Master: Crimson Read online

  He forced himself to forget about the brief pleasure of their moment, instead focusing on the more urgent problem at hand: eliminating the corpse. Clearly, Gabriel wasn’t going to initiate maiming the victim any time soon; every minute that passed, the possibility of discovery multiplied. Thus, Raiden decided to once again play the martyr. Using every iota of his waning willpower, he raised the hacksaw, promptly making the first cut. His student shuddered, looking away.

  “Maybe I should give you a nickname, too,” Gabriel threatened. He shrank away from Raiden’s handiwork.

  “Absolutely not,” he grunted, sweating as he continued working on the corpse. The tension between them had slightly dissipated, but Raiden was not foolish enough to believe that it had altogether disappeared.

  “You have no sense of humor, Rai-dick.”

  “Whatever, Brie.”

  The older vampire snorted, hacking up the remaining bits while Gabriel distastefully avoided any involvement with the task. He felt a bit defensive. After all, the job wasn’t as gory as it could have been, since the body was virtually drained of its blood. He also granted his student a minor mercy by leaving the torso intact, so that there would be no spillage of organs. He wouldn’t be able to stomach that. Brie should just be grateful I didn’t make him do it instead.

  Five minutes later, Raiden had finished. He wiped the gore off his gloves, onto the car seat, surprised at how little mess he had made. Man, I’m getting better at this than ever. Exhaling in relief, he nudged Gabriel, whose face was still splashed against the window.

  “So I’m going to burn the body parts, okay? I’m going to turn one of these cars into an incinerator. Then, my friend, as they say in Texas…we’re gonna get the fuck out of Dodge.”

  “Huh?” The actor twisted his head around, grimacing at the severed display of Raiden’s morbid achievement.

  “Just follow my lead.”

  Without further ado, Raiden collected the neatly chopped pieces of their victim and stuffed them into the body bag he had brought.

  Gabriel watched him cautiously. “What are you—”

  “Hush. Just stay close,” the older vampire ordered. To his total surprise, Gabriel immediately quieted. Relieved, Raiden produced a lighter and a medium-sized canister of gasoline from his corpse kit.

  “Get out of the car.”

  Gabriel’s face formed a frown, but he sullenly obliged. Raiden pocketed the lighter and gave the Cadillac’s interior a brief once-over, ensuring that he had not overlooked any incriminating evidence. Satisfied with his survey, he unscrewed the canister’s cap and poured a small amount of gasoline over the surface of the modified corpse. Then, he zipped the body bag, placing it directly in the center of the backseat, fairly drenching it with the flammable fluid. Once he was satisfied with his handiwork, Raiden soaked the remaining of the interior until the stench was enough to make his eyes water. The younger vampire watched him somewhat anxiously from outside the car. Aww, he’s worried. How endearing. Raiden snorted to himself and exited the car, corpse kit slung over one shoulder. Gabriel gave him an expectant look.

  “Hold this, would you?” He handed the kit to his student, who seemed about to protest. Holding up a hand, Raiden silenced the actor before he had a chance to ask any questions.

  “Trust me, Brie. I know what I’m doing.”

  “That’s highly debatable,” Gabriel responded, holding the somewhat heavy kit by only one finger.

  Raiden was amused by this boastful display of his power. “Vampiric strength sure comes in handy sometimes, doesn’t it?” Raiden chuckled. He enjoyed the flush that spread over Gabriel’s skin like sunset. Predictably, the celebrity’s feathers were ruffled. I’ll miss being able to get his goat so easily.

  Gabriel opened his mouth to protest his teasing. “You know, I—wait a second.”

  The younger vampire paled, his words dropping to a sub-human whisper as Raiden strained to hear him.

  “What’s—”

  Then, he sensed them. Three humans were approaching from the south, driving at a rapid clip toward the junkyard. They were only a quarter mile away, and Raiden hadn’t yet finished arranging the crime scene. This is bad, but it could be worse. Just keep your cool, Rai. Calmly, he faced Gabriel.

  “Listen very carefully, because I’m not going to repeat myself. Take the corpse kit, climb to the top of the highest car-pile, and wait for me. No questions. Just do it now.”

