Arthur didn’t want to answer, it would lead to an agreement.

  “Why did you believe my story so easily, when you still can’t trust me? You believe in such things, don’t you?”

  He had the right answers but he wouldn’t tell her. He looked at his watch and told Jan, “I have to go.”

  *****

  Arthur was sitting in the hall. He had his laptop in front of him and the screen on his right. Was it all a coincidence? But his trained mind didn’t believe in serendipity and accidents. Everything happens for a reason, dig deeper and you will see. Jan was lucky she survived a Bloodsucker. Zilo was luckier, he had survived twice. He understood why Zilo had been so generous with both of them. The food delivered was great and it came from one of Zilo’s food chains. He called often to know if Jan was comfortable and how Arthur was doing. Both of them had saved his life, against the same predator.

  As night came, Arthur decided to get alert. Although there was no reason to be so, he couldn’t shake off the fact that there were two of them in the same building who had stood against a Bloodsucker. This only happened when he met one of the Others.

  But Jan? She didn’t even know what she was stood against. There was no apparent warning that danger might come now, but a Bloodsucker did come without any warning. In reality there are warnings, but those are very subtle and you have to have experience to pick those up. You have to be attuned to your surroundings and be centred in your body to notice the signs.

  No, Jan couldn’t stay here. It would be too dangerous for both of them to be in the same building. A Bloodsucker cannot see well but he would sense a target. If two targets are there, the sense would be doubly stronger. He would have to tell Zilo and get Jan out of here. He decided to call him next morning. He went around the hall and locked all the windows and doors. He went through his bag and got a few items out. Among those were a knife and a revolver. The knife’s sharp edge shone dangerously in the hall’s lights. It was made of ‘purified’ iron and it had inscriptions etched on it. He didn’t know what it meant, possibly some divine incantation. He never asked the Others. If it works, it is good. The knife had a leather sheath. He put the knife in the sheath and slid it in a hidden pocket of his jeans.

  He checked the screen. It was totally dark and Jan had probably fallen asleep. There was no light at all in the room, he wondered why. Then he noticed that Jan had been keeping the window open every night but tonight, it was shut tight. She did right, he thought. He punched a few letters in his laptop. It was a code, a chat box opened. Arthur needed some updates, especially on a Bloodsucker. He wanted to estimate how far he would be now from the Bloodsucker.

  He had been sharing information with the Others when he noticed that there was a light on the screen. Jan was awake and sitting on the edge of her bed. Was she shaking, he wondered? Jan took her phone in her hand and had dialled a number.

  As the night had progressed, Jan had started to feel uneasy. She got up and put on the lights but it didn’t help much. She wished Ron was here. She would snuggle up to him and let him place his arms around her. She felt good to have a masculine protection. It felt good, and it gave her strength. Although Jan was much stronger than people thought she was and had faced more situations on her own than the average person. But she had hardly ever spoken of those.

  Today she longed that she had a masculine protection. She was shaking from the nightmare. She needed to speak to Ron. Ron picked up the phone.

  “Ron, are you busy? I need to talk to you.” Arthur heard over the microphone. He turned up the volume.

  “I need to talk to you now, where are you? It’s late, you should go home. “

  As Arthur heard Jan’s voice and he was sure she was shaking.

  “Just talk to me for a minute. I am scared.”

  “No, Arthur’s no trouble at all. Why are you after him all the time? I had a nightmare and I am not feeling good. Ok I am on hold.” She waited what must have five or seven minutes. At last Ron came back on the line.

  “I had a nightmare. It’s the same nightmare I have told you before. I saw that creature, the winged creepy thing. Yes the Zilo one. I had that nightmare again.”

  Ron was saying something and Jan became quiet. She had stopped shaking and started to speak. She sounded different, almost emotionless. It didn’t sound like her.

  “Yes, I am here. “

  “Yes I will see a psychiatrist.”

  “Yes.”

  “Bye.”

  Ron disconnected the call. Jan put the phone done listlessly. She switched off the lights to get privacy from the camera. The she burst into tears.

