Maria----
"Mom, what are we doing now?" Max stepping out of the car.
We are parked in front of a shabby old motel building; a dirty broken toilet outside, slightly overgrown grass, the smell of smoke intoxicating the air.
"Well, first I need to do some more research on this city, it seems nice so far, right?" I look up from my newspaper.
Max and Cain just look unenthusiastic.
"You guys… this might be a fun place!" Giving an enthusiastic thumbs up.
After they exchange another glance, I hand them both a key to the motel.
"Don't lose them,"
"I agree with the child, this place has way too many unique smells," Cain says, exchanging another look between Max and him.
Max laughing, I roll my eyes at them. Grabbing my purse out of the car, we head to room 244. Passing stray cats and what might look like a dead rat.
"Ok... Everyone I hear you loud and clear but for now this is a safe spot," I say, opening the room door. Then quickly wiping my hands.
Gross.
"Looks like a dump stop,"
"Max!"
I'm first to walk in, looking around I find only one bed in the middle of the room. Max will sleep with me obviously. But where will...
"Well, I'll see if there's anything I can find useful," Cain walks out before even stepping into the room.
"Useful? at11pm... Anyway, Max, go get ready for bed we got a long day ahead of us," I say, setting down the newspaper on a bedstand...
"I was thinking of staying up a little long…" Max paces.
"Okay… but don't stay up too late and…" I say, hopping into bed, fluffing up the pillows.
"Yes! Don't leave the room." Max mocks annoyingly. "Now go to sleep,"
This isn't a first for Max. She's like a night owl but that's just probably the vampire side that keeps her up at night. I do get a bit nervous when she doesn't sleep much during the night but I can't just drug her to sleep. She at least gets sleep during the day.
"Wooow! Look who's the parent now" I mumble, relaxing into the bed.
Something outside the room starts making a weird noise.
For a second I almost thought it might be an animal but I can't underestimate noises. I look over at Max, who looks curious and is inching towards the window.
"Stay away from the window! Curiosity killed the cat,"
Kings people----
The team that went north from Arizona, spots the car knowing, she is good at not getting notice but she has a hard time changing the cars before anyone notices.
"I'll message them,"
"No! Wait... They're just a woman and a child. Human and a Half...Not hard work,"
"But…"
"Remember he said no failures this time and if we wait for them to meet us, it'll be too late,"
The larger goon crouches down by a nearby vending machine.
"Plus think about how much more the king will reward us. Not having to split the reward... more for us!"
The smaller one sniffs out the car. "yeah... more for us!"
Quietly they follow the smell to room 244. Hiding in the shadows they watch a person walk by the window inside the room. Then Witness a smaller figure after a couple more minutes.
"Cut a slit at the bottom of the door, I slip in the sleeping gas, we have to be quick and quiet,"
Smaller goon nods and crawls over to the room but first, the porch lights got to go.
He signals at the other to switch the lights. Within a second the hall becomes pitch black besides the 'Exit' sign blinking.
The small goon proceeds with his sharp pinky nail and cuts out a hole at the bottom of the door. The other goon right behind quickly rolls the gas ball through the hole inside.
The larger one counts down from 10 before busting through.
10...
"Mom," Max starts coughing.
9…
I start panicking wishing...
8…
'Wheres Cain?'
'He must've set us up!'
Running over to Max through this thick fog.
7...
I'm the first to pass out as I try to cover Max's face.
6...
"Mom!"
5...
"What do I do?" Max holds on to Maria, scared.
4...
'I can't breathe but I've been training to defend off creeps, I'm supposed to protect...'
3...
'Wh…'
2...
....
"Let's go!"
The North team-----
After busting through the door they quickly grabbed Max and Maria. They hadn't planned beyond taking them. While running away, they came across a cave that happens to also have a cellar deep in a nearby wooded area miles away from the motel. They weren't confident in using their motorcycles just in case so humans become suspicious. Being now 4 am, their time is limited and they'll have to proceed at night.
"The sun is coming up…" The smaller hissing at the sun's shadow.
"Yes, we need to rest, lock them in the cellar," Larger goon says preparing their sleeping area.
"Do you think the others... will show up?" The small goon drags Maria by her foot while Max over his shoulders.
"They shouldn't unless you reported to them!" Larger goon tenses with anger.
"No, but we shouldn't underestimate them," The small goon says placing them in the cellar that's close to their sleeping corners.
"Don't worry about them we are already halfway to living rich!"
"Hehe, yeah..." The smaller goon locks the gate and heads over to sleep.
Maria----
Nighttime arises.
"Mom... mommy... wake up... Are you hurt?"
Jumping up, "BABY! Are you okay?"
"Uh... mom I'm fine, you are the one bleeding did you try to fight?" Max points towards my head.
Touching the right side of my head... "At least it was me and not you,"
Max gets up, looking around. "Looks like it might be just 2 people,"
"Max get away from the bars," I whisper.
"Mom, it's fine I can get us out of here," Max turns away from the bar and crouches. She looks like a cat sneaking away.
"Max! Come here... "I hiss.
She's too far away from me. She'll die if I don't protect her.
"Max!"
"Mom, give me a sec... I just need to find," Max paws the ground.
Ruffling starts up around the corner.
Quickly I grab Max, shoving her behind me. "Stay, still…" I say, trying to adjust quickly in the dark.
"Mom, you know I have better senses than you. Let me take care of them,"
"No! Don't move!" I back us up into a corner with Max behind me.
"Go get the girl we need to go," A man's voice echoes.
"What about the woman?" Another man replies.
Max did say she can sense two people... Vampires!
"Leave her, she'll slow us down," The first voice pauses "Maybe, even slow them down,"
A man, thinner with an arched back walks over to the bars, and from the silence, I'm assuming he's glancing at us as if we are meat... I am too familiar with this. I hold on to Max tighter.
"Don't be scared," he says unlocking the door.
"If your good, nothing bad will happen. That also applies to you lady,"
He inches closer, his claws reaching out for her neck. Keeping my body between him and Max. He becomes irritated.
"Move!" The goon gets closer and angrier.
Max extends her claws not realizing she could do that. All her focus is on him.
She would have listened without a fight but the second they touch her mother, she ain't leaving without their heads.
"What's taking you so long we NEED to LEAVE!"
"Back me up then," He yells back.
A larger goon comes around the corner and his eyes lay on the girl.
"I'll hold the mom, just grab the girl it's not that hard,"
The Larger goon reaches out for my hair, I start screaming out of pure fear.
Everything happened so fast, I didn't notice Max was in front of me. Holding what... Looks like a hand?..
Closing my eyes, I hear Max Growl. I need to help her, not shaking in a corner.
"Grr..."
"You brat, get her!"
"Hey!" Turning around, his partner on the ground headless.
"Wh..."
I scream again but this time blood flies across us.
Max's tension relaxes.
"CAIN!"
I couldn't think or say anything but my body goes numb causing everything to fade.
"Hey, Kid," Cain says as if nothing just happened.
Eyes closing leaving the last image of Cain's hands dripping with blood.