  Dozens of queries danced in Gabriel’s eyes, but he held his tongue. With that, Raiden flew to the car, spraying gas all over its exterior, not bothering to check if the actor had followed his instructions. There’s no time. I’ll just have to trust him.

  Judging by sound and smell, the approaching vehicle would arrive in less than a minute. Shit, we’re cutting it close. Raiden’s body moved on autopilot; his motions were so fast, he couldn’t clearly discern them. All the same, he sensed that he had managed to empty the remaining contents of the canister, directly below the fuel tank. The approaching car would arrive in less than thirty seconds. He scanned the top of the piles, but there was no sign of Gabriel. Frantically, he checked them again, having no luck the second time. He staggered wildly, circling the junkyard, close to fright. For the first time since they’d met, he wasn’t able to locate his creation’s whereabouts. The combined smell of gasoline fumes, old cars, and clotting blood, as well as the approaching car’s roaring engine, temporarily impeded his astute senses. Where the fuck is he? Just as he was about to shout the younger vampire’s name, headlights appeared from around the corner.

  “Hurry up!” Gabriel suddenly yelled from somewhere above. Relief washed over Raiden at the sound of his voice; finally, he spotted him. There were but a few seconds left until the humans would arrive. Lightning-quick, he removed the Zippo from his pocket and flicked it open. Here we go.

  “I’m gonna teach you three final survival lessons,” he called, ignoring Gabriel’s panic-stricken expression. “How to jump, how to land, and how to run like the devil.”

  Headlights flooded the scene; the car was right at the gate. Gabriel screamed something indistinguishable; Raiden dropped the lighter, grinning. Might as well end our night with a bag. A path of flames instantly emerged, heading rapidly toward the car’s rear end. He hunched down; then vaulted thirty feet into the air, laughing in sheer exhilaration as he smoothly landed next to an astonished Gabriel.

  “Let’s fly, Brie.”

  Before the actor could protest, Raiden grabbed his hand, howling in triumph as the car’s gas tank exploded in a deafening cacophony behind them.

  “Now!” He shouted, hurling both of them into the night. Gabriel screamed; his hand nearly slipping out of Raiden’s as the wind tried to come between them. For a moment, it was almost as if they were floating, and then, gravity took its toll. Raiden braced himself for the landing. Seconds before impact, he realized that he had forgotten to tell Gabriel how to recover from such a jump. Aw, fu—

  They crashed into the woods at a bone-shattering speed. Thankfully, Raiden had managed to avoid the trees. Gabriel took the impact of the fall, since he had somehow landed on the bottom. Holy shit, that SUCKED. Through a haze of crimson, the older vampire rolled off his student, dazed, chest heaving. His head hurt like hell; he couldn’t even see straight. Wow, we were damn lucky.

  “Hey, Brie, you okay?”

  Something wasn’t right. Gabriel’s breathing was far too shallow for someone who had just taken quite the tumble. Raiden blinked the blood out of his eyes and abruptly cried out in horror. A giant pool of scarlet fluid was spreading beneath the younger vampire’s body in all directions, saturating the ground. His skin was nearly paler than the corpse they had just drained. His eyes stared up, seemingly sightless, then closed.

  Oh, crap, he can’t be—Raiden started to shake uncontrollably.

  “Brie! Hey, Brie! Get up,” he hissed, lightly slapping Gabriel’s rigid face. When the actor moved not a muscle, Raiden couldn’t help hyperventilating.


  “No, no, no, no, no, don’t do this to me! Gabriel! Wake up, motherfucker!”

  Gabriel’s skin grew cooler to the touch. On the verge of screaming, Raiden checked his creation’s pulse. It was barely there. Fuck, this can’t be happening. The singer knew he was almost out of time. If you don’t act now, he’ll die, the cold voice of certainty chattered inside his head. Tempted to pray, he grabbed the knife he kept clipped to his belt and pressed it to his own jugular. Please.

  Eyes closing, Raiden punctured the vein. Scarlet gushes splattered everywhere, wetting the surrounding trees. He moaned thickly, dropping the knife before he could even complete the act. The pain…I can’t breathe…Brie, I’m sorry…

  Promptly, he lost consciousness, his head landing on Gabriel’s shoulder with a soft thud. As Raiden’s blood leaked rapidly from his slashed artery, staining his skin, his creation stirred.

