| Supernatural Science Fiction posted July 26, 2021 | Chapters: |
...73 74 -75- 76... 
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Stranger/Part 2
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos or mistakes, please point them out to me. Stay safe & enjoy! |
Previously. . .
There was a slight shift in the air, and then a tall, lanky man stepped into the room. He moved toward the guard’s desk without as much as a word. His eyes were fixated on a large monitor that displayed several images of the underground tunnel. He stood there staring in suspended silence, watching the camera footage. It captured a huge male with a short-trimmed dark Mohawk, leading the way. Two tall, blond, long-haired men, who looked identical, followed close behind the Mohawk guy. A wolfish creature—the woman who’d been cursed—crept behind the two blond-headed twins. Four other men, of which one looked vaguely familiar and another who he sensed was something other than a Breedline, tailed the others. The remaining two were obviously human. He could always pick out a human among his kind. It was something about their weaknesses, their vulnerability, and their eyes. They were the windows to their souls. He could sense they were good people, and for the exception of the two humans, they were very powerful.
He continued to watch as the group cautiously traveled down a dark corridor, some of them were packing weapons, and others had portable lights, guiding their way. They were all oblivious to what lay ahead. A trap waiting to be sprung, and hopefully, one they could not easily escape. He needed them. He was desperate for their help.
When he finally averted his eyes from the cameras and focused them on Dr. Michaels, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. His bloodred eyes were unnatural, almost hypnotizing, and somewhat terrifying. They blazed like fire. Although he looked a bit sickly, his skin as pale as a corpse, his features were still handsome. The perfect contours of his face were both regal and masculine, resembling the Greek statue of Michelangelo’s David. The veins beneath his pasty skin looked like a roadmap of tiny webs of purples and blues. His long, pale-blond hair was pulled away from his frosty face and tied back with a strip of white lace. The getup he wore accentuated his thinness and gave off an iconic Jim Morrison fashion and an old blue-blooded aristocrat vibe: Tight black leather pants, white collared shirt with cuffed sleeves, and a pair of black leather Italian riding boots. The combination teetered between a vampire and a rock musician all rolled into one.
The vampirish looking man didn’t waste time with pleasantries. A snarl protruded over his plump, upper lip, revealing an ivory tip of a fang. “The Breedline are quite persistent.” His tone was snobbish, seemingly cruel. “They have no idea what real monsters are made of.”
“Indeed,” said the physician, clasping his hands behind his back. “Indeed, they do not.”
“There are humans among the Breedline,” said the pale-faced man. “Why?”
“They are the two detectives involved with shutting down the Summit Behavioral Institute.”
“And how did they learn of us?”
“I can assure you,” the physician quickly replied. “They know nothing of you. But somehow,” he paused, releasing a sigh, “they managed to hack into the institute’s system and retrieve their files.”
The pale-faced man looked annoyed, his eyes appearing darker. “I do not want the two humans harmed, nor the Breedline for that matter.”
There was a beat of silence as if the physician was weighing his words. “I have no intentions of harming any of them.” He lied. “They will be released as soon as I get what I need.”
“And what of the cursed woman?” asked the pale-faced man, his bloodred eyes lit with interest. “Do you plan to keep her alive as well?”
The physician nodded, feeling the stare of haunting eyes upon him.
“Oh?” the pale-faced man’s eyebrow shot up. “She killed your children, did she not?”
A spark of grief crossed the physician’s face, but it quickly passed. “Yes, it’s true,” he said, regretting his decision to send them into the underground tunnel, knowing they were unstable. “She killed my LaToya and Abraham.” He paused and swallowed, his Adams apple visibly bobbing. “But it was in self-defense, so I have no ill will toward Miss McCain. And of course, she will not be harmed.” He lied again. “It’s pertinent that she remains alive.”
“And what purpose will she serve you?”
A slow smile seeped onto Dr. Michaels’ face. “She has a rare gift. The immortal creature within her will benefit my research.”
