| Supernatural Science Fiction posted November 1, 2021 | Chapters: |
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The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
The Biters/Part Six
by scongrove
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. If you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & I hope you enjoy! |
Previously. . .
Manuel looked between Augustus--who tossed Karina's head to the floor--and his sister Amelia with complete astonishment and sincerity. Nodding a silent thank you, he released a long sigh of relief, then forced his eyes on his partner, who was already on his feet, holding a hand to the side of his neck. And his fingers were covered in blood. The dreadful image raised the hairs on Manuel's neck. "Oh, shit!"
"S-She bit me," sputtered Frank, his panic-stricken gaze bouncing from Manuel to Amelia and Augustus, then back to his partner again.
"S-She bit me," sputtered Frank, his panic-stricken gaze bouncing from Manuel to Amelia and Augustus, then back to his partner again.
Continued. . .
Gasping, Frank dropped to his knees, his hand clutching his throat. Blood oozed between the cracks of his fingers.
“Oh my god!” Manuel rushed to him. “Frank—”
“Don’t come any closer,” Frank said between clenched teeth, his face contorted with pain. “It's not safe. I've been bitten.”
Manuel peered down at Frank wide-eyed. “For crying out loud, Perkins. You’re bleeding like a stuck pig.”
Lenny, who had managed to gather his bearings, moved to his feet, and approached Manuel. “Your partner is right, Detective.” He placed a reassuring hand on Manuel’s shoulder. “Although the woman who bit him is dead, it’s imperative you keep your distance. At least until we’re sure she did not inject him with vampire venom.”
Manuel watched as Amelia came to Frank’s aid and placed a handkerchief to the gaping wound on his neck. “How long is that going to take?” asked Manuel, turning toward Lenny and then back to Frank, worry etched into the grooves of his face. “When will we know for sure?”
“In the next twenty-four hours or so,” Lenny replied.
Augustus came forward and pointedly looked down at Frank. “Detective Perkins, do you have a family?”
“Y-Yes,” Frank muttered, his eyes going wide. “Why?”
“You’ll need to avoid contact with them,” Augustus explained. “Normally, Biters only turn females and use males as their source of sustenance. Your family will be in danger until we know for sure you weren’t exposed to the venom.”
“But…” Frank swallowed back his nerves. “I don’t feel any different now.”
“It’s still too early to tell,” said Augustus.
Frank glanced at Manuel and saw disbelief in his partner’s eyes. Or was it something else. Fear maybe. Then, he faced Augustus and asked, “If Karina injected me with her venom, what’s going to happen to me?”
“Like Lenny said,” Augustus began. “Within the next twenty-four hours, you’ll have an insatiable craving for blood. Human blood.”
“Please…” Frank looked between Lenny and Augustus with despair in his gaze. “Tell me I’m not going to turn into one of those things, am I?”
“No,” said Amelia, drawing Frank’s attention. “Not unless, that is… you consume human blood. And I promise, you’ll be human again, but the process…” She monetarily hesitated, keeping pressure on Frank’s wound while thinking of the best way to explain without completely terrifying him. “I’m not going to lie, Detective. It will be painful. But you must have faith in God and in yourself.”
“If that happens,” said Frank. “How long will it take to get it out of my system?”
“At least two weeks,” said Amelia. “It also depends on the amount of venom. But your body will eventually break it down.”
Frank’s mind was a complete whirlwind. He briefly closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.
“Don’t worry, partner,” said Manuel, his tone firm. “Either way, and come hell or high water, we’re going to get you through this. You hear me?”
Frank looked up at his partner and regretfully dipped his head.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Detective,” said Lenny. “The worst-case scenario, you’ll have to come up with one hell of an excuse to explain those bite marks to your wife.”
A familiar voice filtered into the room, “What bite marks?”
Going by the unreserved tone, Frank swore it was Jace, but he couldn’t be sure. He was too busy thinking of how he was going to explain all this to Missy, especially if he’d been infected with vampire venom and couldn’t go home for two whole weeks. Not to mention what Lenny had said about the bite marks on his neck. Dammit! And what kind of excuse would he come up with? No, he thought. Missy would not buy some cockamamie story. Besides, could he really be untruthful to his wife? He’d never lied to her before. An icy panic hit his stomach just thinking about it.
When Jace moved closer with Roman accompanying him, they instantly caught sight of Frank. He was on his knees with Amelia crouched beside him, applying a bandage of sorts to what appeared to be a wound near his throat. And going by all the blood, it didn’t look good.
Jace caught Manuel’s eye and gave the detective a “what the hell” look. Then he stared back and forth between Frank and Amelia. But before Jace opened his mouth to speak, Frank said, “Don’t worry, Jace. I’m going to be fine.”
