Forever Knight
The Hunt
Nick Knight landed in a clearing in the woods of the Sierra Madre Mountains. From here, it would be only a short walk to the cabin. The three vampires, Jeb Puckett, Lucien LaCroix, and Nick, had been coming to this region for years. It was their way of working off the temporary madness and increased vampire tendencies that accompanied the full moon each month.
Here in the nearly deserted wilderness, they could give in to those tendencies without fear or trepidation. He, LaCroix, and Jeb hunted wolf, deer, and an occasional bear during the three days of the full moon. The hunt itself was usually enough to placate the vampire within. When they caught their prey, they only took enough blood to satisfy their cravings. Only in rare instances did they kill the animal. Doctor Kirinskow, the vampire psychiatrist, had explained the by allowing the vampire free reign like this, it made it easier to control the bloodlust for the other twenty six days between full moons.
This cabin was a new structure. It replaced the cramped one room shack that had been burned to the ground in the forest fire last fall. This new one had three large bedrooms, a huge living area, a full kitchen ... And indoor plumbing! No more hiking to the stream for their bathing and other water needs. Although Nick had washed in many a stream in his 800 years, it still was far more convenient and definitely more comfortable to simply turn on a faucet and have plenty of hot water available.
There was also a much more powerful generator than there was in the last cabin. With the old one, when it worked … which was sporadic … they could only operate a few small appliances at a time. Forget such luxuries as a TV or radio. A microwave was out of the question. Either they could have lights or refrigeration, but not both. In the winter, that was no problem, but in the summer, their food had to be stored in a separate cooler that ran off Jeb's truck. While that was sufficient, automotive gasoline was a lot more expensive than fuel for the generator. Especially now with the gas prices skyrocketing. The new generator could support a wide range of appliances, even a heater and an air conditioner! The fireplace in the old cabin frequently spewed smoke and ash throughout the structure and it never did heat the cabin properly.
Since they each had their own bedrooms, sleeping arrangements would be much easier as well. LaCroix usually commandeered the only bed. This meant that Jeb and Nick ended up on the floor in sleeping bags. This would not have been a problem, but Jeb's incessant snoring was. He could have wakened the dead. On more than one occasion he did keep the undead awake. After one of these particularly difficult times, LaCroix had threatened to eliminate the problem permanently by ripping out the southern vampire's throat and draining his blood. He vowed it would be long. And slow. And hurt very much.
He stopped at the trail that led to the cabin. In the distance, he could hear Jeb Puckett's pickup truck lumbering up the narrow dirt road. The trail was a steep one, and at this time of the year, it was covered with potholes. Jeb's 4X4 was the only vehicle, other than a Humvee, that could traverse the rugged terrain. Nick and LaCroix, as they always had in the past, left their cars at the Ranger Station down in the valley some ten miles away. While his Cadillac might have made the climb in its salad days, it was rapidly showing the effects of its advanced age. There was no way that LaCroix's Porche could even begin to make the journey. Although Nick opted to take the airborne route to the cabin, LaCroix elected for the relative comfort of the truck. That is, if bouncing up the side of a mountain could be considered comfortable.
Jeb pulled the truck to the door of the cabin and got out. "Seems to me that this here road got a mite steeper since the last time we was here." He said with a grin. He loosed the tarp from the truck bed and started undoing the tiedowns. "Now if y'all give me a hand, we can have this stuff out in no time flat." He lifted a lounger and handed it to Nick. "Your turn Mr. LaCroix." He picked up a bookcase and swung it over the tailgate.
LaCroix took it and set it on the ground. When Nick came back from the cabin, he handed it to him. "Put this in my bedroom." He instructed.
This went on for the better part of two hours until the truck bed was empty and all the furniture was inside.
"Mr. LaCroix." Jeb said hesitantly. "I couldn't help but noticing that me and Nick was doing all the work while you was just givin' orders. We was all supposed to do our part."
"I was doing my part." The master vampire replied. "I was supervising. Now, if you will go inside, I will tell you how I want the furniture arranged."
"Not until I set my anti theft device." Jeb said, heading for his truck.
"You have an anti theft device for that rattle trap?"