  Arthur could hear her crying. She didn’t know he could hear her too, he hadn’t told her about the microphone. Arthur didn’t blame Ron for telling Jan to see the psychiatrist. Zilo and he would have faced the same reaction if they told the world what they had seen. He wished he could tell Jan that she was right, just to comfort her. But weird things do exist. And knowing about those would only make her more petrified.

  *****

  Arthur called Zilo in the morning. He needed to talk to him and get some stuff from the supermarket. He had to make arrangements in case a Bloodsucker decided to pay him a visit. Before leaving, he went to Jan and told her he would be back by the evening. Her eyes were swollen from crying all night but she didn’t let any weakness show. When Arthur inquired, she laughingly told him that she overslept. He told her that the door would be open and the delivery guy would come with her lunch. She is to take her lunch and come back up and stay there all the time. He trusts her. She nodded and seemed happy to be trusted at last.

  “Do you need anything from town?”

  “This place has everything, I can’t even ask for anything. I can even have my laundry done here,” she said.

  Arthur wanted to be empathic, “Maybe anything you like, say chocolates?”

  “Chocolate ice cream!”

  “Okay.”

  He locked all the doors and windows of the hall before he went away. While driving off in his black sedan, he took a last glance to check it all.

  He went to met Zilo at the cafe. He told him what Jan had said to him. Zilo shook his head reflectively, it was all true. Arthur wished he had told him this before Jan had but then Zilo didn’t know she would have turned up instead of Ron.

  “She can’t stay there. It is not safe”, Arthur told him.

  “Don’t let anything happen to her. I owe her as much as I owe you.”

  “She is not my responsibility. When is Ron getting the money?”

  “Anybody can guess.”

  Arthur sighed. Zilo was confirming his fears. “Let her go, then.”

  “If she would.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She would keep her word and wouldn’t leave before the thirty day term, trust me.”

  “This is bullshit.”

  “No it isn’t. She is safe with you. More safe with you than she will be with Ron.”

  Arthur almost raised his hands in despair. But Zilo was right. She was safer with him.

  “I know it’s getting a bit tedious for you sitting there all day. Take a break. She is safe during the day. Maybe I will ask the delivery guy to sit there instead of you so you can take a break. Yes, that sounds good.”

  Arthur got up and left the cafe. This wasn’t working out as he thought. He went to the supermarket and bought some stuff. Some common things that could be combined to make a mixture that would keep away a Bloodsucker around a perimeter. He was putting the things in the trunk when he thought of Claire. He called her up. She said she could meet him in half an hour.

  She was waiting for him at the restaurant. As he entered she waved at him. He gave her a hug and the one she gave him back was tighter. He felt her pressing against his chest. Claire would always turn him on. They ate. After that, they went to her place.

  Arthur and Claire stripped each other. Claire loved to have Arthur, he aroused her like no other man. His gentle touch and kiss would make her go mad with pleasure. He knew how to tease. She also knew if she wanted the pleasure to continue, she would ask him no questions. Where had he been, what does he do. He never asked her and so shouldn’t she. She forgot everything else when he felt his mouth on her breast and moaned with ecstasy.

  Arthur had fallen asleep. He was exhausted. He had been trying hard to arouse himself. It was easy to be satisfied with Claire, he always was. But not this time.

  The body was here getting the pleasure but his mind wasn’t into it. The harder he tried the more unsatisfied he felt. Exhausted at last, he fell asleep. When he woke up, he felt a little empty. Whenever this happened, he knew it was over. It won’t work with Claire anymore. He dressed and woke her up. He kissed her on the forehead and told her he was leaving. Claire understood this meant he was leaving, her. But she didn’t stop him. She watched his handsome body. He was like the Prince Charming all girls wish for, but he belongs to only one girl. She already felt envious of whoever that was going to be.

