Bell Book & Vampyre

Kassie was pleasantly dreaming of a tall dark vampyre in a black hat that had a feather tucked dashingly into a snake skin band, kicking open red doors with his silver tipped black boots, on what seemed a endless tour of palaces of pleasure, when the alarm went off.  If she had not been such a dedicated team mate, she would have thrown one of her own black riding boots at the clock, and promptly returned to that dream.

She reluctantly rose from her dream and padded into the bathroom.  After a quick shower, she dressed in her usual attire of tight jeans and shirt.  Her jeans were coal black.  Embroidered on the left pocket of the jeans, in gold thread, was the word Wild.  On the right pocket in gold thread was the word Thing.  The jeans fit her so tightly, it looked like it might take an engineer to remove them from her.  Her cotton long sleeve shirt was also black.  Embroidered on the collars of it were a pair of red crossed brooms.  The buttons of the shirt were gold pentacles.  Today she added a pair of comfortable mid calf red walking boots to that ensemble.

After she was dressed, she threw some things into a suitcase, and added her little magick travel bag of tricks.  She was closing the suitcase when she heard the sound of a vehicle pulling into the long drive that led to her house.  She was waiting outside her front door when the red Porsche came screeching to a halt in front of her.  The trunk of the car opened.   She walked over to it , and threw her suitcase in on top of the other two in there.  The passenger door opened, she walked around and slid into the car.  She grinned at Joseph and said, "Hey Joe, you ready to lock and load, and do a little vampyre hunting?  Joseph grinned, nodded his head and said, "Hell yeah!  I was born ready for that!"

She laughed, looked over the seat, grinned at Mikey and said, "Hiya Mikey.  And I know, you born ready for this too."

She grinned leaned back in the seat and said, "So, how did the date with the twins go?"  And let them tell her about it in disgusting detail, while they sped towards the airport.  Those disgusting details could come in handy when she was writing her next book.

They arrived at the airport and drove directly to the runway where their plane awaited them.  Joseph piloted them to their destination with his usual speed and efficiency. When they landed at that destination, another red Porsche sat waiting on the runway.  They drove to the morgue first so Kassie could see if she could glean anything from the body that had just been discovered, or from the pitiful pile of clothing found near the body.

But after touching the pitiful pile of clothing and holding the girl's had, she knew that all that would come to her in her dreams that night, would be images of stark terror.  Then an image of a pair ugly trolls doing unspeakable things to the girl who's cold hand she was holding, flashed through her mind.  She jerked her hand back from the girl's, and was grateful when Joseph pulled her away from the body and held her for a moment.  She buried her head in his chest and said, "Oh fuck Joseph, he's got a couple of trolls helping him, and they are entertaining themselves during the day with these girls."

Joseph held her tight for a moment then as she regained her composure he let her step out of his arms.  He looked at her in concern and said, "You flashed on that Kassie?  You've never done that before."

She nodded her head and said, "Yeah I did, and unfortunately the picture came in clear as a bell.  I've also never felt such terror still clinging to a body before.  These poor girls are experiencing nothing but one unending bout of stark raving terror, from the moment he takes them, until they are finally killed."

Mikey's face darkened and said, "That son a bitch!  And he's using trolls to help him.  We've got to nail this bastard fast Kassie."

Joseph nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yeah, and fuck the rehab program.  Let's just cap that son of a bitch's ass the moment we see him, and be done with."

Kassie said, "Headquarters isn't going to like that."

Mikey replied, "Fuck Headquarters."

And Joseph nodded his head in agreement.

They left the morgue, then drove to the hotel.   They checked in, and made sure the staff understood that the occupant in room 668, was not to be disturbed for any reason during the daytime.  They deposited their bags in their rooms, and met in Joseph's room.  Fanny Mae and Bo Bo arrived shortly after she walked into the room.

When everyone was sitting comfortably on or around the table, Fanny Mae, who was sitting crossed legged on the table next to Bo Bo said, "Well I'm afraid all I've got is bad news, and more bad news.  This blood sucker doesn't have one lair, he has a bunch of them.  They are scattered over a huge territory, and he never uses the same one twice in a row."