Jeb proudly held up a burlap sack. It was moving and from the sack came an ominous hissing and rattling sound. He opened the sack slightly and a scale covered triangular head peeked out of the top of the sack and flicked its forked tongue at LaCroix.
He took a few steps back. "It's a ... a snake." He stammered.
Rosebud's a he, not an it. To be more precise, he's a Mojave Desert Rattlesnake." Jeb corrected.
"If you must have a snake for an anti theft device, why not use that electronic one ... what do they call it ... the Cobra, or something like that."
"It's called the Viper. Shucks, Mr. LaCroix. Most crooks can disconnect them things as easy as pie. Ain't nobody gonna disconnect Rosebud here very easy. If they tried, they'd probably only get as far as maybe a couple a hundred feet before the venom takes hold. Did I tell you that the Mojave is one of the deadliest of them all?"
"And where do you keep that ... thing when it's not protecting your vehicle?"
"Why under the passenger seat, of course."
"You mean to tell me that I rode all the way here sitting on top of a rattlesnake?"
"Of course not. Like I told you, he was UNDER the seat. Besides, there's nothing to worry about. We ain't affected by rattler bites in the first place, remember?"
"Just the same, I would appreciate it if, from now on, you'd put it somewhere else when I am in the truck." It was not a request.
**********
Nick looked up at the clear mountain sky. The full moon hung low and seemed close enough that Nick almost believed if he took to the air, he could fly high enough to actually touch it. It was at this time of the month that the vampire was at its strongest. When the urge to hunt, if not to kill, was unbearable. For centuries, he had fought these urges, and each time he failed to keep them in rein, he was overwhelmed with guilt and angst. Now that he had a non threatening outlet for them, it was much easier to bear.
"Ah, Nicholas." LaCroix said as he joined his 'son' on the porch of the cabin. They had spent several hours getting the cabin to the elder vampire's satisfaction. "It is a beautiful night for hunting, is it not? What shall we pursue first?"
I spotted a pack of coyotes about two miles away while I was coming up here." Nick said. "Perhaps they will give us a merry chase."
"Also our Red Deer Wild stocks is getting a bit low. Maybe some of them could be...persuaded to make a small...contribution." Jeb said as he joined the pair. He had several empty blood bags and a blood collection setup in his backpack. "It's one of our best selling brands. Next to Premium, that is." Jeb and another vampire, Tino Valentine had started a company a few years earlier to produce real blood mixed with synthetic blood and package it in cans. This method was far more acceptable to the rank and file vampires. Many of them would have looked out of place drinking 'wine' but would fit in perfectly with a can of 'beer' in their hands.
"Then we shall hunt the coyotes." LaCroix said as he lifted off with the others following closely behind.
After about a half hour of searching, they found the pack on the edge of a meadow. Soundlessly, they landed downwind of them. The pack had just made a kill, an elderly mountain lion, and they were eagerly devouring their meal.
"A h-h-h!" LaCroix whispered, his eyes turning gold and his fangs extending. "What a rare treat. Two for the price of one. We shall feast on the coyotes and through them, the cougar as well.
"I don't think that's gonna be as much fun as you think it is." Jeb whispered back. "You see, after they's finished with that puma, their bellies are gonna be full. Them coyotes ain't gonna want to go traipsing all over these here mountains. They'll just want to curl up somewheres and take a nice long nap. They won't take too kindly to anyone what prevents them from doin' just that. They'll just turn and fight you where you stand. They'll rip to shreds anything or anyone that even comes close to them."
"So? A good fight never hurt any of us. We're immortal, remember? And after all, isn't that what we came up there for in the first place?"
"I may be immortal, but I ain't crazy. Just 'cause I can't be killed by them don't mean that their claws and teeth don't hurt just as bad. I ain't exactly into pain, if you know what I mean. And if you don't mind, I'll do my fighting against people. Coyotes are too mean. If you and Nick want to go up against them, go right ahead. Me, I'm just gonna sit here and wait for y'all to come back. Or maybe I'll go back to the cabin and get my first aid kit from the truck. If'n what I said happens, y'all are gonna need a heap of patchin'. "
"Jeb's right." Nick said, placing his hand on his father's arm. "Maybe we had better look for a more willing prey. One that will give us a good run for our money."
