Keen's Turn: The Vampire's Appeal

Chapter 7: Knight's Cuffs (fourth quarter)

In the hallway, an electric guitar screeched its first distorted chord from the boombox.

The vampire rolled his eyes. "Honestly, what passes for music these days... Back in the—"

The volume ramped, and his words were inaudible. Scowling, he slipped out the door. Jared abandoned the stake to fumble in his pocket for the Seal of Solomon. Outside, the boombox cut off.

The vampire returned with an appraising look. "You'll be manly about it, won't you Red? No cries till the end."

Jared brandished the Seal, finding his voice as rage overmastered terror. "The fuck are you talking about manly, you goddamn fuck! You broke the fucking rules!"

"Oh?" he replied, eyes narrowed. "And how?"

"I said no coming after me when we're not scheduled!"

"Not a whit. I have your words down as: 'you can't take me unawares.'" He grinned. "My arrival...was announced. I think you'll find it was Janice who took you by surprise."

"That is a fucking bullshit distinction!"

The vampire laughed. "Did the setup upset you? Take it up with my lawyer. Not that you'll ever see her again..." He shrugged off his jacket, laying it over his arm, then commenced slowly rolling up his sleeves.

Jared fought down panic.

Keep him talking. He likes talking.

"You said one-on-one!"

"It is one-on-one. You lost to her, and now you'll lose to me." He looked idly about the room, taking a few steps farther from the Seal's sphere. "Sucker for a pretty face?"

"C'mon over here. I'll sucker punch your pretty face."

Keen chuckled, moving to hang his jacket on the hook on the far wall.

Wordplay. As long as the vampire was entertained, he wasn't trying very hard.

Pun for my life?

And that would buy him enough time to—

To...what?

Keen snatched up a trash can and lobbed it at his head.

Jared ducked just in time. It slammed into the wall behind him, raining paper scraps as it clanged back across the desk to the floor.

"What the hell!"

"I should say that was obvious. I thought I'd see if a trash can can trash you."

"That joke was garbage!"

"Oh, rubbish." The vampire's gaze lit on the bookshelf. "I'd throw the book at you, but Janice may be less than appreciative... Let me see what else is available." He flung a grin back at Jared. "Do wait up." Turning on his heel, he vanished out the door.

Fucking hell.

Jared scanned the room himself. Aside from the chair that had been too close to it, the only thing he could reach was the desk. Tethered to it, he wasn't getting out either the door or the window. He didn't see anything worth moving the desk toward to reach. Panic quickened his breath.

I'm gonna fucking die. Shut up. Shut up. Think.

The vampire reappeared in the light of the hallway door, a fax machine clutched in his arms.

"You fucking kidding me? What the hell is that?"

"Methinks it's a fax machine."

"No shit! Whaddaya sacrificing that for? They finally on the way out?"