Fallen Blood by Martin C. Sharlow Page A

back down.

    "What? No, I need to find my parents." He heard her say.

    "I know...Heather, is it?"

    Brian didn't hear her respond so assumed she must have nodded her head in response.

    "We need to clear this up, Miss, and I'm sure we can help you out back at the station." Another screech of the radio announced another call to the officer.

    "Just a second, Miss, I need to answer this." He heard him say. He could hear the radio dim, presumably as the man walked outside. The officer in the bedroom started opening dresser drawers and rummaging about in them.

    "Alright, Heather, we're taking you downtown to answer some questions," The other officer said, a few moments later, as he clearly had returned.

    "Why? Am I under arrest?"

    "No, Ma'am, we just need you to come with us."

    He heard Heather begin to struggle as the her rescuer must have begun to force her to come with him.

    "Stop it, you're hurting me! I haven't done anything!"

    Here it was again. A choice. Not just any choice, but a choice that once again involved her. A choice that went against everything his family had taught him about keeping himself secret. He should just stay here in the shadows until everyone was gone. He could listen to the love of his life be physically restrained and dragged out of her house by force, and decide what to do from there...or he could make the wrong choice and rescue the damsel in distress.

    He heard Heather scream in pain as the sound of handcuffs closing came from the hallway. The officer in the bedroom was now on his knees looking under Heather's parents' bed.

    Really , Brian thought. Am I ever going to get a choice again?

Chapter 6

    He really hated moving quickly. It somehow used up his core strength whenever he did. Some of his abilities didn't seem to tax him at all. Others, like moving so fast that he could knock out three police officers before they realized he was right on top of them, did. In fact, that was one of the worst, for some reason. Couple that with the fact that it was broad daylight outside, and that all added up to one thirsty young vampire. The one thing he had going for him was that he was still indoors. Granted, the front door was wide open, and sun was streaming into the hallway where he was standing with two of the unconscious officers, but for part of the run, he had been sheltered by the house.

    "What...Where did you come from?" Heather looked up from her knees, her hands looked painfully locked in handcuffs behind her back.

    "Happy to see me?" Brian asked with a smile.

    "No...yes, I don't know."

    "Well, if you like, I can just leave you here and let officer friendly drag you downtown kicking and screaming when he wakes up."

    She looked down at the unconscious men, her eyes widening slightly. How she had failed to notice the two men sprawled there on the floor was beyond him. Given the look on her face, though, she had.

    "Brian, what did you do?"

    "I'm....saving you? Can't you see?" He smiled and pointed down at the two men posing as he did so.

    "Why?" She sputtered.

    "Well, let's see, you were screaming for help and telling him to let go of you." She just stared at him, and from her look she was having a hard time digesting it. "Look, we need to go. I mean really need to go. They're not going to sleep there all day, and I think that some of their friends outside may object to them suddenly taking a nap right now. So, what say we take ourselves elsewhere?"

    "Where are we going to go?" She asked, as she stood herself up without the use of her hands. He was actually impressed with her maneuver. Yet, she was right, he hadn't thought it out that far yet, and he was getting hungry. He needed to get into his house and eat, but right now that seemed to be a problem. Plus, in a normal situation like this, he would have just went home and hid. With all the cops crawling about, he doubted they would let him just stroll across the street, grab his supplies, and just mosey on his way. No, this was