  Chapter 15

  The Challenge

  As our lips embraced,

  I never justified the ache;

  You’ve always known me better than words.

  Something was burning. Gabriel groaned, fighting against the return of consciousness. He managed to blink, but even that simple action caused him almost enough pain to pass out again. What…why…? His groggy, oxygen-deprived brain tried to remind him why he was immobilized; it was too weak to conjure the necessary images. Struggling to breathe, he emitted a rusty scream. His ability to inhale was impeded by the stray branch upon which he was impaled. The fallen tree limb had punctured his lungs, which had deflated like flat tires. All around him, the ground was soaked in blood. A lukewarm weight rested heavily on his abdomen, its pressure adding to his agony. Have to…get this off me…!

  With extreme effort, he glanced down, drawing a startled gasp which magnified the burning in his lungs. Raiden was sprawled across his stomach, eyes closed. At once, Gabriel’s brain started to function again. He remembered the junkyard, and the bum, and the dissection. He recalled Raiden’s setting the Cadillac on fire. He recollected flying through the air at a neck-breaking speed, then falling to earth even faster. At this point, however, his memories ceased.

  Upon further painstaking inspection, Gabriel observed that the side of his maker’s neck had been torn open, obviously from a knife, possibly self-inflicted. His senses informed him, however, that Raiden wasn’t dead—at least for not yet. What have you done?

  Struggling to understand the recent turn of events, the dazed vampire forced himself to take a closer look at his surroundings. There were streaks of blood all over the trees. The corpse kit, which he had somehow managed to hold onto despite his gory landing, was lying at least five feet to the left. Miraculously, it was utterly intact; the lock hadn’t even broken. Right beside it, there was a bloody knife. Gabriel returned his gaze to Raiden. His wound was starting to clot, though judging from the cherry color of the blood oozing down his neck, it was still fresh. Plus, it smelled warm.

  Drink it! The older vampire seemed to insist. You’ll die if you don’t. Gabriel closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness. Maybe I want to die. Maybe we should both die, right here. Then I won’t have to worry anymore. The Raiden-part of his brain protested, waging a war with his will.

  “And how would your family react to that? What would your fans think?”

  “They’d think I was murdered, or had an accident. People die every day, even celebrities,” the Gabriel-side reasoned.

  “But you don’t really want to die,” the Raiden-side countered.

  “I don’t want to live like this anymore!”

  “Then find a new way. Just don’t give up. I want you to keep going.”

  “I can’t—”

  “If he dies, just blame it on fate. It’s not too late to save yourself.”

  With that, the Gabriel-part of his brain retreated, admitting defeat; tail between its legs.

  “Good boy,” Mind-Raiden whispered. “Now start moving. You don’t have much time.”

  Gabriel took another agonizing breath, willing his hand to grab the collar of Raiden’s bloodstained shirt, which peeked beneath his raincoat. After about three excruciating minutes, he had finally ensnared the fabric within his feeble grasp. Instinct shouted for blood; he could do naught but oblige it. Using every ounce of his remaining strength, Gabriel dragged his creator’s limp form toward him, fangs ready. There was no reason in his actions; he was acting upon pure survival. Without faltering, he tugged the older vampire closer. His mouth strained to meet Raiden’s neck. No hard feelings, right? I’m just following orders.

  His fangs plunged into the singer’s congealing wound. Gagging, Gabriel spit out the bits of coagulated blood; then worked his tongue inside the gash, using his lips and teeth to slurp down the fresher fluid. Raiden tasted much smoother below the surface. Like a fine wine. He swallowed again and again, unable to keep himself from panting. He couldn’t deny that he had longed for this. The blood was almost as good as he remembered, but since it was mixed with their victim’s, it was slightly staler. Gabriel couldn’t care less. He continued to drink, not noticing Raiden’s paling cheeks or cooling skin. At this point, all he wanted was more blood. Slowly, his strength started to return. The branch was still buried in his lungs, but he could feel a change. He experienced a stiffening sensation where his skin had opened. The surrounding flesh started to itch, much like it had during his dabbling in self-mutilation. The branch puncturing his lungs wiggled, forcing its way out of him inch by inch. Gabriel increased his suction upon Raiden’s neck, wincing as his body regenerated. However, his hunger muted the stinging in his lungs; he fed faster.