The pale-faced man stepped closer, seeming to loom over Dr. Michaels. His crawling, bloodred gaze slid over the physician in questionable doubt. “How so?”
Dr. Michaels unclasped his hands and leaned forward, arching a brow. “Ah, good question, Lenny. My dear old friend.”
Continued. . .
“Long story short,” the physician continued, his eyes bulging with a hint of madness. “I believe Miss McCain’s blood contains the antidote you’ve been looking for.”
Lenny’s expression was one of shock, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. “You’re serious?”
“Dead ser—” He hesitated, acknowledging the fact that his old friend was no longer among the living and he may not appreciate his choice of words. “Yes, indeed. But I’ll need more time to perfect it. If there’s a slightest defect, it will not work.”
“How long?”
“As soon as I retrieve a sample of Miss McCain’s blood,” said the physician. “It should be ready to test on the others within the next twenty-four hours.”
The tips of Lenny’s fangs appeared as a smile emerged on his pale face. “Perrrfect,” he said in a dragged-out fashion, looking at the physician the way you’d look at someone who you knew without a doubt was lying. “Until then, I’ll be waiting, Doctor.”
“Yes, of course.” The physician dipped his head. “Anything for you.” His voice cracked, struggling to say the words. “My dear old friend.”
As Lenny reached for the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “A little reminder, Doctor.” A smile touched the corner of his mouth and for a moment, he said nothing, just stared at the physician with a menacing gaze. “If you betray me in any form or fashion,” Lenny finally said, his voice laced with the intention of inflicting pain. “I will drain every ounce of blood in your body. Do you understand?”
The physician’s eyes rounded in alarm. “B-But, Lenny…” He hesitated, feeling the rhythm of his heart as it thundered inside his chest. “What would make you think I’d betray you?”
Lenny turned to face him and flashed a smile so wide, his fangs shown like ivory pins. “Have you forgotten, Doctor? I not only have the ability to sense when someone is lying, I can smell it a mile away.” His smile faded. “And you wreak of deception.”
Smug bastard! Dr. Michaels swallowed back his nerves and said, “You must be mistaken, my friend.” His hands fisted at his sides. “My intensions are good, I assure you.” He faked a grin. “I’m only here to serve your needs.”
As silence filled the room, Lenny’s gaze dropped to the physician’s throat. He could see the thick, blue vein throbbing with each beat of the betrayer’s heart. When his eyes trailed back up to meet the eyes of a liar, he said, “And what of your needs, Doctor?”
“Uhh…” The physician stuttered his words. “M-My needs? I’m afraid I don’t understand your meaning.”
“What do you strive to gain out of all this?” Lenny waved his hand toward the camera’s monitor. “Surely you’re not doing all this just to find a cure for my companions. I’ve been alive for over two hundred years, so don’t think I’m so easily fooled. I suspect there’s something you’re not telling me, Doctor Henry Michaels. Something that has to do with what the Breedline discovered at the Summit Behavioral Institute.” He made a distasteful face. “And those detestable creatures you’ve created.”
The physician’s mouth bobbed like a fish out of water. “I-I—”
The guards nearly tripped over one another as they cleared the room.
Moving in warp speed, Lenny was on the physician, hovering over him with a calculating stare, so close he could almost taste his lies. “I do not trust anyone who experiments on their own flesh and blood. You should have kept that to yourself, Doctor. So, tell me.” His bloodred eyes blazed like fire. “What is it you truly desire?”
Don’t look into his eyes… Don’t look into his eyes… Don’t look—
The physician tried to pull his eyes away, but they would not obey. Instead, he found himself trapped in Lenny’s hypnotic gaze. The vampire’s eyes held a kind of power no one could resist, and staring into them, Dr. Michaels felt compelled to reveal everything he’d kept secret. Then, as he began to spill his guts, he spoke each word as if he were vomiting the truth.