"Perhaps you are right, Nicholas. As Jebediah says, half the fun is in the chase. If I remember correctly, the bear's cave is less than a half mile from here. Perhaps he will give us good sport."
"He always does." Nick said as the three of them started for the cave.
They had been chasing that bear since they started coming to the hideaway. Whey they first spotted him, he was little more than a scruffy yearling. The first few encounters were in earnest, but as the years went by and the bear, now named Ernest, matured and realized that they did not mean him any real harm, it became almost a game. They would lead each other a merry chase through the hills and canyons for the better part of the night. Finally, daylight and exhaustion would claim them. They vampires would catch him and each would take a few mouthfuls of his blood.
They always left Ernest something in payment for his troubles. Fresh caught fish; mounds of sweet berries; once they even left him a beehive that Jeb had procured. The southern vampire was covered with stings on every part of his body. It took the better part of a day and nearly all of their reserves for the swelling to go down and the sores to heal.
Sure enough, Ernest was standing outside his den. It was almost like he was expecting them. He was a magnificent young male Kodak bear. His shiny brown coat was full and glistened in the moonlight. He had to weigh close to 950 pounds. When he spotted the vampires, he took off in a slow run into the trees. Every so often, he would stop and raise up on his hind legs and sniff the air to make sure that they were still behind him. Standing upright like this, he was easily over seven feet tall. Satisfied that his playmates were still on his trail, the bruin returned to all fours and lumbered at a cast clip into clearing with a small stream flowing through it. They had been chasing each other for nearly three hours and it was time for a break.
As they watched the bear from the edge of the clearing, Jeb tapped his companions on the shoulder. "I don't think we're alone." He whispered. "I think I spotted some kind of a motion in them bushed over there."
"Come on, you gorgeous thing. Just a few feet more." The hunter whispered to himself. To another mortal, he could not have been heard, but to the vampires, he was almost shouting. "You're gonna look so beautiful on my den floor. I've always wanted a bearskin rug, and you're gonna be it. I can't wait for hunting season. I'm gonna get you now."
< I think he's after Ernest. > Jeb sent to his companions. < Are we gonna let him? >
< I think not. > LaCroix sent back.
< Not if I have anything to say about it. > Nick added.
The hunter aligned his crosshairs slightly behind the bear's front paws and about midway on his torso. "Just stand still a few seconds longer." He whispered to himself. He sighted one last time as his finger tightened on the trigger. Suddenly, his field of vision was obscured. Instead of the bear, he was staring at a pair of blood red eyes. Atop a mouth that sported inch long fangs. Panicking, he squeezed the trigger several times. The creature, for that was what it had to be, did not seem to be fazed by this, even though there were three large holes in the shirt where the bullets had ripped through it. Whatever it was, it was not ... quite ... human.
"Now look what you've done." LaCroix said as he took the rifle from the terrified man and handed it to Jeb.
Jeb's eyes glowed yellow and he hissed through elongated canines. With one smooth motion, he bent the rifle in half.
"This was one of my favorite shirt's." LaCroix said with a sinister grin. He poked his fingers through one of the holes in the garment. "Nicholas gave it to me for a Saturnalia present three years ago."
The blood drained from the poacher's face as a queasy knot formed in his stomach. He felt a warm wet liquid run down the inside of his jeans. "Who ... What ... Are you?" He stammered in a high falsetto.
"I am your worst nightmare." Nick half whispered as he spun the man around to face him. His eyes and fangs matched those of his companions. "And these two are the things you fear the most."
The man hastily crossed himself. "Now I lay me down to sleep ... " He said in a quavering strangled voice.
LaCroix tilted the man's head to the side and opened his mouth wide. Jeb restrained the master vampire with a firm hand on his shoulder.
"He deserves to die." LaCroix hissed. "He was going to kill Ernest."
"I know that." The young vampire said. "But he deserves somethin' worse than death."
"Oh?" The elder vampire was intrigued. He indicated the panic stricken hunter with a sweeping motion. "Be my guest."