  “Hey, you!” someone called in Japanese.

  Gabriel nearly pissed himself. About forty feet behind him, three humans had arrived. They talked amongst themselves as the terrified vampire lay there, paralyzed by fear, teeth still firmly imbedded within Raiden’s neck. This can’t be happening. Why didn’t I sense them?

  “The other one’s not moving,” a feminine voice pointed out. Though she spoke in Japanese, Gabriel was somehow able to understand her. He briefly thought how ridiculous it was that, even though his nature was about to be discovered, at least his Japanese skills had improved. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  “Mister, are you all right?” shouted a second voice, undoubtedly male. Maybe if I just play dead, they’ll leave. Gabriel knew that was a preposterous notion, but he couldn’t see any other way out of the situation. Kill them, Mind-Raiden demanded. Kill them all.

  “Hey! HEY! What are you doing to him?”

  The third voice, also male, interrupted his thoughts. Does that mean they saw me feeding? Does that mean—

  “What the fuck? Is he…? Shit, he’s BITING that guy!” the first guy exclaimed.

  “You’re hurting him! Leave him alone!” the girl pleaded. Gabriel knew he had to prevent them from calling the cops, but right now, he couldn’t even move his legs. His injuries, though slightly better, were far from being healed. He wasn’t even able to sit up yet. I’m trapped. He wrenched his fangs free from Raiden’s vein. Seeing no other alternative, Gabriel focused on trying to speak, failing several times before he managed it.

  “No, you don’t understand!” he rasped, rolling his head around so that he could see them. “I—”

  “Shut up, you freak,” one of the guys hissed. Gabriel heard the girl quietly crying in the background, stifling the sounds of her sobs with her hands. Mustering every inch of energy he possessed, the fledgling vampire tilted his hips, pushing Raiden’s body to the side. A few seconds later, he attempted to rise up on his elbows.

  “Hey, psycho! Look over here!” the fiercest one yelled. Gabriel heard the cold cocking of the trigger. They’re going to riddle me with bullets until my blood runs dry. It’s all over now.

  “Drop the gun.”

  Everyone, including Gabriel, gasped. In all his life, he had never been so happy to hear Raiden speak. His creator stood in front of him, pallid, drained, yet somehow still on his feet. G
abriel couldn’t even begin to imagine how that was possible, but he was too relieved to care how the older vampire had managed that particular feat. Wonders never cease.

  “Dude, I thought you were dead,” the gun-slinger said, his puzzlement apparent.

  “I am,” Raiden smirked. Suddenly, he vanished. Gabriel surveyed the woods, trying to discern his whereabouts.

  “DON’T!” the second boy shrieked. Screams filled the air. Raiden had manifested behind the girl. Before she even had the chance to turn around, he reached up, snapping her neck like a twig. She was dead before she hit the dirt. Gabriel was horrified; he couldn’t believe this unexpected turn of events. I have to stop him.

  “Yumiko!” the first boy bawled, cradling the dead girl’s body. His companion just stood there with huge eyes. Raiden growled, closing the short distance between them.

  “Raiden, STOP!” Gabriel rasped, attempting to crawl. He didn’t know what he planned to do, but he had to try something—anything—to keep his maker from killing the other two.

  “Get away from us!”

  “RUN!” the shorter one screamed.

  “No, you don’t.” Raiden grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

  “Don’t do it!” Gabriel cried. The branch was still working its way out of his lungs; his breath was too weak to carry. It’s too late.

  Raiden never hesitated. In a flash, he had snatched up the other teen with his free hand. For a moment, the two dangled in the air, feet flailing. Then, the singer cracked their skulls together, effectively knocking them out. Huffing, he dragged their bodies over to Gabriel.

  “Raiden, what the fuck are—”

  “I really didn’t want to do this. I tried to help you before, but I lost too much blood. This is the only way,” Raiden stated. Sweat doused his entire body, and he walked on shaky feet, but his wound had once again clotted. Immediately, Gabriel sensed his plan.