Twenty-Five

I went straight to my laptop and hacked into the blood center a few miles away from my house. Once into their systems, I checked for their supplies, making sure I got the ones they have in more quantities, leaving the rare types for people who needed them. I didn’t think Grizzly was the frisky kind.
I reserved a bunch of the bags, and once I was done, I went to my safe box and retrieved one of my fake IDs. But that wasn’t all. I had a little disguise to do. In one of my bathroom drawers, I found my green contact lenses, and in the closet my blond short-haired wig. I had the habit of saving some fake IDs I worked under. Sometimes they were useful again, like now.
“Hello, Miss Bailey!” I said to myself in the mirror. It’s been six months since I played nurse Bailey. I had been undercover as a nurse inside a pharmaceutical lab, and believe me, I almost blew my cover out.
I still checked on him before I left and he felt so cold to the touch, even though the house had already gotten cozy with heat. Time was on us. I had to move fast. I jumped on my bike, leaving towards the place, and I couldn’t take my head from him. My stomach churned in concern, and I didn’t know for how long he’d last without blood, or if he could die from lack of sustenance.
God, I knew nothing about him. My life has been crazy. I’ve never let people come closer to me. Only a handful had this privilege. I worked in the agency for so many years now, and I didn’t even let myself get acquainted with my colleagues there.
When I got to the blood center, I had the cooler in my hand. The entire business ran smoothly. I showed my ID, filled out some papers, and it didn’t take more than an hour. Since it was a late-night, I sped back home not caring about police cars; I knew my way around them; I was a ghost for a reason. Once home, I put all the bags in the freezer, taking one of them to the counter. I warmed up water in a bowl and drowned the bag in it. Gosh, it was nasty, and I scrunched up my face at it. While it was warming up, I made a call.
“Where have you been, pumpkin? I worried my ass off.”
“Sorry, dad! I knew you’d get worried, that’s why I’m calling you this late, I had a few problems of my own.” It was nice to hear the familiar voice, a check on reality, someone bringing me back from some sort of lucid dream I got myself into. He was the only one who knew what kind of life I led, and he’d never agreed with it.
“Problems? Alex, why didn’t you call me? Are you ok?” When dad ‘Alexed’ me, it meant I was going to get scolded.
“I didn’t have a way of calling you. I left my cell on the bike, and I didn’t get back to it for a few days. Don’t worry, I’m ok, now.”
“Now? Were you not ok, before? Where are you, I’m going there!” he yelled at me, pissed this time.
“No! Don’t need to. That’s why I’m calling. Can I see you tomorrow, after six?”
“Alex! What’s going on? I know you, what are you not telling me?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there, and I’m bringing someone, he needs your services.” The silence coming from the other side worried me. “Dad, are you there?”
“Yes, Alex!” He puffed on the phone. “I’m here. May I know who’s coming with you?”
“I can’t explain to you now, and I have to go,” I said, hearing some grumbling from my room. “But please, just us tomorrow, ok! Don’t be mad at me, I’m already sulking enough.”
“Fine pumpkin! I’ll be here for you.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too. Be careful!” He disconnected, and I hated myself for making him worry about me. He was the father I’ve never had.
The blood was lukewarm, and I hoped it was suitable for him as I poured in an enormous glass, taking it to my room and setting it on my nightstand. I sat on the bed and gathered his head on my lap, caressing the strands of his dark honeyed hair. He was paler than before, and despite the heat taking over the house, he was still cold underneath my hands.
Looking at him, how come I’ve never connected with the historical figure? Well, maybe I did. I just didn’t want to acknowledge it, but right now it was impossible to even dwell on it. The man lying here on my bed with his head nestled on my lap, and so defenseless, didn’t look like in the slightest the bloodsucker ruler that all the books talked about, but a very troubled and confused man in my arms. I couldn’t help myself, but kissed him on the lips. They were freezing cold; it seemed I had a corpse here with me, and that made me snap out of my daydreams and focus on him.
“Grizzly? Vlad?” His eyes fluttered for a few minutes like he was trying to fight off his slumber, then his nostrils flared, smelling the blood close to him. “Can you sit up a bit, I brought you something.” He opened his eyes, and they stared at me golden like fire, and a low growl echoed from his throat. I caressed his face and pecked a kiss on his lips, staring at him. “Look at me, Grizzly. I know you’re hungry. Sit up and focus on me.” He struggled to control himself. The hunger beat at him, and I could feel it in waves coming from his body. How? How was I sensing his emotions and needs as if I was a sponge? Were my powers growing somehow? I didn’t know, later I’d analyze the situation.
He gave me a nod, and I brought the glass closer to his mouth. Vlad drank the whole thing, assuaging the hunger gnawing at him. He made a face, and that told me he didn’t like it a bit, but his body reveled in it.
I felt the jolt of energy bathing him from head to toe, and his eyes were set on mine the entire time, trying to figure out what was going on in my mind, but the only thing he saw there was concern for him stamped all over my face, and he relaxed in my arms. All these days caring for me, and not finding proper sustenance, left him depleted.
“I hate this!” he barked out, and I understood him. “But thank you! How did you get it?”
“Don’t worry about it now.” I put the glass away and cleaned up his lips with a cloth, kissing his forehead. “Sleep, rest for some time, you need recharging.” He closed his eyes again, and I made him comfortable.
When I was about to get rid of my clothes, my cell buzzed, and Shane’s face flashed on the screen. It was only then I noticed all the missed calls from him. It was way after midnight, and if he was calling me at these hours, it was a serious matter.
“Hello?” I said and walked out of the room.
“Alex, where have you been? You didn’t answer any of my calls. I thought they had burned you already.” The tension in his voice showed there was something else boiling in the agency.
“They almost did, frying me like a chicken, those assholes. They don’t know what waits for them.” I gritted out, pacing from one side to the other in my living room. “My boss faked a mission, only to get rid of me, but I smell a rat on all this. The ones there wanted to know about the changes in the agency. How am I supposed to know?” Anger wanted to consume me, and things around the house started buzzing with energy.
“I don’t know, Alex, but they are on siege there. It’s a mess. The agency is watching everybody. They are walking on needles, and if they already know the mission failed, they are afraid of retaliation.”
“They should be, because they don’t have a clue who they messed with.” A grunt came from the bedroom. Vlad was sensing my distress, and if he woke up. I’d have more problems in my hands.
“I’m afraid they can track you.”
“Well, I’m not going back there, and you know they can’t track me, not even my cell phone, so don’t work yourself up. Listen to me Shane, I need to hang up now, but you’re going to hear from me tomorrow, ok. I have to go.”
Hanging up the phone, I turned it off. If I knew Shane, he was the insistent kind. A lot had happened to me and I needed some peaceful time. Give my mind a break, because I was at the point of exploding and it was bad. The agency feared me, good. They should have thought about that before betraying me. I went back to my room and undressed myself, leaving only my undies on, and got into bed with Grizzly. He needed body heat, and I could provide it. I embraced him, holding myself to him, and in the next minute I drifted off.