Jeb took the man's head in his hands. "You like to hunt, don't you?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
Jeb stared intently into his eyes. He homed in on the loud tha-thump of the poacher's heart. "From now on, every time you pick up a gun, or even see a gun, you will remember this moment in exact detail. You will remember us. You will remember the terror you feel at this time. You will remember the panic. You will remember the fear. You will remember the guilt. You will not be able to stay near the gun. If you try to do anything with the gun, the memories will increase ten times every minute until you get away from it."
Nick smiled broadly at the young vampire. Jeb was learning his lessons well. " Now it's my turn. > He sent to his 'nephew'.
Jeb relinquished his grip on man and passed him to his 'uncle'. Only after he could feel Nick's presence in the man's mind did he relax his hold.
"You will now go to the Ranger Station." Nick said softly. "You will present yourself to the Ranger. You will confess in detail every single thing that you have ever done wrong and you will beg to be arrested. Even though you will remember everything about this night clearly, you will not be able to tell anyone about us, or what we have done to you. You will only be able to tell your part in all of this. Do you understand?"
The man nodded numbly. Nick released his hold, both physically and mentally.
"Ma-a-ma-a-a!" He half screamed, half cried as he ran down the path to the Ranger Station.
"Jebediah." LaCroix said, patting his 'grandson' on the back. "That was a stroke of genius. You have made me very proud that you are a member of my family."
"Thank you, Mr. LaCroix. Does that mean I can finally call you Grandpa?"
LaCroix shot a withering stare to the young vampire.
"Now, then, let's all get back to what we came up here for in the first place." Jeb said as the trio watched the hunter disappear down the mountainside toward the Ranger Station. They looked for their furry companion, but he was nowhere in sight.
"I guess he must have thought better about playin' with us, given that hunter and all." Jeb said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I was really lookin' forward to renewin' our friendship with him."
"I was as well, Jebediah." LaCroix said a note of disappointment in his voice as well.
"Well, there's always tomorrow night." Nick sighed as he started toward the cabin.
**********
The Ranger looked unbelieving at the man groveling before him. He had been wakened from a sound sleep by someone pounding frantically on the Station door about a half hour earlier. When he opened it, the man practically ran into the room and fell to his knees before him. He was babbling something about guilt and shame. At this moment, he was confessing to many of the poaching incidents that had occurred in the last ten years. Some of the incidents were not even known to the Park Service. His superiors were not going to believe this. He did not even believe this.
**********
They reached the cabin and sat dejectedly on the porch.
"I'm not really sure I want to turn in just yet." Jeb pouted. "I was really lookin' froward to gettin' some reserves for the Red Deer."
"Me, too." Nick agreed. "I'm too wound up to sleep just yet."
The howls of the coyote pack broke the silence.
"It seems your coyotes are ready for another hunt." LaCroix said. "Perhaps we may yet have some sport tonight."
The three of them headed in the direction of the sounds.
**********
It was nearly dawn when the trio stumbled into the cabin. LaCroix's shirt was in tatters, and it matched Nick's jeans. The youngest vampire was missing his ever present ball cap, and the scratches and gouges on his face were beginning to heal.
Jeb dragged the bloated knapsack behind him. "Now, that's what I call fun!" He said as he deposited the heavy bundle on the kitchen table. "I'll just put these in the refrigerator." He pulled several bulging blood bags from the pouch. "It is hooked up, isn't it?"
"Of course it is." LaCroix replied. "I personally supervised Nicholas in that respect."
**********
They had slept most of the day, and had spent the time before the sunset in the cabin playing chess and watching television. LaCroix and Nick played chess, while Jeb watched TV. Cartoons. Road Runner Cartoons. LaCroix had come very close to draining the southern vampire after the ninth episode. It would have taken just one more BEEP! BEEP
Fortunately, the young vampire got the message in the elder's gold eyes and exposed fangs. "But it's a Road Runner Cartoon-A-Thon." He groused. "And it ain't even half over." Angry growls from his companions quelled that argument.
**********
"Perhaps we shall have better luck with our friend tonight than we had last evening." LaCroix mused as they crossed the meadow toward Ernest's cave. "You did bring the presents for our friend, didn't you?"