“I-I want to create…” He gasped, struggling to get the words out. “A-A new species… S-Stronger than any Breedline… A-And far more intelligent.”
Lenny stared at the physician with daggers in his eyes. “Why?”
“P-Power…” said Dr. Michaels, trying to resist Lenny’s spellbinding gaze, but he’d lost the battle before it started. “And f-fortune.”
“I knew I should have killed you long ago,” Lenny said through gritted teeth as he took hold of the physician’s throat, clenching it with an iron grip. “And you’re no friend of mine. You never were.”
“P-Please…” Dr. Michaels looked up at him with pleading eyes, gasping for air. “H-Have mercy.”
Lenny squeezed tighter, relishing the panicked expression on the physician’s face, his bulging eyes, and the cords straining in his neck. “You’re nothing but a pathetic worm. One that doesn’t deserve to breathe air.”
The physician began to choke, struggling to get air into his lungs. The room began to swim, and tiny specks of light flickered, blurring his vision. Before his legs went out from under him, Lenny held him steady and drew him closer. So close, he could smell the vampire’s coppery breath. Oh, God… He’s going to kill me.
The second Lenny loosened his grip, Dr. Michaels sucked in a deep lungful of air. “I’m not going to kill you,” he said as though he read the physician’s mind. “Not just yet anyway.” He smirked. “You still have work to do. And I need that antidote.”
Dr. Michaels bobbed his head up and down, continuing his endeavor to get air into his lungs. Finally, he cleared his dry throat and rasped out, “Yes. Yes. The... Antidote.”
To be continued . . .
There was a slight shift in the air, and then a tall, lanky man stepped into the room. He moved toward the guard’s desk without as much as a word. His eyes were fixated on a large monitor that displayed several images of the underground tunnel. He stood there staring in suspended silence, watching the camera footage. It captured a huge male with a short-trimmed dark Mohawk, leading the way. Two tall, blond, long-haired men, who looked identical, followed close behind the Mohawk guy. A wolfish creature—the woman who’d been cursed—crept behind the two blond-headed twins. Four other men, of which one looked vaguely familiar and another who he sensed was something other than a Breedline, tailed the others. The remaining two were obviously human. He could always pick out a human among his kind. It was something about their weaknesses, their vulnerability, and their eyes. They were the windows to their souls. He could sense they were good people, and for the exception of the two humans, they were very powerful.
He continued to watch as the group cautiously traveled down a dark corridor, some of them were packing weapons, and others had portable lights, guiding their way. They were all oblivious to what lay ahead. A trap waiting to be sprung, and hopefully, one they could not easily escape. He needed them. He was desperate for their help.
When he finally averted his eyes from the cameras and focused them on Dr. Michaels, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. His bloodred eyes were unnatural, almost hypnotizing, and somewhat terrifying. They blazed like fire. Although he looked a bit sickly, his skin as pale as a corpse, his features were still handsome. The perfect contours of his face were both regal and masculine, resembling the Greek statue of Michelangelo’s David. The veins beneath his pasty skin looked like a roadmap of tiny webs of purples and blues. His long, pale-blond hair was pulled away from his frosty face and tied back with a strip of white lace. The getup he wore accentuated his thinness and gave off an iconic Jim Morrison fashion and an old blue-blooded aristocrat vibe: Tight black leather pants, white collared shirt with cuffed sleeves, and a pair of black leather Italian riding boots. The combination teetered between a vampire and a rock musician all rolled into one.
The vampirish looking man didn’t waste time with pleasantries. A snarl protruded over his plump, upper lip, revealing an ivory tip of a fang. “The Breedline are quite persistent.” His tone was snobbish, seemingly cruel. “They have no idea what real monsters are made of.”
“Indeed,” said the physician, clasping his hands behind his back. “Indeed, they do not.”
“There are humans among the Breedline,” said the pale-faced man. “Why?”
“They are the two detectives involved with shutting down the Summit Behavioral Institute.”
“And how did they learn of us?”
