Fic: Lives Are For Living. (30/40)
Mar. 9th, 2014 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silver_sunTitle Lives Are For Living. (30/40)
Fandoms Torchwood/Being Human crossover fic.
Characters/pairings Andy Davidson/Tom McNair. Other Torchwood and Being Human characters will appear later on.
Word count: This part 4300 (Total posted 83,300 /100,000)
Rating This part teen (adult over all) – see contains below.
Contains Mentions of depression/anxiety. Mentions of past canon major character death. Mention of minor character death – not canon. In later parts canon level violence, graphic sex, Andy's homophobic mother. Spoilers for Being Human (UK version) up to series 5 episode 3, and for Torchwood up to Children of Earth.
A/N: Crossover with Being Human. Technically a CoE fix it as it's set in the same 'verse as Finding Ways To Smile Again (although that isn't apparent until about 2/3 the way through the story). Follows on from Break and Breakaway from Tom McNair's POV – which is where it breaks from Being Human canon.
Summary
After being pushed out of the police force following the events of Children of Earth, Andy Davidson tries to build a new life for himself in the deep in the Welsh countryside.
Tom McNair walked out off his old life after realising it wasn't what he needed.
A chance meeting would take their lives in directions that they had never expected and bring them love that they'd not thought they'd find.
Starts here: http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/214504.html
The market had been busier than Tom had expected, but dry weather and a coach load of tourists whose bus had broken down on the way to Brecon had meant that it had been well after five by the time he'd helped Mrs Griffifths pack down the stall.
He he'd managed to sell a few carvings and had agreed to make a couple of bookends and a house number plaque. All in all, Tom thought as he headed for the chip shop things were going pretty well. Things between him and Andy well were good too. They'd settled back into their old routine, the wolf relegated to a one night a month inconvenience. Annoyingly that one night a month was tonight and with the later than expected finish he'd only have an hour or so at home before he'd have to go out again. At least it he would if he walked back, but Tom had a plan. He'd buy them both fish and chips and then call Andy to come and pick him up, so they'd be able to spend the evening together.
There wasn't much of a queue at the chip shop and Tom realised that it would probably end up getting cold by the time Andy driven out to get him. He'd call Andy first and then buy the food. Or at least he would, Tom thought listening to the automated voice on his phone telling him he had insufficient credit to make the call. Okay, revised plan, he told himself – get phone credit, call Andy and then get fish and chips.
A van passed him on the narrow street and pulled up just down from the chip shop. Tom glanced back from where he'd finally managed to get the cash point to accept that he really did only want to top up with ten pound and he really didn't want it to do or print anything else. His heart sank as he saw it was the two men he'd seen shortly before Christmas in the car park when he'd had the run in with Vampire Biker Lady, as he now referred to her or at least would have if he'd told anybody apart from Hal about her. Deciding that he wouldn't speak to them or anything unless they came over to him first Tom turned back to the cash point.
They weren't in the chip shop, their van or anywhere else on the street when Tom had finished, and he looked around, unnerved by it, but not sure why – there were plenty of other places they could have gone. As did though the unmistakeable smell of vampire drifted past him, and a moment later the Vampire Biker Lady stepped out from an alley between two shops that had already shut for the day. Without her helmet, but still dressed in skin-tight leathers, she stalked over the street towards him.
“What do you want?” Tom asked, annoyed and now doubting that it was coincidence that the men in the work van were somewhere around too.
“What does any one want?” she said carelessly. “Food, friends and fun.”
“Ain't they all the same thing to a vampire,” Tom said knowing that he couldn't do anything without being seen. Although at least the same applied to her. A stand off again, he thought annoyed, all I want to do is get my tea and go home with Andy, why do vampires always have to muck things up?
“Snappy little thing, aren't you?” she said with a laugh that showed just too much tooth. “So are you still playing at being a real boy or has he got tired of the dog breath and hairs on the furniture?”
“He knows,” Tom replied, wishing he'd never mentioned Andy to her when they'd first met, although at least, he thought gratefully, he'd not told her his name. “And he don't mind, that's why he's better than any of your lot.”