"Of course I did. I got it right here." Jeb said patting his bulging backpack. "Five pounds of fish, two pounds of potatoes and three bags of fruit. Just how much blood are you thinkin' of takin' anyhow?"
"The same as we always take. A few mouthfuls for each of us, and perhaps a pint of two for the Red Deer. I do believe that after last night's scare from that poacher, our friend deserves a little extra TLC, don't you?"
Jeb nodded enthusiastically.
Sure enough, Ernest was waiting for them again tonight. As soon as they sighted him, he took off across the meadow at a leisurely trot. The trio followed at a respectful distance. The evening's entertainment had begun.
They led each other a merry chase. They would be following the bear, and then almost faster than even the vampires could follow, the bear would be behind them, and they would be the prey. Neither managed to actually catch the other, although each was perfectly capable of doing so. On more than one occasion it seemed that the bear was actually enjoying himself. The vampires were relishing the chase. As usual, the trio of vampires eventually caught him … or perhaps Ernest allowed them to catch him. He signaled the end of the pursuit by lying in the middle of the clearing where they had foiled the poacher's attempt the night before. He did not seem frightened or skittish as they approached him.
Jeb put his hand on the bruin's back and gently stroked him. The bear made soft growling sound, almost like a purring. "That's a good boy, Ernest." Jeb soothed. "You know we ain't gonna hurt you, don't you."
The bear gave the young vampire a gentle look, and Jeb could have sworn that the words < I know. > flashed through his mind.
Nick was on the other side doing the same to the animal. "We only want to take a little of your blood." He whispered softly. "And we've brought you presents."
LaCroix opened the knapsack and poured the contents on the ground. Ernest responded by going to a half sitting position as if to give the three better access to his neck.
Almost immediately, three pairs of eyes went gold, and three pairs of fangs descended. Gently, almost reverently, each of them took a small drink from their furry companion. Then, Jeb hooked the blood collection bag and drew three units.
When they had finished, Ernest ambled over to the cache and practically inhaled the food. His appetite sated, he slowly sauntered toward his cave. As reached the edge of the meadow, he turned to his companions of the night and stood on his hind legs. He waved his front paws as if to say goodbye.
**********
They were almost halfway to the cabin when Jeb motioned for them to stop. He pointed to a small clearing. There, a majestic stag stood browsing on the shrubs. "Ain't he the most beautiful thing you ever seen?" Jeb whispered reverently. "I bet you he goes at least seven points."
"He is indeed a magnificent creature." LaCroix agreed. "Do you wish to hunt him?"
"You bet I do!" Jeb replied. "He's got too pretty bloodlines to bring down, but I wouldn't mind a pint or two of him for the stock. A coupla mouthfuls wouldn't be too bad either.
"Then by all means. After you." LaCroix gestured toward the stag.
The chase was all it held to be. The deer was wily and quick and led the group through the woods at a furious pace. Several times, they had to take to the air to avoid fallen trees and thick brambles that the stag leapt with ease. Finally though, the chase took its toll on the animal, and they cornered him in a patch of thick weeds at the end of a small box canyon.
As they were about to close in, they heard a loud report form a shotgun. The three of them dove for cover and the deer, panic stricken, charged for the mouth of the canyon.
"Hot damn!" Jeb cried out. "Don't tell me we got ourselves a poacher again."
Another shot rang out, this one from a high powered rifle. A second rifle also fired. The bullet slammed into the tree trunk a fraction of an inch above Nick's left ear. < There's at least three of them, and I don't think they're after the deer. I think they're after us. > He sent.
< Why? We have done nothing to them ... yet. > LaCroix returned.
Jeb grabbed a handful of the weeds they were crouched in and held them to Nick. "Is this here weed what I think this here weed is?"
Nick held the plant to his nose and took a deep breath. Then he broke off a leaf and tasted it. "If you think that this here weed is Marijuana, then it's what you think it is." He replied.
"And so that's why they were shooting at us. They think we are going to steal their drugs." LaCroix finished.
"It's a damn good thing we found you before you got the chance." A voice from behind them said.
They rose to face three large men, each armed with either a shotgun or a rifle.
"It's a good thing we came up here to check on our crop." Another said. "Otherwise we'd never have found you guys tampering with our produce. It's a shame you three won't be around to tell anyone about it, but we have to protect our investment."
