100% Freshie Chapter 32 --PG-13

[librarian_7]

Disclaimer: The characters from Moonlight are copyrighted by CBS, and no infringement is intended.

Special note: This work takes place in the world of Moonlight, but your favorite vamps are not the main focus. Sorry about that; try to enjoy the story anyway. You might be surprised.

100% Freshie

Chapter 32

Mick had assumed that most of what was required was to listen to Danni's story and offer her words of comfort and advice, the main part of which would be yet another warning that vampires were a treacherous, untrustworthy lot at best, and she'd be well-advised to learn to live without them. He knew of a rehab group for freshies, and he also knew that their failure rate was spectacular. Still, they had their successes.

The first part of Danni's story only bolstered the sense that what she needed most was to get away from the vamps. Mick knew he couldn't hold Josef responsible, but sometimes, the more he heard about his friend's dealings with these ultimately vulnerable young women, he had to wonder whether after all this time Josef had any conscience left at all. Josef was listening to Danni's story, although Mick could see he was ostensibly perusing a book, his expressive face set in a petulant frown.

Then Danni got to the part about Tyler.

"Staked?" Mick shot a look directly at Josef now, and found that his friend had quit pretending to sulk. He was listening intently. Outside the windows, night was slowly giving way to day. "Danni, this is important," Mick said. "Where exactly is he?"

"I--I'm not sure. I was passed out...but somewhere near Will's front gate, I expect."

Mick was standing, pulling Danni to her feet. "We have to find him. As quickly as possible."

"I heard them say something--I think they hid the body."

Mick shook his head. "Not a body. Tyler is still alive."

The room spun crazily. If not for Mick's hand, Danni would have fallen. And if not for Josef’s strong arm suddenly around her waist, she still might have gone down in a faint.

“I know you’re all in, babe,” Josef said, “but you’ve got to get us there. In his state, the sunlight’ll fry him. Mick, you’d better grab a couple of bags of red stuff. He’s going to need it.”

Danni nodded and stammered out the address. “Cry will be so glad to know—“

“Do you have Cry’s number?” Josef interrupted.

“It’s in my phone, but I don’t have it memorized.” Danni looked down. Something about these men—these vamps—they could make her feel so inadequate sometimes. Josef’s next words didn’t help.

“Not so helpful, doll.” But he already had his phone out, and even as they moved toward the door he was browbeating some unlucky WFS receptionist to cough up Cry’s cell number.

In the elevator, Josef griped about Mick asking him to ride in the back seat, but Mick pointed out, quite reasonably, that he needed Danni up front to make sure they found Will’s gate.

“Fine. She can sit on my lap,” Josef replied. “She’s about to pass out again. And you’re using GPS anyway.”

Danni knew her time sense was off, but the ride seemed to take forever. She’d never sat on Josef’s lap before, and she found it more comforting than she’d have thought, to be in his cool embrace. She had to rouse herself to speak when he dialed Cry’s number.

“Can I talk to her?” she asked.

Josef bent his head and looked down at her, speculatively, then nodded. “That might be best,” he said. “Smart girl, Texas.”

When Cry answered, Danni put as much urgency in her voice as she could. “Cry, are you all right? Can you talk?”

“Yes.” Pause. “No.”

“Listen, then. Tyler’s not dead—not yet—but we’ve got to find him fast. Where did y’all leave him?”

“I—I don’t know, exactly.”

Josef took the phone from her hand. “Listen, freshie, you understand who I am?”

He heard her swallow, hard. “Yes.”

“That’s good. Now as you face the gate, which side? Right or left?”

“Uh—“

“Right?”

“No.”

“Far in?”

“No.”

“Do you know what happens to you, if we don’t get there in time?”

“I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know. Please believe—“

Josef could hear the phone being taken from the girl, and a masculine voice came through.

“So Danni ran back to the bloodsuckers, huh?” Bradley asked harshly. “I took out one of you bastards. I can take out more.”

Josef smiled implacably, and seeing it, Danni began to shake in the circle of his arm. He petted her absently as he replied. “Bradley,” he said, looking at Danni for confirmation of the name, “you and I are going to have a long talk. Soon.” And he cut the connection. “No offense, Texas, but your old boyfriend is an idiot.”

Danni was suddenly very tired and very scared. She drooped her head against Josef’s shoulder. “That’s kind of why I broke up with him, Josef.”

Mick looked over at Josef, his expression unreadable. “Danni,” he said gently, “you know we’re going to have to deal with him.”

She nodded, turning her face to Josef’s chest. “You mean, kill him, don’t you? But you said Tyler’s still alive.”

She could feel Josef’s chest rumble as he answered. “It’s not so much what he’s done, Texas, as what he knows.”

Danni sighed. It was all too much, and none of it seemed real anymore. She was having a hard time working up emotion at this point, and couldn’t decide what she ought to be feeling. “He chose his own course, I guess. But if there’s any other way—Mick, can you help him? Please?”

Mick shook his head, eyes full of regret. “I’ll try, Danni, but no promises.”

“What about Cry?”

“That one’s up to Tyler,” Josef said. “Provided Mick gets us there in time.”

“I’m not dawdling, Josef. Lay off.”