Kassie frowned and said, "Damn!  That is going to make tracking him difficult."

Fanny Mae nodded her tiny pink head and said, "Yeah this vampyre is going to be a real bitch to deal with.  He is one mean motherfucker of a blood sucker.  Forest gossip is he killed the one who created him.  He is young, but very adept in vampyre magick.  He should be able to control his blood lust easily because of that, but he is obviously enjoying letting it run wild."
Bo Bo chimed in and said, "The bastard kills his victims.  But not right away.  Another elf was telling me he sometimes keeps them alive for several days.  He moves them though from lair one lair to another before the dawn of each day.  He also has a couple of trolls that are helping him.  You don't even want to know what they are getting out of the deal."

Kassie paled again at the thought of what she had seen earlier at the morgue and said, "I have seen it Bo Bo.  I flashed on the pair of them entertaining themselves with that poor girl while their master slept, while I was visiting the body at the morgue."

Bo Bo shook his head and said, "Oh Kassie honey, I hate to hear that.  You shouldn't have to seen that kind of shit.  And when did you starting getting instant flashes from a body?"

"This is the first time that's happened Bo Bo."

Fanny Mae shook her little pink head back and forth and said, "Fuck, that is a rotten thing to receive for your first instant flash Kassie.  And your dreams are going to be nightmares for sure tonight!"

Then Bo Bo said, "One more piece of bad news.  That pair of trolls keep him very well informed.  Those little bastards know everything going on, in and out of the forest, and he may know we are tracking him."

Joseph said, "Fuck a God damn duck.   This is worse than a Greek tragedy.  Bad enough we have to deal with a fucking bloodsucker, no offense to your new pal Kassie, but on top of that, the bastard is using trolls as helpers.  Which means after we take out that bloodsucker, we have to get those fucking trolls in a rehab program."
Fanny Mae said, "What do you mean take out?  You ain't even going to try to get him to surrender and join rehab?"

Joseph grinned nastily and said, "I'm going to say "Freeze, and throw up your fangs" once to that motherfucker.   If he don't do just that, instantly, like in the blink of an eye, me and Mikey are going to cap that bastard without another word."

Bo Bo nodded his head, grinned nastily as well and said, "Good for you Joe!  This bastard ain't rehab material.  Trust me.  And you and Mikey don't fuck around with those trolls either.  They so much as blink, cap their sorry little asses too!"

Then Bo Bo grinned at Kassie and said, "Oh yeah!  Fanny Mae was telling me that last time she saw you, a vampyre had you cuffed to the bed rail of your bed with that pair of love cuffs Joe made you!  How did that turn out?  Is this going to a regular thing?  Or did he just stick you for the drinks, and leave?"

Joseph frowned and said, "No.  This one ain't go to be no one night stand thing Bo Bo.  That blood sucker really has the hots for our fair Kassie."
Mikey nodded his head up and down, grinned and said, "Yeah Bo Bo, that vampyre is in lust with Kassie BIG TIME.  I know that for a fact, cause I saw the size of the bulge the bastard had in his pants last night when we were at Kassie's."

Fanny Mae giggled and said, "Oh you lucky bitch!  There is nothing more fun than a blood sucker in love, or lust.  Especially if he is a well hung blood sucker.  No wonder you didn't want me to uncuff you!"

Mikey grinned and said, "He is going to be here tonight.  He is like REAL protective of Kassie.  Not to mention he get's a touch green sometimes around her too.  I got a feeling he's going to be a regular member of the team for as long as this thing they got going lasts."

Bo Bo and said sarcastically, "Ain't that sweet.  A vampyre with heart of gold, and an occasional green tinge."  Then started laughing.

Mikey said, "Yeah, it warms your heart seeing him with her.  He calls her his little pretty.  And treats her like a treasured jewel."

Joseph gagged and said, "More like, makes you want to puke."