  When Arthur returned it was already late evening. He cursed himself for falling asleep at Claire’s and getting so late. He drove in and went inside to check on Jan. He put his laptop down and checked the screen. He saw Jan was sitting on the bed and she scribbled something in her diary. Everything looked as it was before he left. Unknown to Jan he had some traps set that would have told him if Jan had snooped around in his absence.

  He went up to Jan’s room. He had started to think of the tower room as Jan’s room now. Jan seemed happy to see him back.

  “How was your day? Got everything you needed?” she asked.

  “Yes got everything. What did you do?”

  “I finished reading all the books. Then when the lunch came I went down. That guy is a real flirt. Then as you told me, I came back up and stayed in the room all this while. Were you able to get the ice-cream?”

  “Shit.” He had forgotten. He wanted to buy it from the ice-cream shop instead of the supermarket but then he had started to think of Claire, called her and forgot all about the ice-cream.

  “You forgot? It’s okay.”

  “I am really sorry, I will go to town and get it for you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It is alright. You don’t have to go just for the ice-cream. It is too much trouble,” she said genuinely.

  Arthur felt horrible. He wanted to make her feel better after Ron’s conversation; he always felt Ron was irresponsible. But now he felt he was no better than him.

  He told Jan that he wouldn’t lock Jan’s door from the outside. He trusted her. The smile that came on her face made him forget all disappointments. He went down to the hall, removed his clothes and entered the shower.

  Jan hadn’t expected Arthur to remember the ice-cream. Life with Ron had taught her that the lesser she had expectations from someone, the more happy and un-hurt she would stay. So she did not get disappointed with Arthur. Actually she was pleasantly surprised when he had offered to get something for her. She was just a prisoner. When he said he would go the next day for her, she was moved. But when he told her he trusted her, she had to stop herself from hugging him.

  She cannot hug him. Not even as just another human. Ron would be furious, he wouldn’t understand.

  Ron called her late at night. Conversations with Ron were getting smaller. She had nothing new to say and he hardly made a good talk. Jan was getting impatient, she was waiting for Ron to pay off Zilo. It was going to be two weeks now and he showed no concern. When she asked him about it, he always said he is working on it with his cousin. Ron told her not to remind her about the money. Today was Friday, and Ron just wanted forget everything and loosen up.

  *****

  Arthur left towards the town in the morning after handing her the breakfast. He didn’t tell Jan he was going to town. He would drive off, pick the ice-cream and come back quickly. He thought of giving her a surprise. But when he returned, he was surprised to find a car in the driveway. It was Ron’s.

  He saw Ron peeking into the hall. It was locked from the outside and he was thinking if he should enter. Hearing Arthur’s car, he turned around.

  “Arthur, how are you? Sorry I didn’t recognize you that day. You have a changed a lot. So what are you doing nowadays when you are not guarding people?”

  “What are you doing here Ron? You got Zilo’s money?” Arthur asked gruffly.

  “I am almost there, just a few thousand left. Zilo wants every dollar, not a dollar less. He is going stingy with his money. He inherits millions from his dad. He ought to be more generous. I will pay him every cent back very soon and get my girlfriend out of here. By the way, I came to meet her.”

  “You can’t.”

  “Hey she’s MY girlfriend. I can meet her whenever I want,” he said with a swagger.

  “It’s not your rules here. If you try to be a smartass I will beat you up real bad Ron.” Arthur meant every word. Ron sensed it too. He measured Arthur, he was leaner, stronger and fitter. There was no way he could browbeat him. He put his hands on his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollars.

  “Keep it Arthur, extra money always comes handy.”

  The next moment Ron found himself on the ground kissing the dust. The punch had come so fast, he hardly had any time to react. Arthur knew how to land a punch, and how hard. He didn’t want Ron to get hurt, only get him warned. It had worked.

  “Arthur, cool down, please. I only mean good to you. For old day’s sake,” he begged as Arthur bent and pulled him by his collar and got ready to for another blow if it came to it.

  ”I am just here because Jan had told me to come.”

  Arthur stopped, did Jan really tell him? He hadn’t noticed their conversation last night. He didn’t trust Ron’s words. But what if Jan had really wanted to meet him?

