"I had it made a number of years ago. Some of it is old, some of it is newer. Will you help me into it?"

"Sure." I could tell Anne was greatly afraid of the idea of me going into a fight.

I stripped down naked and grabbed the first part of it. I grabbed the bodysuit that I worn under everything. It was made from a flexible kevlar like material. It had heavy leather sewn into the suit that covered the shins, the outsides of my thighs and hips. There was also leather sewn in to protect my elbows and forearms.

The back had slits running up both side of my back. That way I could let my wings move freely. After I let out my wings, Anne strapped up the piece that protected my spine. It also had thick leather sewn into it. The strap velcroed to the top of the neck. The top of the suit strapped around my neck like a wetsuit. I stretched a bit and flapped my wings to make sure the suit was sitting right on my body.

Once I was satisfied, I slid on my chain mail shirt. The steel ringed shirt was form fitting and let out around my breast. The sleeves came down to my wrist, and there were slits in the back that my wings could fit through.

Next, was leather sleeveless shirt. The leather was a half an inch thick. It had a high collar that flared out at the base of my head. It protected my neck from sword or axe chops. Like the other two pieces of armor that had slits for my wings.

The last piece that I wore on my body was steel chest and back armor. The chest was shaped for my breast to fit, and the back had slits for my wings. The difference from the rest of the armor, the back piece had flared out parts that aloud my wings to fold up and hide under. They were subtle enough that they didn’t interfere with flight, but if I took a sword strike across the back they would be protected.

Attached to chest and back piece by leather straps, were lobster tail shoulder covers. They aloud me complete flexibility with maximum protection. I also wore forearm bracers that were made out of leather and steel. For my hands, I wore stab proof police gloves.

I wore black barefoot running shoes on my feet. They were light and snug and I thought they matched my outfit well. I wore my hair in a tight braid and let it hang down my back. I hung my sword on my left side and my knife on my right on a black pistol belt, I stuck my tomahawk in it in the small of my back. I looked

at myself in the mirror and knew I was ready.

I tucked my wings into their slots and reached into the closet and grabbed my flowing cape with a hood and attached the clasp together at my neck.

I took a deep breath, held it for and second and let it out in a gust.

"Are you okay baby?" Anne asked looking at my reflection in the mirror.

"Yeah, I just don’t relish the thought of what I’m going to do tonight."

"But you know you have too."

"Yes. I don’t like killing, but there’s going to be a lot of it tonight."

"I’m afraid for you."

I turn and looked at Anne, she was truly my world, "Come here." I said reaching out to her.

We hugged for a moment; Anne laid her head on my armored shoulder.

"I really hate to say it, but you look really hot in all of this. But it scares me too. Because if you need all this, what are you getting yourself into that you’re not telling me."

I smiled at Anne, "I’m just being cautious. Even if they have warriors there, I doubt they would expect an attack any more than we did."

"Please be careful." Anne said starting to tear up.

"Don’t cry." I said wiping a tear away with my gloved hand.

She smiled and held my hand to her face, "Am I staying here while you’re gone?"

"No, I think it will be best for you to go to Tammy’s"

"Tammy’s, why?"

"Because I’ve spent so little time there."

"Do you want me to call her?"

"No, I don’t want her telling you no."

"Okay."

I threw my hood over my head as we walked out of the house. We got into Anne’s new Escalade, she drove. I had Arthur’s sword between my knees, I was planning on returning it to him when I got to Seattle.

Tammy was not too happy to see us when we got there; she gave me a funny look but said nothing about how I was dressed. I gave Anne a kiss goodbye; it was dark

enough now that I could fly without being seen.

After Anne closed the door I climbed up onto the roof of Tammy’s apartment and lunched myself into the night. I figured it would take me about an hour to fly to Seattle. I used Google map to know what the Hall looked like from the air.

I didn’t know Seattle that well, but I was pretty sure I could find the place. The Brotherhood always had large meetings on Friday nights, and with all the action that had gone on in Oak Harbor this past week I was sure there would be plenty to talk about.

The Hall was located by Green Lake in northern Seattle in somewhat of a business district. I landed on a three story building across the street. It had started to rain as I stood there watching the Brotherhood members file in. I laid Arthur’s sword down on the roof and climbed up on the edge of the building and looked at the lone greeter outside the door. I took my cape off and dropped it on the roof behind me; I pulled my tomahawk and my knife and let my face change.