"What shall we do now, Pauley?" The third one asked.
We kill them, of course." Pauley said.
"Here?"
"Not here, you dope." Pauley, the obvious leader said. "It's too close to the crop."
"The cabin?"
"Jesse, you're a bigger idiot than Vern is." Pauley said. "Do you want the law on us for sure?" We'll take them to that clearing back there and kill them there. That'll keep everyone far enough away that we'll be in the clear." He nudged LaCroix with the butt of his rifle. "Get moving."
LaCroix eyed him sinisterly. < There are three of them and three of us. > He sent. < Shall we have at it? >
< Remember. No killing. > Nick returned.
< Alas, Nicholas, you can be such a wet blanket. Very well, no killing. > LaCroix sighed heavily. < But that takes all the fun out of it. >
Pauley cocked his gun and pointed it at the elder vampire. "I said get going."
"Wait a minute, Pauley." Vern said. "Before we shoot them, shouldn't we frisk them? Maybe they're carrying something useful like a whole lot of money or something."
"Okay. But be quick about it. I don't want to waste any more time than we have to."
Jesse and Vern searched the three while Pauley held the rifle on them.
Suddenly, Jesse held up Nick's wallet. "Lookey here what I found." He read from Nick's police ID card. "Detective Sergeant Nicholas B. Knight of the Los Angeles Police Department. This one's a cop!"
"Well. That puts a different light on things." Pauley said. "If he's a cop, there's gonna be a lot more investigating than if they was just hunters. Now we gotta waste them. He stuck his rifle tight against Nick's chin. "As I see it, the kid here." He pointed at Jeb. "Got into our little weed patch and went full goose bozo. He shot the others, but before the Sergeant, here died, he got the kid."
Vern nodded. " I like that plan, Pauley." He grabbed LaCroix roughly by the front of his shirt and pushed him against a tree. "You first pops."
"POPS?" LaCroix exclaimed. "For you information, I am NOT your father. And I WILL NOT have another shirt ruined by the likes of you scum!"
Before Vern could think, LaCroix was behind him and had his neck bent at a painful angle. An easily recognizable pungent odor permeated his trousers as Vern's shot went high into the trees.
The two other vampires used the diversion to the best advantage. Jeb grabbed Jesse's gun and effortlessly bent it in half. He pulled his punch as he hit the huge drug grower squarely in the solar plexus. Jesse did not seem to be fazed by the blow. The next punch was nearly full force. Jesse doubled over and sank to the ground. "That's more like it. I knew I wasn't losing my touch." He picked Jesse up and threw him into the air. Jesse arced a good ten feet and landed with a thud. You could hear the sound of bones breaking. Jeb blew on his fingernails and wiped them on his shirt. "When you got it, flaunt it." He said with a grin.
Nick, meanwhile, had Pauley in a half nelson wrestling hold. He picked him up and held him over his head.
"Please! Please! Put me down." The panic stricken drug grower pleaded.
"If that's what you want." Nick replied. He spun him around a few times and then heaved him away. With an ear piercing scream, Pauley became airborne and joined Jesse.
"LaCroix?" Nick said, pointing to the two growers lying on the ground.
"Oh, very well, if you insist." With no show of finesse, the elder vampire cast his burden on top of the others.
Slowly, Jesse, Vern and Pauley got to their feet. Jesse's arm hung at a lopsided angle. Pauley was limping very noticeably. They started toward their opponents, but they were stopped by the sight of three sets of glowing eyes and three sets of exposed fangs.
"Oh Shit!" Pauley whimpered. And he did.
The vampires were on them in an instant, and three well placed punches completed the job.
"What about that?" Jeb said, pointing to the marijuana patch. "If'n we leave it, either them or someone else will be sellin' it to the junkies by this time next week."
Nick searched the unconscious men until he found a lighter in one of the grower's pockets. He flicked it and headed to the crop.
"Not just yet." Jeb said. He took several handfuls of the plants and placed them in each of the grower's pockets. "Evidence." He said with a smirk.
Nick lit the plants and the three of them took to the air as the patch burst into flames.