  “I can only let you meet her if Zilo says yes. Call him up.”

  Ron called Zilo and told him Jan had wanted to meet him and told him to come. But Arthur wouldn’t let him unless he allowed. He gave the phone to Arthur and he spoke to Zilo.

  “You got 10 minutes only, Ron.” Arthur handed the phone back and went inside. Ron followed him and Arthur showed him the stairway.

  Arthur showed Ron the way up and Arthur came and sat in front of the screen. Jan was combing her hair.

  The door opened and Ron entered.

  Jan saw the door opening without any knock. Arthur didn’t do so. She gasped in surprise when she saw Ron. She ran and put her arms around him.

  “Ron, what are you doing here? Did you get the money? You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  Ron hushed her and looked back at the door. There was no one there. He shut the door. It was clear to Arthur that he used Jan to get through both Zilo and him.

  “I wanted to give you a surprise. “ Ron pulled her closer and took her mouth in his.

  Arthur wanted to take his attention away from the screen. Jan’s voice brought his attention back. She was wanting to talk to Ron, see how he was. She stopped Ron from kissing again and looked at his face.

  “Ron, I miss you. When am I getting out of here?”

  “I miss you too darling,” and pulled her close again. He started to run his hands all over her body.

  “Ron!” Jan wanted to stop him. This wasn’t the right time or the right place. She didn’t feel like it.

  “I love you”, Ron said.

  “I love you too. How are you? It has been so difficult to stay away from you. Did you miss me?

  But Ron wasn’t answering. He was squeezing her body.

  “Listen to me Ron...”

  But he had put her on the bed.

  “Ron!”

  “Yes?” and pushed his body on hers.

  “No.”

  But he seemed oblivious.

  “Not now.”

  He had started to unbutton her.

  “Stop it! There is a camera.” Jan shouted.

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me before?” Ron was louder.

  “I was trying to tell you but you weren’t listening to me,” Jan defended herself. She couldn’t believe Ron.

  “You are acting like a bitch. Button yourself up first and then talk. ”

  Arthur had enough. He went up and barged in.

  “Time’s up Ron. “

  “You said ten minutes.”

  “I said time’s up,” Arthur was feeling a rage building inside him. “Come again when you have the money.”

  Ron saw Arthur was really meaning it. He turned at Jan and said, “I will come and get you soon Jan. Love you honey.”

  Jan didn’t look up, she was more aware of Arthur’s eyes on her. Ron waited for a reply but Arthur showed him the door.

  Ron left without a word. Arthur shut Jan’s door behind them.

  Arthur came back to the sofa. He was still trying to calm down. He looked at the screen. Jan had never looked so defeated. He wanted to go up to her and tell that she doesn’t have to feel that way. Maybe he should take the ice cream to her.

  The ice cream! He had forgotten it in the car when he had seen Ron. He rushed to the car and got the container out. He rushed to the freezer and put it there. Now he had to wait for it to get frozen again.

  When the lunch came he carried it to her. She was deadly quiet.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah I am fine,” she nodded and said. But he noticed that she kept her eyes down.

  “I hope you didn’t mind my barging in and disturbing your privacy.” Jan didn’t look at him.

  “Some boyfriend you have Jan.” He wanted her to look at him.

  “I don’t want to talk about it Arthur. Please leave me alone.”

  He left. He went down and looked at the screen again. He wanted to teach Ron a lesson so he doesn’t behave with Jan like that, again. He wondered how he could do that. Ron would have to pay the money within the fortnight and Jan would be gone.

  He looked at the screen. Jan hadn’t touched the food. Neither did he.

  He heard a ping on his laptop. It was a message from the Others. Reading the message, he felt alarmed. His mind began to race and draw permutations. He remembered the Oriental word he had come across. He searched Google but again he found thousands of search results. He did not know which one would apply to his present situation. He spent the next hour searching for the information but the results were still unclear. He was just not able to make the connection.

 

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