Kassie looked at Joseph, stuck her tongue out at him, laughed, and said, "You're just mad because he doesn't do the time share thing.  And because he has a great sense of style, and can be even more utterly charming than you at times."

Joseph grinned back wickedly and said, "Well I would probably be that charming too, if I was as old as that ancient son of a bitch is.  And Kassie, I know you like mature men, but fuck, isn't that taking it to the extreme?"  Then started laughing.

Kassie giggled and said, "Well he damn sure ain't showing his age, so I'm not worried about it."  Then gave she gave Joseph the finger.

Mikey said, "As Kassie's new long toothed lover would say, enough of this idle chatter.  Let's get down to business."

Joseph and Kassie nodded their heads, and Kassie said, "Yeah Fanny, you and Bo Bo finish filling us in on what you've learned."

Fanny Mae said, "Well to sum it up.  He is one very adept, very cunning, very mean natured motherfucker of bloodsucker.  He's going to be hell to track, and real bad news to take out.  He's got at least two trolls that we know of helping him.  And may already know we are trying to run him to ground.  The faeries, elves, gnomes, and most of the other creatures of the forest hate his guts, and would like to see him gone.  They will help all they can, but he hides the location of his lairs so well, even they don't know where all of them are.  Plus, he also uses houses in different cities around here for lairs as well."

Bo Bo chimed in again and said, "And he knows his territory like the back of his hand. Every square inch of it.  Now the really bad news.  That territory currently extends over a five hundred square mile radius.  It is really going to be like looking for a needle in haystack."

Mikey said, "Well the good news is, if Kassie can't track it down in the daytime, maybe her new friend can track him down at night."

Kassie frowned and said, "Maybe.  But I've heard rumors that some vampyres can cloak themselves from their own kind.  We'll ask Drake about that tonight."

Then she stood up and said, "Meanwhile, let's go see what I can do to track this bastard down."

Joseph and Mikey stood, and said, "Okay, let's go find vampyre tracks."

Fanny Mae said, "Bo Bo and I will meet you at that rendezvous point near the woods."  And she and Bo Bo disappeared with a pop and a belching sound from the room. Kassie, Joseph and Mikey headed out of the room and to the red Porsche parked in the hotel parking lot.

The rendezvous point they had chosen was at the center point of what they had thought was his territory.  Although they had only thought at first, it extended a couple of hundred miles.  Now though, they knew it extended for over five hundred square miles.  Joseph pulled the car off the main highway, and down a small wooded lane.  Kassie stepped out of the car and went into the woods with Joseph and Mikey not far behind her.  As she walked, she began to whistle a strange lilting tune.  Fanny Mae and Bo Bo suddenly appeared sitting in a tree ahead of them.  Kassie waved to them and kept whistling.  When she was directly under the tree where Fanny Mae and Bo Bo were sitting, she dropped gracefully to the ground.  She crossed her legs into the lotus position, and continued to whistle her eerie haunting tune.

After a few moments a small elf who looked like he might be Bo Bo's retarded brother, or closely bred cousin, stepped out of the trees and sat down cross legged in front of Kassie.  She stopped whistling and said, "Greetings friend elf."

The elf replied, "Greetings friend witch.  What brings you to this neck of the woods?"
Kassie smiled and said, "Odd you say that friend elf.  I come to your lovely woods in search of a vampyre who has made these woods part of his territory."

The elf replied.  "So you are the witch cousin Bo Bo tells me is tracking the vampyre, who has made our woods his killing ground."

Kassie nodded, and the elf continued, "The elves and faeries of these woods would like nothing better than to have that bloodsucker gone from here.  But this vampyre, though very young, is a very adept and wily creature.  We have been searching all morning for his current lair.  But alas, even with the deer and other animals of the forest helping us, we have not found it."

Kassied said, "I feared it would not be easy to track this creature.  Tell me, do you know if he has a victim currently stashed in any of his lairs?"

The elf said, "No, he does not right now.  Unfortunately another body will soon be found, and tonight, he will be out hunting for a new victim."