“I can assure you,” the physician quickly replied. “They know nothing of you. But somehow,” he paused, releasing a sigh, “they managed to hack into the institute’s system and retrieve their files.”
The pale-faced man looked annoyed, his eyes appearing darker. “I do not want the two humans harmed, nor the Breedline for that matter.”
There was a beat of silence as if the physician was weighing his words. “I have no intentions of harming any of them.” He lied. “They will be released as soon as I get what I need.”
“And what of the cursed woman?” asked the pale-faced man, his bloodred eyes lit with interest. “Do you plan to keep her alive as well?”
The physician nodded, feeling the stare of haunting eyes upon him.
“Oh?” the pale-faced man’s eyebrow shot up. “She killed your children, did she not?”
A spark of grief crossed the physician’s face, but it quickly passed. “Yes, it’s true,” he said, regretting his decision to send them into the underground tunnel, knowing they were unstable. “She killed my LaToya and Abraham.” He paused and swallowed, his Adams apple visibly bobbing. “But it was in self-defense, so I have no ill will toward Miss McCain. And of course, she will not be harmed.” He lied again. “It’s pertinent that she remains alive.”
“And what purpose will she serve you?”
A slow smile seeped onto Dr. Michaels’ face. “She has a rare gift. The immortal creature within her will benefit my research.”
The pale-faced man stepped closer, seeming to loom over Dr. Michaels. His crawling, bloodred gaze slid over the physician in questionable doubt. “How so?”
Dr. Michaels unclasped his hands and leaned forward, arching a brow. “Ah, good question, Lenny. My dear old friend.”
Continued. . .
“Long story short,” the physician continued, his eyes bulging with a hint of madness. “I believe Miss McCain’s blood contains the antidote you’ve been looking for.”
Lenny’s expression was one of shock, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. “You’re serious?”
“Dead ser—” He hesitated, acknowledging the fact that his old friend was no longer among the living and he may not appreciate his choice of words. “Yes, indeed. But I’ll need more time to perfect it. If there’s a slightest defect, it will not work.”
“How long?”
“As soon as I retrieve a sample of Miss McCain’s blood,” said the physician. “It should be ready to test on the others within the next twenty-four hours.”
The tips of Lenny’s fangs appeared as a smile emerged on his pale face. “Perrrfect,” he said in a dragged-out fashion, looking at the physician the way you’d look at someone who you knew without a doubt was lying. “Until then, I’ll be waiting, Doctor.”
“Yes, of course.” The physician dipped his head. “Anything for you.” His voice cracked, struggling to say the words. “My dear old friend.”
As Lenny reached for the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “A little reminder, Doctor.” A smile touched the corner of his mouth and for a moment, he said nothing, just stared at the physician with a menacing gaze. “If you betray me in any form or fashion,” Lenny finally said, his voice laced with the intention of inflicting pain. “I will drain every ounce of blood in your body. Do you understand?”
The physician’s eyes rounded in alarm. “B-But, Lenny…” He hesitated, feeling the rhythm of his heart as it thundered inside his chest. “What would make you think I’d betray you?”
Lenny turned to face him and flashed a smile so wide, his fangs shown like ivory pins. “Have you forgotten, Doctor? I not only have the ability to sense when someone is lying, I can smell it a mile away.” His smile faded. “And you wreak of deception.”
Smug bastard! Dr. Michaels swallowed back his nerves and said, “You must be mistaken, my friend.” His hands fisted at his sides. “My intensions are good, I assure you.” He faked a grin. “I’m only here to serve your needs.”
As silence filled the room, Lenny’s gaze dropped to the physician’s throat. He could see the thick, blue vein throbbing with each beat of the betrayer’s heart. When his eyes trailed back up to meet the eyes of a liar, he said, “And what of your needs, Doctor?”
“Uhh…” The physician stuttered his words. “M-My needs? I’m afraid I don’t understand your meaning.”