Jace knelt beside him. “Fine my ass,” he grumbled, eyeballing the bloody bandage. “It doesn’t look like it. What the hell happened?”
Frank raised his arm and pointed toward something on the floor. “She’s what happened.”
Jace’s mouth fell open the moment his eyes pinpointed what Frank was directing him to. Finally, he said, “Shit… Is that who I think it is?”
“Yep,” Manuel spoke out. “That’s Kian Adams’ twin sister, Karina.”
“Wait a minute.” Jace looked away from the severed head and then back to Frank. “Are you telling me she was a vampire and actually bit you?”
When Frank nodded, Jace’s eyes rounded. “Jeez. So, who the hell hacked off her head?”
“I did,” said Augustus. “But not before my sister cut her throat.”
“Dayum,” Jace blurted, his expression glistening with astonishment. “That’s pretty savage, even by my standards.” He gave Augustus and Amelia a thumbs up. “Cool.” Then, he looked to Frank and said, “But not cool you got bit.”
Roman stood over Frank, staring down at him concerned. “So, you’re not going to…” He paused and visibly cringed. “Turn into one of those Biters, are you?”
“We think he’ll be fine,” Lenny answered. “It’s more than likely, since Detective Perkins is a male, Karina did not inject him with her venom. But just to be sure, he’ll need to be kept from his family, along with any human for that matter, and monitored for the next twenty-four hours.”
“I’m sure Tessa will be okay with you staying at the Covenant,” said Jace. “And I’ll even volunteer to keep an eye on yah, buddy.”
“Thanks, Jace.” Frank smiled a little. “I’d appreciate that. I just don’t know what I’m going to tell my wife. If I’ve got to be away from home for two days, much less two weeks, how am I supposed to explain to her where I’m at?”
“We’ll tell Missy we’re on a stakeout,” said Manuel.
“I don’t know.” Frank sighed. “I’m not sure I can lie to her.”
“You won’t be lying,” said Manuel. “As soon as we wrap this up, we’ve still got the Harris case to solve.”
“But how is that considered a stakeout if I have to be held up at the Covenant for a few days?”
“A two-way radio,” said Manuel. “If I can get Joseph Harris’s address from Dr. Katie Mendoza, I can stakeout his place and still keep you on the receiving end. Sure, you won’t physically be there, but you’ll be able to notify the Covenant if I run into any trouble and need backup.”
“Yah, I guess so,” Frank muttered in a discouraging tone.
“Keep your chin up, Detective,” Jace chimed in, smiling at Frank. Then, he quickly noticed something in the room was off. “Hey… where’s Jena?” He craned his head, searching. “And my brother?”
“They should be back any minute,” Lenny told him. “The woman who attacked Detective Perkins came with a pack of Biters. If it weren’t for Jena and your brother, we would've been…” He briefly paused, thinking of the right phrase. “Up a shit creek without a paddle.”
“You ain’t a-kiddin,’” said Manuel. “There was at least a dozen of those things. Your brother, Jem…” He cocked a brow, still stunned by what all he’d witnessed. “Well, it was the damndest thing. He shifted into his Breedline wolf and fought alongside Jena with unbelievable speed. We were all amazed. They took out every Biter, except for that one.” He jammed a thumb in the direction of Karina’s headless torso. “Somehow she managed to weasel her way around them. Hell, we didn’t even see her. Although she got at Frank, she didn’t get much further, thanks to Amelia and Augustus.”
“And I wasn’t much help,” Lenny remarked, narrowing his bloodred gaze at Karina’s head. “That redheaded devil woman caught me off guard. She grabbed me from behind and tossed me across the room like a rag doll.”
“Sneaky bitch,” Jace snidely remarked. “So, where did Jena and my brother make off to?”
“They’re ditching what was left of those Biters,” said Lenny.
Jace shrugged a shoulder. “Where’d they take them?”
“Outside,” Lenny replied. “Daylight does serve its purposes.”
“Yah,” said Roman, chuckling. “You can say that again. That’s how we took out some the ones we found. Thanks to Nicolas, that is. After he tossed one of those bloodsuckers threw a blacked-out window, they all went up in flames. Nothing was left but a bunch of ashes.”
“Speaking of Nicolas,” said Manuel. “Where is he? And Tim and Drakon?” He looked between Roman and Jace with an inquisitive stare. “Why aren’t they here with you two?”
“They stayed back to release a guy who those Biters held captive,” explained Roman. “Apparently they’d been feeding off him for a few days. And he had a friend, but that guy wasn’t exactly coherent when we got there.” Roman made a show of disgust. “He’d lost his head. And I mean that literally.”
“The good news is,” said Jace. “By what Nicolas said, those two guys are the ones who kidnapped Jena. I guess you could say that eliminates some of your problems.”