“Mad or plain desperate then,” she said, cruel and mocking now. “I suppose its got to be better than getting too friendly with a sheep. A least you can train a dog.” She looked at his bag. “He trusts you to pick up his shopping then, does he?”
“Have you really got nothing better to do than go around annoyin' people?” Tom asked, decided that if she didn't shut up in a minute he was just going to walk right past her and go and buy his chips any way.
“I have actually.” She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
Tom caught the scent of another vampire just a fraction to late and spun round to see the younger of the two men with the van facing him, a taser in his hand.
“What...” Was all Tom had time to say as the man jabbed the taser against his stomach. The man smiled, eyes black and fangs showing. “I've always wanted to try one of these things, they look right cool.”
Tasers really, really hurt, was Tom's only thought at that moment, as pain arced through him, his legs giving way and dropping him to the ground at the vampire's feet.
“This is so much better than the old iron bar round the head, don't you think?” The vampire woman said, placing her foot on Tom's back so that he couldn't have got up even if his legs had felt up to it.
When Tom didn't answer, she removed her boot, and said, “Secure him then, or do I have to do everything myself?”
Still dizzy and with tremors running through him, Tom felt his arms being dragged roughly behind his back and his wrists fastened together with plastic ziplock cuffs. Tom looked around groggily as he was hauled to his feet to see the second van man approaching, although from his eyes it was clear he was a vampire now too.
It was probably a stupid idea, Tom decided, but he had to try, as if they got him into the van the chances of getting way were slim. He didn't need to get far though, if he could just get closer to the chip shop, then maybe they wouldn't risk it. Being seen bundling somebody into the back of a van and then speeding off generally got people suspicious, and he doubted they wanted that.
Dropping all his weight to one side so that the vampire who'd tasered and was currently holding him was off balance, Tom kicked back at him, pleased when he felt his boot come into contact with the vampire's knee. The vampire gave a yell that was more surprise than pain, and let go of him. The chance to escape though fail to present itself as the other vampire, seeing his one time workmate get kicked, decided that Tom needed the same, so after tripping him, landed a heavy kick to Tom's side.
“Stop that!” the vampire woman shouted. “I want him in good condition for tonight.” She bent down next to Tom so that he could see her face. “And you need to be a good little doggy. Bad dogs get put down, just you remember that.” She patted him on the head. “I'll make you a deal. If you survive the fight I'll think about letting you go. I can't say fairer than that.”
“That's not...a...deal,” Tom said, trying to breath through the added pain now running through his rib and hoping that it was only bruising.
“It's all I'm going to offer,” she said, straightening up. “Now get him into the van.”
0X0X0X0
The van had stunk of the same unidentified creature he'd smelt a couple of times in Rhayader, but which had otherwise remained elusive. Tied hand and foot, and with a sack over his head, Tom had rolled and bumped over the floor of the van as they had driven down what had seemed like the most pothole filled round in Wales until, at last they had eventually stopped.
It was at least another half an hour after that before the back of the van was opened and he was dragged out and dropped onto what felt like a cobbled yard. Through the coarse sacking Tom could see a farm house and for a horrible, stomach churning moment he thought that they had taken him home, that Andy was about to be dragged into the nightmare as well. The place didn't smell right though, the lingering scent of dozens of pigs remained around the long, low barns and the angle of the setting sun over the grey slate of the farmhouse roof was wrong.
“Cutting it a bit fine there, aren't you lass?” said a man with a broad Yorkshire accent, coming out of the nearest barn to meet them.
“You know me, Joe,” said vampire biker woman. “Where's the excitement in it otherwise?”
“It's going to come back and bite you one of these days, Audrey,” he said shaking his head. “So what you got for us this time? Because what Lenny brought in, well if either of them last five minutes I'll eat my hat. It'd probably be a damn cite more entertaining an' all.”
“You wait and see. It'll be a special one tonight.” Audrey smiled and wagged a finger at him. “When have I ever lied to you?”
“You ain't.”
Tom was beginning to wonder if they'd forgotten that they were actually standing over him chatting like they were just catching up at the pub or something when Joe said, “Right well let's be getting this 'un into the cage then. I don't reckon we've got too long now.”
