hunted, and then threatened again. When Dirk released her arm she turned to his brother, it was apparent she felt him the lesser of two evils, she was now clutching at Damien’s shirt desperately. The dilemma of what to do with her weighed heavily. At Damien’s haggard expression, Dirk could see his brother struggling with the same knowledge.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” Candy begged. “I don’t want to tell, I won’t. I don’t want to be left out here with a bullet in my head. I won’t, I won’t, ever tell. I hated Tyler.”
Damien was looking down on her distressed form and then cast a solemn glance at his brother. The look of guilt was unmistakable on Damien’s face. Dirk could see the blush creeping over his brother’s cheeks when he realized with sudden relief it would be Dirk who would decide her fate. Dirk would, after all, be expected to run the family when his father was unable. The decision of her life was his to make.
Dirk became lost in thought for a brief moment. He didn’t want the girl to die, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, his father would demand she be placed on a compound, where she would be completely inaccessible. Her life be damned. Damien’s secret identity would rule, as it must, and was furthermost in everything. The organization always looked at the bigger picture. One life as opposed to many and the many it could save. Candy would be safe, but she wouldn’t want to be or think she was.
“Please, I’ll listen to you,” Candy pleaded.
“Is there another way out of here?” Dirk asked her.
“Yes. I can show you another way. I can get you out of here.”
Candy looked as though she would collapse with relief. She turned and led the men around the other side of the lake, leaving the overgrown road. She followed an equally overgrown route that was more than able to avoid police detection if choppers were brought in. To Dirk it appeared she was following a specific path, yet he was unable to detect it, she was definitely well aware of the area. Dirk was amazed as she trailed through swamps without the least hesitation. She showed no disgust at swarms of bugs or leeches, though Damien annoyed him when he encountered leeches on his leg. They’d removed their shoes and socks at a small unavoidable swamp, then hiked up their pants to avoid getting them wet. Once exiting the murky water and discovering the menaces on his legs, Damien bounced around exclaiming he was being violated. Candy quieted him with gentle words.
“Sit still, Damien. We can start a fire and burn them off. They can’t possibly hurt you, there aren’t enough. They just look slimy and disgusting, and slug vampires aren’t romantic.”
Instead of starting a fire, Dirk removed his lighter and burned the creatures sticky forms off all of them, watching as Candy never flinched as he took a heated smoldering stick of wood to her leg. She sat patiently, and accepting, before him, her large brown eyes staring trustingly into his face. She promised him her complete submission. Dirk struggled with the thought he promised her safety in return. She had no idea what she asked of him the previous night. There was no way she could’ve possibly known how much his word meant to him. Even if it pained him, he’d never once broken a promise. Why he had been moved to offer his word only came after deep deliberation at the fear in her eyes. He sensed she needed to hear the words or she would succumb to terror. Under the circumstances he felt it wouldn’t hurt. He didn’t want to hurt her regardless, and she showed relief and slept. There was a stunning power in the word ‘promise.’
The hours dragged by as their tedious expedition continued on, until finally the dense brush parted. A dirt and gravel road came into view. Relieved, the three trudged toward it. Candy was lagging behind. She looked exhausted and sweaty. Dirk surmised even a threat of death wouldn’t have increased her steps. Her shoulders drooped as
“Please, don’t hurt me,” Candy begged. “I don’t want to tell, I won’t. I don’t want to be left out here with a bullet in my head. I won’t, I won’t, ever tell. I hated Tyler.”
Damien was looking down on her distressed form and then cast a solemn glance at his brother. The look of guilt was unmistakable on Damien’s face. Dirk could see the blush creeping over his brother’s cheeks when he realized with sudden relief it would be Dirk who would decide her fate. Dirk would, after all, be expected to run the family when his father was unable. The decision of her life was his to make.
Dirk became lost in thought for a brief moment. He didn’t want the girl to die, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, his father would demand she be placed on a compound, where she would be completely inaccessible. Her life be damned. Damien’s secret identity would rule, as it must, and was furthermost in everything. The organization always looked at the bigger picture. One life as opposed to many and the many it could save. Candy would be safe, but she wouldn’t want to be or think she was.
“Please, I’ll listen to you,” Candy pleaded.
“Is there another way out of here?” Dirk asked her.
“Yes. I can show you another way. I can get you out of here.”
Candy looked as though she would collapse with relief. She turned and led the men around the other side of the lake, leaving the overgrown road. She followed an equally overgrown route that was more than able to avoid police detection if choppers were brought in. To Dirk it appeared she was following a specific path, yet he was unable to detect it, she was definitely well aware of the area. Dirk was amazed as she trailed through swamps without the least hesitation. She showed no disgust at swarms of bugs or leeches, though Damien annoyed him when he encountered leeches on his leg. They’d removed their shoes and socks at a small unavoidable swamp, then hiked up their pants to avoid getting them wet. Once exiting the murky water and discovering the menaces on his legs, Damien bounced around exclaiming he was being violated. Candy quieted him with gentle words.
“Sit still, Damien. We can start a fire and burn them off. They can’t possibly hurt you, there aren’t enough. They just look slimy and disgusting, and slug vampires aren’t romantic.”
Instead of starting a fire, Dirk removed his lighter and burned the creatures sticky forms off all of them, watching as Candy never flinched as he took a heated smoldering stick of wood to her leg. She sat patiently, and accepting, before him, her large brown eyes staring trustingly into his face. She promised him her complete submission. Dirk struggled with the thought he promised her safety in return. She had no idea what she asked of him the previous night. There was no way she could’ve possibly known how much his word meant to him. Even if it pained him, he’d never once broken a promise. Why he had been moved to offer his word only came after deep deliberation at the fear in her eyes. He sensed she needed to hear the words or she would succumb to terror. Under the circumstances he felt it wouldn’t hurt. He didn’t want to hurt her regardless, and she showed relief and slept. There was a stunning power in the word ‘promise.’
The hours dragged by as their tedious expedition continued on, until finally the dense brush parted. A dirt and gravel road came into view. Relieved, the three trudged toward it. Candy was lagging behind. She looked exhausted and sweaty. Dirk surmised even a threat of death wouldn’t have increased her steps. Her shoulders drooped as
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