Kassie bowed her head and said, "We cannot help his latest victim then.  But maybe we can track him down before he kills again.  Perhaps, if the Gods and Goddesses be willing, before he has time to snare his next victim."

The elf nodded his head and said, "Would be a wonderful thing indeed for some poor girl, if we could do that before he can snare her."

Kassie nodded and said, "Indeed it would.  Now tell me please friend elf, can you lead me to even one of his lairs?"

The elf nodded and said, "That I can do.  It is not far from here in fact.   But I warn you fair witch woman, scrying from that lair will not be a pleasant experience."

Kassie bowed her again and said, "I know that too well friend elf.  I visited the body of the last victim they found today.  We will be removing those two trolls from your woods as well by the way."

This time the elf bowed his head and said, "We would be very grateful for that fair witch.  Those pair of trolls, brothers they be, have been a problem to us for a long time. Even before the vampyre made this woods part of his killing ground, those trolls were nothing but trouble for us."

Then the elf stood up and said, "Follow me fair witch, and to the lair of the beast I will lead thee."

Kassie said, "Thank you friend elf.  My two friends in the tree above, one of which is your cousin of course, and the two men standing off in the woods behind me, will be accompanying us."

The elf nodded and said, "Then let us all go to the lair of the beast.  Or at least, to what is one of his lairs."

Deeper in the forest, a pair of ugly red eyed trolls watched as the team went to one the lairs of their master.  Keeping their distance, they followed them to that lair.

The lair that the elf had led them to, was a well hidden cave deep within the woods.  Thick brambles covered the entrance to the cave.  The long wicked thorns of those bramble bushes would discourage any stray hikers from trying to enter, unless they happen to have a machete handy.  Kassie softly the chanted the words to an ancient ritual, and the bushes parted before her.  Mikey, Fanny Mae, and the two elves stayed outside the lair.  Kassie and Joseph walked through the parted bushes, into the lair of the beast they were tracking.

The pain, terror and agony of the victim who met who her fate in this lair permeated the damp stones walls of the cave.  Kassie paused, and bowed her head as the psychic vibrations from those walls surrounded, then enveloped her.  Then images began to flash through mind.  She was suddenly hit with a kaleidoscope of horror.  She saw the vampyre drinking from the throat, breast, thighs and wrist of a beautiful young red haired woman.  She saw that instead of taking the fantasies and desires of his victims, and feeding them back to them as Drake did, this vampyre locked into, intensified tenfold, then fed back to the mind of his victim, her deepest fears and most horrible nightmares.  Then the kaleidoscope changed, and images of the trolls making those fears and nightmares a reality, began to flash into her mind.

Joseph was watching Kassie closely, she was trembling from head to foot.  She had her hands in front of her face as if she were trying to block the site of the cave wall in front of her.  Then her body jerked, she cried out, "Merciful Goddess of light and love, no!"  Then she turned and ran from the cave.  Nearly knocking Joseph over in her haste to leave that den of terror.  Joseph, Mikey, Fanny Mae, and the two elves were right behind her.

She ran until she was well away from the cave, then sank to the ground, put her head in her hands and wept for a moment.

When she had regained her composure she looked up at Joseph and said, "Don't even hesitate to cap that motherfucker's ass if you get the chance.  Or those two disgusting evil little trolls for that matter of fact.  I don't give a flying fuck what Headquarter's says.  Those three deserve killing, more than any other creatures I have ever run across."

Joseph nodded his head and said with an evil grin, "Kassie me darlin, coming from a southern girl like you, those words are music to my ears.  Consider those three bastards capped."

Mikey nodded his head and said, "Your wish is our command fair witch.  As Joseph said, consider their asses capped."

Then Joseph looked at her and said, "You instant flashed again, and saw even more than you did in the morgue earlier today, didn't you?"