Frank’s brows shot up. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I kid you not,” said Jace.
“Do you know the name of the guy who you found alive?” asked Manuel.
“Hmmm…” Jace drew his brows together. “I believe he said his name was Max…” He shook his head. “No, it was Maximum something or another. I can’t remember his last name.”
“His name is Maximum Pierce,” Manuel bluntly stated. “The other guy is Adrian Garcia. We have a warrant out for their arrest.”
“You mean was Adrian Garcia,” Jace pointed out, crinkling his nose in distaste. “Or what is left of the poor bastard.”
“What have you decided to do about this institute?” asked Roman, his eyes darting back and forth between the two detectives. “I mean, do you plan on calling this one in?”
“If it were up to me,” said Manuel, visibly grinding his teeth. “I’d burn this place to the ground.”
“That may not be such a bad idea,” said Frank. “How in the world are we going to explain everything we’ve witnessed? And not to mention how Dr. Michaels and his mother were beheaded. You really think they’re going to buy our story? Think about it, partner. Are we really going to tell Captain and the Feds we found vampires? They’ll put us both in the nut house for sure.”
“He’s got a point, Detective,” said Lenny. “Furthermore, how are you going to explain me, Amelia and Augustus? We cannot leave this place until sundown. If your people discover our species, do you really believe they’ll let us live?”
“Well, whatever gets decided,” Manuel began, his eyes focused on Lenny. “We won’t do anything until you can safely leave this place. We’ve managed to keep the Breedline tight-lipped, and we’ll do the same for all of you.”
Lenny dipped his head, along with his wife Amelia and her brother Augustus. “Thank you, Detective Sanchez,” he said. “We will forever be grateful.”
“Yah.” Jace snorted. “Literally forever in their case.”
To be continued. . .
Artwork: Google and Facebook
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.
Lenny - He is a hybrid. A peaceful vampire that only feeds off the blood of animals.
Ameila - She is Lenny's wife and a hybrid.
Augustus - He is Ameila's fraternal twin brother and a hybrid.
Biters - They are dangerous vampires that hunt humans and comprised of only females.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He is a ruthless scientists and head physician of Adam and Eve Pharmaceuticals, hired by the government to do research on his patients to create a new species.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. He's bonded with Jena McCain.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Tessa Fairchild (a.k.a. the Breedline Queen) - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she shifts into the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Drakon Hexus - He is a Breedline species and bonded to Cassie Chamberlain.
Roman Kincaid - He is an Adalwolf trained in military tactics, hired as a special breed of warriors from Brazil.
Detective Manuel Sanchez - He is a homicide detective at the San Francisco Police Department who late discovers he carries the Breedline genetics. His partner is Detective Frank Perkins. His sister is Lailah.
Detective Frank Perkins - He is Manuel Sanchez's partner and discovers the secret world of the Breedline. Born as a human, Frank pledges his loyalty to the Breedline. Fighting alongside his partner, they take an oath to help the Breedline protect the world from corruption and unknown creatures that prey on the innocent.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. 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.
Lenny - He is a hybrid. A peaceful vampire that only feeds off the blood of animals.
Ameila - She is Lenny's wife and a hybrid.
Augustus - He is Ameila's fraternal twin brother and a hybrid.
Biters - They are dangerous vampires that hunt humans and comprised of only females.
Dr. Henry Michaels - He is a ruthless scientists and head physician of Adam and Eve Pharmaceuticals, hired by the government to do research on his patients to create a new species.
Nicolas Ratcliff - He is immortal with the power of invisibility and supernatural speed. He works for the San Francisco Police Department as a detective. He's bonded with Jena McCain.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's identical twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-Shih demon, which gives him the power to create a portal and a force of electrical energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood. He's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a. the Beast) - He is a Breedline species who later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast, inherited by the Chiang-Shih demon. His bonded mate is Tessa Fairchild. He's an IT engineer and the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Tessa Fairchild (a.k.a. the Breedline Queen) - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she shifts into the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and the council head of the California Covenant.
Drakon Hexus - He is a Breedline species and bonded to Cassie Chamberlain.
Roman Kincaid - He is an Adalwolf trained in military tactics, hired as a special breed of warriors from Brazil.
Detective Manuel Sanchez - He is a homicide detective at the San Francisco Police Department who late discovers he carries the Breedline genetics. His partner is Detective Frank Perkins. His sister is Lailah.
Detective Frank Perkins - He is Manuel Sanchez's partner and discovers the secret world of the Breedline. Born as a human, Frank pledges his loyalty to the Breedline. Fighting alongside his partner, they take an oath to help the Breedline protect the world from corruption and unknown creatures that prey on the innocent.
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