"Do not worry." LaCroix said as he took out his cell phone. "The Ranger shall spot the fire in minutes. I shall see to that."
"I hope they bring plenty of calamine lotion with them. Jeb said with another huge grin. " 'Cause them three are gonna need it. That patch we throwed them in? That was poison ivy."
"What about the fact that they saw us?" Nick asked his father.
"Do you really believe the authorities are going to believe them?" LaCroix answered. "I think not. They will attribute it to the ravings of three obviously hallucinating miscreants who were so intoxicated that they accidentally set fire to the patch when they tried to light up a joint and then injured themselves trying to get away."
The three took off at an angle to the road and set down at the cabin just as they heard the helicopters and sirens of the firefighters heading to the drug patch. They went inside just as the first pinkish rays of dawn streaked the eastern horizon.
**********
Jeb unpacked the duffel bag for the fifth time. Somehow, each time he packed it, there seemed to be more that would not fit into the canvas enclosure. "Y'all fit in here when we came up here." He yelled in frustration to the assorted clothing, toiletries and other 'stuff' lying on the table. "And y'all are gonna fit in here when we leave." He set about repositioning the articles back in the sack. As carefully as he packed it this time, as with every other time, there were still things lying on the table when he was through.
"You know what you need?" Nick said as he came into the kitchen. "You need a space enhancer. That way you could pack more things in the same space." There was a noticeable twinkle in the older vampire's eyes.
"You wouldn't happen to have one of those thingamabob's on you. Would you?" Jeb asked as he began to unload the backpack one more time.
"No I don't, but you could probably get one at Thingamabobs R Us the next time you're there."
It was all LaCroix could do to keep a straight face.
"You're just joshin' me, ain't you Nick." The Georgia vampire asked with a reasonably straight face. He was not entirely whether that Nick was serious or not. "Cause if there really is something like that, I could sure use one right about now."
Nick put his arm around the youngster. "There really is such a thing. I've got one right here." He reached under the sink and pulled out several grocery bags. "Put your extra things in here."
Jeb became as red faced as it was possible for a vampire to do, and then started to laugh along with his companions.
Jeb aand Nick loaded the truck with the suitcases, backpacks and assorted other luggage. LaCroix, as usual, supervised. The last thing they put in was the oversized cooler loaded with bloodbags. They had taken bear, coyote, wolf, fox, boar and deer. The fire in the marijuana patch was quickly extinguished, but not before it had sent the animals scurrying for safety. The clearing a short distance from the cabin was the closest haven. They had spent the majority of the early evening harvesting their bounty. As LaCroix had commented, it was like a smorgasbord of wildlife. This run of Red Deer Wild promised to be the best one yet.
"Would anyone care to go on another hunt?" Nick asked. "We still have plenty of time."
"Nah." Jeb replied. "There won't be much in the woods just yet. You ain't gonna get them critters out of the clearing for at least two or three more days."
"He is correct." LaCroix added. "Unfortunately I cannot stay. I have to be back in Los Angeles by tomorrow evening. I only prerecorded three shows. If you want to remain, go right ahead."
Nick shook his head slowly. "As tempting as that is, I have to be back at work too."
"And I've got an engine that needs retooled before Saturday." Jeb concluded. "Besides, I gotta feed Rosebud." He held up a fat rat. "Maybe you'd like to feed him, Mr. LaCroix. Maybe that way he'll get to know you better."
"I certainly would like to feed him." LaCroix replied. "To a carouche."
Jeb opened the door to the truck. He dropped the rat into the sack that held Rosebud. There was a wild thrashing as the rattler consumed his meal. Finally there was no more movement.
The three vampires settled in. Nick had chosen to ride down to the Ranger Station rather than fly.
"By the way, where is Rosebud going to be while we are returning?" LaCroix asked. "I hope that he will not be under my seat."
"Shucks no!" Jeb replied. "He's gonna be behind the seat."
As the hillbilly vampire started the engine, Lucien LaCroix felt something slither across the back of his neck. < I must be imagining things. > He felt the back of his neck. There was nothing there. <Jebediah would not do anything like that. He wouldn't dare. > The sensation had been so real. <Would he? >
**********
At least until the
Next full moon!