Kassie nodded her head and said, "Yes, and right now Joseph, I cannot describe the things I saw.  Not since the burning times, have I seen such evil.  He connects to, intensifies tenfold, then feeds back the fears and nightmares of his victims as he drains their blood each night.  Then, during the day, while their master sleeps, those loathsome little fucking trolls, make those fears and nightmares a reality for the victim."

Mikey shook his head and said, "Fuck!  We've got to take this bastard, and those two fucking trolls out, fast."

Kassie bowed her head and said, "Mikey, death is a sweet release for those poor girls when it finally comes to them.  He makes damned sure that those girls stay coherent enough in their minds to suffer fully, every agony and indignation he and those loathsome little fucking trolls can inflict on them, up to the very last second of their life."

Then she bowed her head further and said with despair, "I can't begin to try and backtrack him from the lair.   It is too filled with the energy of the days and nights that poor beautiful red haired girl spent in that den of horror.  It overwhelms anything else."

Joseph patted her shoulder and said, "It's okay Kassie, we'll find that son of bitch somehow."

Kassie looked at Joseph and said, "Take me back to the hotel please.  Let me see if from a distance, I can connect and backtrack."

Then she looked at Mikey and said, "Mikey can you go back to the cave and get me a rock or something from it?  See if Fanny Mae and the elves can get you some moss or something to wrap it in.  Put it in the trunk of the car though!  I don't want it near me, until I get back to my room."

Mikey stood up, nodded his head and said, "Consider it done babe."  Then he strode off towards the cave.  Fanny Mae and and the elves went in search of moss to use as wrapping."

Joseph helped Kassie to her feet, and they walked back towards the cave.  When she saw Mikey come back out of the cave carrying a rock in his hand, she went to the front of the cave, softly chanted another ancient ritual, and the part that had been in the bushes, closed.

Kassie and Joseph head back to the car.  Mikey wrapped the stone in the moss that Fanny Mae and the elves had gathered, waved good bye to them, and headed to the car as well.

When he got to the car, Kassie and Joseph were standing by the red Porsche.  Joseph got into the car, pushed a button, and the trunk opened.  Mikey put the moss wrapped stone into the trunk.  The he went around to the passenger side of the car, pulled the seat forward, and climbed into the back.  Kassie pushed the seat back into place and slid into the car.  As the car sped back to the hotel, she leaned her head back onto the seat, and tried to think of a way to track down the vampyre, who's lair she had just visited.

When they reached the hotel, Joseph parked the car in the hotel's parking lot.  Pushed a button and the trunk of the car opened.  Kassie opened the door on the passenger side and slid out of the car.  Mikey leaned forward, pushed the seat forward, and climbed out of the car.   Kassie glanced at Mikey as he went around to the trunk, closed her eyes for a second, opened them again, then began walking to the elevator.  Mikey and Joseph trailed along behind her.  Grinning at each other, and admiring the view as they did.

When they got into the elevator Mikey was careful to stand as far away from Kassie as he could.  He held the moss wrapped stone in his hand, and thought of what Kassie had said she had seen.   The grin on his face became a very cold mean smile, as he thought of how much pleasure it was going to be to cap a certain vampyre's sorry ass.

They reached their adjoining rooms, and went into Kassie's room.  Mikey went to place the moss wrapped stone on the floor just under the foot of Kassie's bed, but she said, "No Mikey.  Please don't put it near the bed.  Put it on that dressing table for right now.  I think once I've prepared myself, I'll take it and do the actual scrying in Drake's room.  My dreams for the next few nights are going to be bad enough as it is."

Mikey nodded, stood up and said, "Yeah, I wasn't thinking hon.  Sorry."

Then he brightened as he got an idea and said, "I'll go ahead and just put it on the dresser in Drake's room right now."  Walked to the door that joined the two rooms, opened it, strode into Drake's empty room.  After he placed the moss wrapped stone on the dresser, he returned to Kassie's room, and closed the adjoining door behind him.

The door that joined Kassie's room to Joseph's was open, and as Mikey came back into the room, Joseph was walking through that door with a couple of cans of beer.  He tossed one to Mikey.  Mikey caught it, grinned at Joseph and said, "Thanks.  I need this after that trek in the woods."

