Blood on the Moon - serialised EXCLUSIVE for Steemit! - 5

Blood On The Moon Cover

Amazon link

My third novel was finished and published in time for Halloween and I had a launch at Waterstone's at Sheffield.

The full book cover, done by the wonderful, talented, brilliant Paul Mudie

Other Images from Pixabay or Google (Free Usage)

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Source
(You're welcome - again!)

The voice behind her sounded bored, but had the timbre of menace deep down. “Leave her alone Vladimir, she is my guest.” Paul took hold of Jessica’s hand once more to guide her away.

“See you later, little Rabbit.” Vladimir said and he laughed at Paul’s protectiveness.

“How did he know my name?” she asked in a whisper.

“Later. I’ll explain everything soon… perhaps.”

They went through the door at the end of the hall and into a room which had only subdued lighting. She could barely see anything and suddenly she could see even less as the door closed and the light from the corridor was shut out.

As her eyes grew accustomed to the half-light, she found that she could make out forms in the shadows. She heard a slight gasp of surprise only once and thought that it may have come from the creepy man that had followed her up the stairs but she couldn’t tell for sure. Everything else was silent, the murmur from the bar below them, an indistinct hum.

Her guide stopped walking and pulled her to stand beside him. Jessica realised that she was facing a table only as her thighs pressed against it and she could just make out a shape sitting on the opposite side of it.

A voice asked, “What are you playing at now, Paul? This is bloody madness. You had a clear directive and it looks like you couldn’t manage it.” The voice was not angry; neither was it easily discernible as male or female.

“I wanted to give this one a chance. I’d like to see how she does. There’s something about her.”

“Paul.” The voice was patient. “Oh forget it. Go through.”

Jessica saw the silhouette of a hand as it waved to one side and Paul seemed hesitant for an instant as though he expected to have to validate his cause.

“Come on, Rabbit,” he said and pulled gently on her hand.

She heard one whisper of, “Rabbit? How apt.”

She heard, rather than saw the door open before them. The room beyond was lighted - or rather not lighted - in much the same manner as the previous one. Jessica could still barely make out any shapes even though her eyes had had chance to adjust. She leaned on Paul’s guiding hand for direction as much as comfort and she realised that she trusted him for her safety.

Then a low light was switched on after they passed and another just in front of them, making her visual situation worse for a moment until her eyes readjusted, the creepy man was nowhere to be seen.

The indistinct shapes became clearer and her mouth opened in amazement. The room was occupied by a lot of people, some seated and some standing, but all of them were watching her in silence.

A smart and suited man got up from his chair and approached them as they stood in the centre of a large room. The only furniture was seats arranged around the perimeter of the room, not even half of which were occupied.

“Paul, as usual, you surprise me.” The man said as he greeted Jessica’s guide with a handshake. Then he sighed and continued. “Go and sit down, you may stay to watch.”

Jessica stood alone, facing the stranger. Her hair hung lank and damp around her face and over her shoulders. She had on no makeup and her warm but bulky clothes hid her slender figure. On a whim, she unzipped her coat and dropped it behind her, pushing it away from her with a foot.

At the action, the man’s eyebrows lifted in curiosity. He studied her as he walked around her; he gave her a comfort zone of a wide berth. Her coat was snatched away and discarded against the wall.

“You know what we are,” he said – a statement not a question.

“Yes.” Jessica replied.

“You know also that your friend here is one of us.”

“Yes, but I’m not sure if he’s a friend or not, just yet.”

“Yes, quite. You must also know then, that we could kill you.”

“I know that, but I also know that I’d do my best to take some of you with me.”

He laughed then, with good humour, not nastiness that she had expected. “Not quite such a rabbit at that,” he said and he waited while the polite laughter died around him.

“Why do you seek us out, Rabbit? You obviously don’t mean to expose us; you have never tried to alert the authorities to our presence. I wonder why?”

“Without being patronising, I seek you out because I am fascinated by you. I like to look at you all. There’s much more to it, but I don’t think that I have time to go into it all right now.”

Another spontaneous burst of laughter was halted by his raised hand. “Do go on. Tell us why you haven’t told anyone about us,” he said.