“What do you strive to gain out of all this?” Lenny waved his hand toward the camera’s monitor. “Surely you’re not doing all this just to find a cure for my companions. I’ve been alive for over two hundred years, so don’t think I’m so easily fooled. I suspect there’s something you’re not telling me, Doctor Henry Michaels. Something that has to do with what the Breedline discovered at the Summit Behavioral Institute.” He made a distasteful face. “And those detestable creatures you’ve created.”
The physician’s mouth bobbed like a fish out of water. “I-I—”
The guards nearly tripped over one another as they cleared the room.
Moving in warp speed, Lenny was on the physician, hovering over him with a calculating stare, so close he could almost taste his lies. “I do not trust anyone who experiments on their own flesh and blood. You should have kept that to yourself, Doctor. So, tell me.” His bloodred eyes blazed like fire. “What is it you truly desire?”
Don’t look into his eyes… Don’t look into his eyes… Don’t look—
The physician tried to pull his eyes away, but they would not obey. Instead, he found himself trapped in Lenny’s hypnotic gaze. The vampire’s eyes held a kind of power no one could resist, and staring into them, Dr. Michaels felt compelled to reveal everything he’d kept secret. Then, as he began to spill his guts, he spoke each word as if he were vomiting the truth.
“I-I want to create…” He gasped, struggling to get the words out. “A-A new species… S-Stronger than any Breedline… A-And far more intelligent.”
Lenny stared at the physician with daggers in his eyes. “Why?”
“P-Power…” said Dr. Michaels, trying to resist Lenny’s spellbinding gaze, but he’d lost the battle before it started. “And f-fortune.”
“I knew I should have killed you long ago,” Lenny said through gritted teeth as he took hold of the physician’s throat, clenching it with an iron grip. “And you’re no friend of mine. You never were.”
“P-Please…” Dr. Michaels looked up at him with pleading eyes, gasping for air. “H-Have mercy.”
Lenny squeezed tighter, relishing the panicked expression on the physician’s face, his bulging eyes, and the cords straining in his neck. “You’re nothing but a pathetic worm. One that doesn’t deserve to breathe air.”
The physician began to choke, struggling to get air into his lungs. The room began to swim, and tiny specks of light flickered, blurring his vision. Before his legs went out from under him, Lenny held him steady and drew him closer. So close, he could smell the vampire’s coppery breath. Oh, God… He’s going to kill me.
The second Lenny loosened his grip, Dr. Michaels sucked in a deep lungful of air. “I’m not going to kill you,” he said as though he read the physician’s mind. “Not just yet anyway.” He smirked. “You still have work to do. And I need that antidote.”
Dr. Michaels bobbed his head up and down, continuing his endeavor to get air into his lungs. Finally, he cleared his dry throat and rasped out, “Yes. Yes. The... Antidote.”
To be continued . . .
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for terms and cast of characters in this chapter, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Jena McCain - She is an inspiring artist with the ability to speak with the dead. Jena was attacked and bitten by an age-old creature and cursed with a lust for human blood. Now that she is to become the creature and hunt humans, instead of killing innocent people, she will only hunt evil.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He's the head physician of Adam & Eve Pharmaceuticals, who uses his own patients against their will for the sole purpose of creating a new species.
Leonard (Lenny) Saxon III - He is a hybrid vampire from the 1800s, desperate to find a cure for a virus that is killing his own kind.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of their Covenant. There is one in every state. A council governs its laws and oversees the species population.
Jena McCain - She is an inspiring artist with the ability to speak with the dead. Jena was attacked and bitten by an age-old creature and cursed with a lust for human blood. Now that she is to become the creature and hunt humans, instead of killing innocent people, she will only hunt evil.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He's the head physician of Adam & Eve Pharmaceuticals, who uses his own patients against their will for the sole purpose of creating a new species.
Leonard (Lenny) Saxon III - He is a hybrid vampire from the 1800s, desperate to find a cure for a virus that is killing his own kind.
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