Kassie was sitting cross legged on the bed.  There was a can of cola sitting on the night table beside her.  She was smoking a hand rolled cigarette.  Kassie had taken her traveling bag of magick tricks out of the suitcase, and in between puffs, was sorting through it for the items she needed.

She placed a glass pipe with a golden spider on the bed.  Took out a small plastic bag of green finely chopped very dark leaves.  Mikey looked at the tiny bag of leaves and said, "It that some of that 5X Salvia shit you brew up?  Do you think that's a good idea, considering what you are about to do?"

Kassie looked at Mikey and said, "Yeah, it's 5X.  And good idea, or bad, I am going to do it anyway.  I've got to connect to that lair from that rock.  Then try to backtrack from it, and pick a trail that may lead us to the vampyre."

She placed a small amethyst stone next the pipe.  Then she took a small packet of sea salt out the bag, and placed it on the bed.  Looked at Joseph and said, "Would you call room service and have them bring you up a bowl?  And ask them for a glass of distilled water as well, please?"

Joseph nodded his head, went into his room and called room service.  Kassie suddenly slapped her forehead and said, "Shit!  I can't do the scrying in Drake's room with the circle I'm going to caste today."

Mikey said, "You mean because you are going to caste it with witch's holy water?"

Kassie nodded her head and said, "Yes.  If he steps on the circle, even after I was through scrying, it burn would the piss out of his feet.  Even through his boots.  If he entered the circle itself, it would be agony for him."

Mikey said, "Hell, do the scrying in my room!  I'll go move the rock into there right now."

Then he grinned, finished his beer, tossed the empty into the trash, and said, "But before I do, would you answer a question for me?"

Kassie grinned back and him and said, "Maybe.  What's the question?"

Mikey's grin widened and said, "No wonder lawyers adore you.  And the question is, what did you use to cast your full moon circle with the other night?  I know Drake had a hot time in there.  But I don't think it was because of what you cast the circle with."

Kassie laughed and said, "Oh, well I simply used my athame and own power to cast that circle.  Wouldn't do to cast a circle for a ceremony to seduce a vampyre, with witch's holy water.  Even I'm not blonde enough to do that!"

Mikey laughed and headed back into Drake's room.  He picked up the moss wrapped stone, walked through the door that joined Drake's room to his, and placed the stone on his dressing table.

As he came back into Kassie's room Joseph was walking into her room with a ceramic cereal bowl and a glass of water.

Mikey grinned at Joseph, walked over to him and said, "Here let me have those, and I'll take them into my room."

Joseph raised an eyebrow questioningly and said, "Your room? I thought she was going to use Drake's room to scry in."

Mikey grinned wider, shook his head, and said, "No she remembered she can't do that, because she is casting the circle with witch's holy water.  Said it would burn the piss out of Drac's, I mean Drake's feet, even through his boots, if he stepped on it.  And he would be in real agony if he entered the circle."

Joseph grinned at Mikey, and said sarcastically, "Oh now, that would be a real fucking shame if that were to happen."

Kassie grinned at Joseph, and gave him the finger.  Then she went back to sorting through the items in her traveling magick bag of tricks.

Mikey grinned, took the bowl and glass of water from Joseph and said, "Yeah, I'm sure it would hurt you worse than it did him, if that were to happen."  Then Mikey turned and walked out of the room laughing.

When Kassie had all the items she needed, she wrapped them in a black silk handkerchief she had pulled from the bag, and closed the bag.  She lit another hand rolled cigarette from the box beside the bed, leaned back against the headboard of the bed, and closed her eyes as she smoked it.

Mikey came back into the room, looked at her, then looked at Joseph and said, "That's what, the second one since we got back?"

Then he shook his head and continued, "Kassie can smoke more of that shit, with less effect, than anybody I have ever seen.  I dunno if she has an incredibly high, no pun intended, tolerance for the stuff.  Of if her mind is all ready so fucked up, the damn thing doesn't even know when it's stoned."

