Page 1 of Heathens

DOMINIC

Santa Cruz, California, 1987

Myfoot’sonthegas as we leave the city behind us – not that there’s much to leave behind. It’s mostly desolate after the plague, the riots, and our not-so-subtle takeover.

The Ferris wheel’s been toppled over for years, and the roller coaster tracks are home to juvenile vampires who use them to ambush any humans who may walk by at night.

Once chipper-looking storefronts have punched out windows; shards of broken glass still stuck in the frames that resemble jagged teeth, waiting to devour anything that walks past.

Through the winding roads, I see a white building reflecting the moonlight that pours down like liquid silver. I slow the car down and turn off the headlights so as not to give away our position.

“Okay. We have two hours to get this done before the sun rises and we turn into little piles of goo.”

“Dominic, this is insane.”

I kill the engine and smile.

“It is, but that’s what makes it so brilliant.”

Theo’s hands are twitching more than usual as he glowers at the building, and I can’t help but grin even wider. He has one of the most formidable faces I’ve ever seen, like someone chiseled his furrowed brow out of granite. The guy always looks like he’s trying to figure out a math equation that’sreallypissing him off.

He lets out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he picks at the skin around his claw-like nails.

He’s always been the more uptight of the two of us, though I’m sure he’d call himself calculated. Careful. But me? To my face he’d say I’m reckless, but I know he thinks I’m a fuckin’ idiot.

Personally, I prefer passionate.

I fix my hair in the side mirror, making sure that the streak of silver is fully visible among the dark strands. The reflection always throws people off at first, but I’m glad that aspect is little more than folklore. I’m not sure if I could deal with not knowing every line on my face, every speck of bright green hidden in my blue eyes. I’ve been working with the same reflection for over a century, and I never fail to craft my image with purpose.

Benefits of a less than mystical vampirism, I suppose.

“This plan’s not just insane, it’s really fuckin’ stupid,” he mutters.

He’s sure not to face me, but we both know I heard it.

“You’ve been saying that the entire drive over. Wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Dom, it’s just a fuckin’ warehouse! Why does this place even matter to you?”

He knows why.

“If it’sjust a warehouse, why is he keeping it so hidden? Why is it off the books?”

He has his own little nightclub up near the mountains, very exclusive and guarded by a small army of vampires and human goons. Only those who are invited get to party there. Anything he wants, goes. Murder, mayhem, you name it. If he wants you gone at the end of the night, you’regone.

But this? I at least expected one of his men to be standing outside with a gun in his hand. Instead, it’s totally barren. There are some windows that are boarded up, and the door is chained and locked from the outside. That wouldn’t even keep raiders out, let alone someone like me.

“How do you know this place even belongs to Rene? What if the human was just lying to you?”

I snort.

“Nobody lies to you while you’re pulling their teeth out.”

Getting him to talk was easy. It always is when you’re as good as I am. You could call it a passion of mine.

“Just think about it Theo, none of this makes any sense. Why does he even own this building? Why is it out in the middle of nowhere? Why is he keeping it hidden but leaving it completely unguarded?”

“Because he’s a power hungry, arrogant fuckin’ maniac? Who the fuck knows with Rene?” Theo reaches into his pocket and stuffs a cigarette between his lips. “You know, we could be doing something fun right now, or, hey, even something boring! Literally anything other than walking into this potential death trap.”

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