Danni thought about asking about herself, about how much of the blame was going to fall on her, but she was afraid to ask. She huddled closer to Josef’s quiet chest. It would be so sweet, just to stay there forever, not to think anymore, just to sleep…her eyes fluttered closed.

It might have been a minute later, or five, when she heard Mick’s voice again. “We should be getting close.”

Josef nodded, and shifted slightly. “Hey, babe, time to wake up,” he said to Danni. “Up and at ‘em, Texas.”

Danni blinked sleepily and looked around. They were rolling up Will’s street.

“Tell me when you spot the gate,” Mick said.

Not ten seconds later, Danni sat up, pointing. “That’s it, Mick. There on the left.”

The light was growing stronger by the minute, and Danni felt a curious dropping sensation in the pit of her stomach. She felt a surge of actual hatred for Bradley for putting Tyler at such risk. She knew she’d never forgive him for this—or herself. Still—the woods were thick, just here. Will’s house was very well screened from the road. Surely, if they’d dragged him out of sight, he’d be mostly protected from the sun.

The gate looked imposing, but it was mostly for show; it prevented unwanted cars from coming up the drive, but the wall was low, no real barrier. Once they’d pulled to a smooth stop at the end of the drive, Mick and Josef were out of the Mercedes with astonishing speed. Mick put a hand on the lip of the wall and vaulted over, gracefully, and Josef was just behind him.

“She said, not far in, right, Danni?” Mick called.

“Yes, to the left,” she answered. It was much more of an effort for her to scramble over the wall, but she managed, although she fell in the process and skinned her palms against the rocky ground.

The two vamps were shading their eyes, casting about with other senses, their nostrils flaring as they tired to catch Tyler’s scent.

“All I can smell is leaf mould,” Josef complained. “You’re sure he’s here, Texas?”

Danni nodded, straining to see into the shadows.

Mick tensed suddenly, and moved forward through the sun-dappled morning, shielding his face with one hand. “There he is.” He dropped to his knees next to what appeared to be a drifted pile of leaves, and brushed away some of the makeshift covering. Danni heard the hissing intake of Mick’s breath, heard Josef curse softly.

Danni rushed toward Mick. “Are we in time?”

Josef stopped her with one hand outstretched. His face was grim. “We’ll know in a minute.”

As Danni watched, Mick tensed his shoulders and grasped the stake projecting from Tyler’s back. When he pulled, Danni could hear the sickening sound of the stake coming out. Then Tyler screamed.

Danni strained against Josef’s arm. “Cut it out, Texas,” he snapped. “It’s not safe for you.” Even as he spoke, Tyler was struggling to his feet, shaking back the lank, damp strands of hair from his haggard face, his silver eyes seeking blindly around him.
“Tyler,” Danni sobbed, “oh, Tyler.”

“Hungry,” Tyler rasped through his cracked lips, turning towards Danni. Mick stepped in front of him, arms spread to block Tyler’s progress. “Hey, buddy,” he said, “hang on. Joz’f. Where’s that blood?”

“What do I look like? Goth-Ex?” Josef grumbled, but he was reaching into a pocket for a pint bag. “Catch,” he said, flipping it to Mick.

While Mick was momentarily distracted, Tyler feinted to one side abruptly and almost succeeded in slipping by. Josef grabbed Danni and shoved her behind him.

“Bad vamp. No freshie,” he said. “Dammit, Danger, do you always have to be bleeding?” Danni put her scraped hands against her side, although she knew the scent of her blood wasn’t helping the situation, and hiding her hands made little difference where vampire senses were involved.

Mick snarled and ripped the seal off the tubing of the blood pint. He whipped out a hand and spun Tyler around, their faces bare inches apart. “Tyler. Drink.”

Wordlessly, the wounded vamp seized the bag and gulped greedily at the contents. By the time he was through, Mick had another bag ready to put in his hand. And by the time that was gone, Tyler had regained himself. His eyes bled from silver back to brown, and he staggered against Mick’s supporting arm. He was still pale and shaking, squinting painfully in the light.

“Danger?” he said. “You came back for me.”

Danni slipped free of Josef’s protective grasp at last and went to Tyler’s side. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea—“

He smiled at her, a little. “We—we’ll talk later, okay?” But he laid an arm around her shoulders.

“Come on, buddy,” Mick said. “Let’s get you out of the light.”

Tyler crawled gratefully into the back of the Mercedes, pulling the closely woven jacket that lay on the seat over him, but when Danni tried to get in beside him, Josef stopped her.

“He could still lose it, babe, and you can’t afford to be there if he does.”

Danni gave the ancient vampire a bitter smile. “I’m not sure it would matter to anyone.”

Mick answered her, softly. “It would matter a great deal to your friend Tyler.”

Danni tried to push away from Josef, but without the fear for Tyler driving her, her strength was starting to desert her again, and Josef held her as easily as she would have held a kitten.

“You know there are few things I love more than an armful of squirming freshie, Texas, but you aren’t exactly bite-able right now.” He paused, then added, “Besides, you have to tell us a great deal more about Bradley.”

[francis]

Danni didn’t know that stakes don’t kill vampires. The rescue mission was so full of suspense, yet somehow sad. Love that Mick is slurring Joz’f’s name. That’s Mick.

“Bad vamp. No freshie,” he said. “Dammit, Danger, do you always have to be bleeding?”

Josef snark at its best.