Kassie, without opening her eyes, reached over, put the hand rolled cigarette in the ashtray, held up both hands, with the middle finger of each hand extended, swayed back and forth, grinned and said, "That's "Fuck You Mikey" in stereo, for the hearing impaired."  Then reached over, took the joint out of the ashtray, and took a long slow hit.  Then with her eyes still closed, extended it towards Mikey.

Mikey grinned, said, "At least she is sharing this one."  Then took the joint from her.  Joseph went back in his room, grabbed a couple more beers, and handed one to Mikey as he took the joint from him.

Joseph sat on the bed beside her.  Mikey came over the other side of the bed, sat down on the edge, and said, "Scoot your cute ass over darlin Kassie."

Kassie giggled, opened her eyes, scooted over, and said, "Okay, but remember you pair, no breaking out the mayo."  And then giggled harder.

Mikey laughed, then grinned wickedly at Joseph and said, "The thought never entered our minds. I swear!"  Then broke up laughing.

Joseph laughed and said, "Speak for your fucking self Mikey.  It damned sure entered mine!"

Kassie giggled and said, "You pair really are incorrigible."  Then she leaned back against the headboard, and closed her eyes again.

Mikey and Joseph leaned back against the headboard as well.  Mikey and Joseph drank their beers, and passed the joint between themselves and Kassie in companionable silence for the next few minutes while they waited as Kassie readied herself for the unpleasant task ahead.

Finally she opened her eyes and said, "Well, I may as well get this over with."

Mikey swung his legs off the bed, stood up, reached out his hand and helped Kassie off the bed.  Kassie picked up the items wrapped in the black silk handkerchief from the end table, and walked through Drake's room, into Mikey's.  Joseph and Mikey followed her as far as Drake's room.  The door leading into Mikey's room was left open.  Joseph pulled picked up the chair from in front of the writing desk that was in the room, and placed in front of the open doorway into Mikey's room.  Then sat down in the chair.  Mikey leaned his huge body against the left side of the doorframe.  They would not disturb Kassie, but they would be there if she needed them.

Joseph watched as Kassie placed the items wrapped in the black silk handkerchief in front of the foot of the bed.  Then went to the dressing table, picked up the moss wrapped rock, and placed it beside the items in the handkerchief.  She went back to the dressing table poured the water into the bowl, took a pinch of the sea salt out of the plastic bag, and sprinkled the sea salt into the water.  As she sprinkled the salt into the water, she chanted the blessing ritual.  Then she took the bowl of witch's holy water and began to cast a circle, sprinkling the water as she did.  As she finished casting the circle she said, "Nothing but good shall come into this circle.  And nothing but good shall leave this circle."  Made the sign of the pentacle with her hand.  Then said,  "As I will, so mote it be."  Then dropped gracefully to the floor and crossed her legs in the lotus position.

She carefully unwrapped the items in the handkerchief.  She placed the amethyst stone directly in front of her.  She unwrapped the moss from around the rock, then placed the rock in her lap.  Put a couple of pinches of the 5X incense into the pipe, and inhaled deeply.  Then placed the pipe down next to the amethyst stone, and picked up the rock.

As she picked up the rock, she felt herself disconnecting from the reality of the room she was in.  When the rock was resting in the palm of her hands, everything outside the sacred circle disappeared.  Darkness surrounded her.

She concentrated on the rock in her hands, and a small tunnel of light appeared in the darkness.  She looked through the tunnel, and saw the inside of the lair she had been in earlier that day.  Saw the vampyre bent over the body of the red haired girl.  He had his fangs sunk not into her neck, but into the wrist he was holding in one of his hands.  He was watching the girl's face intently as he fed.  The girl's face was a study in terror.  Her eyes were opened and locked into those of the vampyre's.  Her mouth was open, but she was so terrified she could not even scream.  Her throat muscles worked up and down frantically.  But no sound issued from her wide open mouth.  Tears rolled down the side of her face.  Kassie tore her gaze away from the poor girl she could not help, and concentrated on the face of vampyre.  His face would have been beautiful, had it not been for the evil so obvious in it.  He had finely chiseled features.  A long aquiline nose.  And green eyes.  Long blonde hair framed that face.

