Page 27 of Loved to Death

“Stay,” Thomas reiterated before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

He scanned the hallway as he rushed to the front of the establishment. He tried to rifle through the desk, but found the top drawer locked. His eyes darted to the linen closet. His stomach rolled. He didn’t like to see his victims after the fact. He didn’t want to be a murderer, and being confronted with the evidence always doubled his guilt.

Pursing his lips with distaste, Thomas went to the closet, opened the door, and quickly felt the dead man’s pants for keys. Once he found a ring of keys, he shut the closet door, and tried one on the desk drawer. It opened with the third key and revealed a cigar box. He lifted the lid and found it filled to the brim with coins and paper money. Snapping the lid closed he took it, dropped the keys on top of the desk, and returned to the room.

Thomas stepped inside and found Shen fully dressed with his arms crossed and eyebrows drawn down in displeasure. Shen’s eyes went to the box and his mouth turned down further. “What’s that?”

“Our passage on a ship.”

Shen’s eyebrows shot up in shock before crashing back down. “Did you steal that?” he demanded.

Before Thomas could fully process the disapproving glare Shen was giving him, a loud bang from the front of the establishment startled both men.

“Thomas!” Polly’s voice rang through the hallway behind the closed door.

“No,” Thomas whispered as his stomach churned. His muscles tensed as his fight or flight instinct kicked in. Thoughts of Polly’s usual violence invaded his mind. He doubted Shen would survive the upcoming confrontation, because she wouldn’t want to leave a witness. He looked into Shen’s startled eyes and decided he couldn’t let that happen.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said as his teeth came down.

Shen’s eyes bulged. He stepped back and shook his head.

Thomas bit his own wrist, rushed to Shen, and shoved the bloody wrist in Shen’s mouth. The human struggled, but he was no match for Thomas’ strength. “Drink,” Thomas commanded before sinking his teeth into Shen’s neck.

The usual euphoria when the blood gushed down Thomas’ throat was only a faint tingle in his chest this time, and after the fifth swallow his stomach rebelled.

The door burst open and Polly stepped into the room. Thomas dropped Shen’s struggling form to the floor and leaned to the side to vomit some of the blood he’d just swallowed. After retching, his stomach immediately settled.

Shen tried to cover his spurting wound with his hands.

“What have you done?” Polly demanded, shoving Thomas out of the way. She got on her knees, pulled Shen into her arms, and bit the undamaged side of his neck.

Rational thought escaped Thomas as true panic washed over him. He ran out the door, down the hall, and into the street. He put all his speed and newfound strength into moving as fast as inhumanly possible toward the docks while clutching the little box of money to his chest.

A voice in the back of his head screamed “Go back!” every time he thought of Shen. But a stronger voice kept repeating “Escape! Escape! Escape!” He’d done what he could to ensure Shen’s survival. He had to focus on his own. There would be time to come back for Shen once he had a plan to defeat Polly.

When he made it to the docks, he slowed to a light jog. He’d never been on a ship and knew next to nothing about them. He didn’t want to get on a fishing boat that came right back to the same dock—he wanted to board a ship that was sailing far away.

A middle-aged burly man stood beside a ramp that led to a medium-sized ship. He appeared to be standing guard rather than loitering, and there weren’t a lot of people on the docks at this hour, so Thomas slowed to a brisk walk and forced a smile.

“Excuse me, sir, is this your ship?”

The man shook his head and said in a thick German accent, “I’m watch leader.” He nodded toward the boat. “She belongs to Captain Martinez.”

“I’m looking to buy passage on a ship. Preferably one that’s departing before daybreak. Can you tell me which ships might be leaving soon?”

The watch leader’s eyes moved to Thomas’ chest. His eyes narrowed. “You running from the law?”

Thomas looked down also and noticed a spatter of blood on his shirt. “The law?” He shook his head vehemently while concocting a story. “No, I’m running…well I’m running from a woman. Her father shot at me when I refused to marry her. The bullet hit my horse. It’s horse blood.”

The watch leader narrowed his eyes. “Horse blood?”

“That’s right.” Thomas nodded. “Look, I just want information.” He tucked the box of money under his arm, pulled his coin purse out of his pocket, fished out a silver dollar and held it up. “Can you direct me to a ship that’s leaving at daybreak?”

The watch leader held out his hand. Once Thomas handed over the coin the older man said, “We leave at dawn. Heading to Mexico to pick up cargo. We don’t have passengers often, but Captain Martinez has allowed it twice that I know of. For the right price.”

Eager to move things along before it was too late, Thomas said, “May I speak to the captain?”

“He’ll be along in about an hour.”

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