Kassie looked into those cold green eyes, and into the heart of evil itself.  She found no mercy at all in this vampyre.  Only perversity and madness.  An evil so dark and dank it chilled her soul, consumed this creature.  There was cunning too in this beast.  A quick and deadly cunning that had served him well.  And power.  A dark foreboding power, that caused the adrenaline to rush through her veins at the knowledge of it.  Every instinct she had, screamed for her to leave the tunnel now.  But Kassie was not without her own power.  She surrounded herself in a dark purple aura, and continued gazing into the eyes of the vampyre.  She tried gazing past the present act of horror he was committing, and into his mind enough to get a glimpse of another lair perhaps.  Or better still to connect with his mind in the present, and perhaps see his current lair.

Suddenly the girl screamed as the vampyre pulled his fangs from her wrist and laughed.  He stroked the face of the girl in mock concern and said, "Oh no bitch, you're not leaving us so soon.  And deliberately stilled the girl's mind to keep her from slipping into incoherent insanity.

The link with the vampyre had been broken.  The darkness faded.  Kassie was once more back in the hotel room.  She shook her head in frustration and said, "Damn!"  She sat the rock in her lap.  Took another hit from the pipe, sat it down, and picked the rock back up.  And waited as everything outside the sacred circle turned to blackness again.  But she could not bring the tunnel back.  No matter how hard she concentrated.  Finally, she gave up and waited for the hotel room to reappear.  When she was once more sitting in the hotel room.  She put the rock down and bowed her head, and started cursing in a way that would have made a sailor blush.

Joseph shook his head and said, "Well that's tells me a lot about how successful that little trip was."

Kassie looked over at him sitting in the doorway and said, "I had a good connection going, he was feeding on the girl.  While he busy doing that, I was trying to see into what he was presently doing.  Where he was at right now.  But the girl came close to losing her mind completely, and the bastard backed off, and stilled her mind so she would stay sane enough to know exactly what was happening."

Then she shook her head in frustration and said, "I can't make the connection again though."

Joseph looked at Kassie, who was so pale she seemed nearly translucent, and saw the pain and weariness on her face.

"Okay Kassie, that's enough for right now.  Maybe Drake can track him better tonight."

Kassie nodded her head in reluctant agreement.  Wrapped the items back in the black silk handkerchief and tied the handkerchief closed.  She stood up, walked widdershins around the inside of the edge of circle, repeating the closing ritual as she did so.  Then she picked up the rock, returned it to the dressing table, then picked up the black handkerchief and walked towards Joseph.

Joseph stood up, moved the chair to the side of the doorway and stood aside as Kassie walked into Drake's room, then into her own.

Mikey and Joseph watched her.  And though they were concerned for her, they still couldn't help grinning at each other, and admiring the view as they followed her into her room.  When they were all in her room, Joseph said, "Kassie no offense, but you look like hell.  Lie down for a bit and maybe take a nap.  Fanny Mae and that stupid fucking elf should be here soon.   Maybe they will have good news this time."

Kassie grinned weakly and said, "Screw you and the horse you rode in on.  You would look like shit too if you had been where I had.  But I may lay down for a bit.  I am zapped.  Between the morgue this morning, then that cave, and now this, I'm beat mentally. Wake me if the news is good."

Mikey closed the door to Drake's room, and he and Joseph headed for Joseph's room. Mikey didn't close the door between Joseph and Kassie's room, so they could keep an eye on her while she napped.

But when Fanny Mae and Bo Bo appeared, the news was not good.  The vampyre's current lair still hadn't been found.

Kassie woke shortly before sunset.  She got up went into the and bathroom closed the door.  When she came out of the bathroom, she had washed the sleep from her eyes, and regained some color in her face.  Then she headed into Joseph's room.