Dragged to his feet again, Tom didn't fight it this time. Out numbered at least four to one, bound hand and foot and quite possibly miles from anywhere all he would get was another beating and put in the cage anyway. No, his only chance now was to win the fight and hope that Audrey would keep her word.
“So how are your two new helpers getting on?” Joe asked pushing Tom in front of him into the barn.
“Bill and Ben?” she said, following them inside. “About as well as you expect. Honestly they've not got a brain cell between, but Ben at least enjoys his work. Vicious little bastard if you give him the chance. Give a century or two and he might even be able to think for himself. And Bill, well he'll stay to keep the Ben company. He's some kind of relative I think, uncle maybe. I can't I really cared enough to listen.”
“You reckon this ones up doing anything?” Joe said, pulling the sack off Tom's head and pushing him through an open door into cage. “He's just a kid.”
On his knees on the floor of the cage Tom could feel the first twinges of the change stirring deep in his bones, the ache adding to the last hour or so of rough treatment. Gritting his teeth he got up and turned to face them. “It ain't the first time I've bin in one of these places. An' there were a lot of dead vamps and no dead wolves that time, so you'd better watch out.”
“Well he talks the talk,” Joe said, not sounding impressed in the least. “Alright, lad. You back up to the wires and I'll cut the cuffs. Ain't gonna be much of a fight otherwise.”
Tom just glared at him, taking in the set up of cages and wire fenced arena as he did so. The dried blood on the floor, the scraps of fur snagged on the wires and solitary human tooth lying forgotten in a corner pointed to only one thing - what was going on here was no one time thing.
“Alright then.” Joe shrugged and started to turn away. “You can try changing with 'em on if you want. Might be good for a laugh, well for us anyway.”
Joe had a point as much as Tom hated to admit it – if the cuffs didn't break while he changed they'd end up cutting into his wrists. Dying because he couldn't defend himself or because the cuffs cut through an artery wasn't an option. He was going to fight, he was going to win and then he was going home. He closed his eyes knowing Andy would be worrying where he was by now. Tomorrow he'd see him again, Tom told himself, hoping if he told himself it enough times he'd believe it. Tomorrow things would be alright again.
“Fine,” Tom said angrily, moving awkwardly over to the end of the cage, the short rope tying his feet together only allowing him to shuffle.
“See, he's a good boy really. Well trained,” Audrey said, as Joe used a pair of clippers to cut the plastic ties. “Right well, I'd better go and get ready.”
With his hands untied, Tom spent a few minutes removing the rope from his ankles, fingers tingling and clumsy. Freed from their cramped position behind his back, his arms and shoulders started to ache again, but Tom forced himself to stretch and move them until the it lessened.
Vampires started to arrive alone, in couples or occasionally in groups, the occasional one or two bringing a human or two with them either as servants or a snack for later, the only difference between them, as far as Tom could tell, was that some were dull eyed with resignation to their position while others were wide eyed with terror of the new and unknown.
And all the while the shift, twist and lightening fast stabs of pain that preceded the change built, the intensity growing until Tom wasn't sure how much longer he could actually keep from crying out. Just a little longer, he told himself, head hanging down, sweat running in his eyes. His dad used to be able keep silent until past the point where you could see the bones in your hand break and stretch. He could do the same.
Eventually the tiers of seating around the cages and arena were full and Tom estimated that there were probably at least forty vampires packed in there. There was a was a crackle of a PA system, then a blare of music that wouldn't have been out of place at a fairground and then Audrey reappeared on a stage built at one end of the barn and lit by a spotlight. No longer wearing her biker leather, but something that was probably best terms ring master burlesque.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening and welcome.” She looked around at all of them. “What a show we have for you tonight.”
There were cheers and one vampire, a little louder than the rest called out that for the money they'd paid it better be bloody spectacular. Rather than be offended, Audrey just laughed. “I don't think you'll be disappointed. So before it gets any later and we can't tell our dogs apart, let me introduce Lucy.”
Bill and Ben appeared dragging a young woman between them, who was fighting every step of the way, and swearing at them telling them to let her go. Slightly built, her leggings ripped and her old t-shirt looking like it had seen better days, Tom wondered whether they'd been keeping her caged for some time or she'd been living rough somewhere.
“Don't let appearances fool you,” Audrey said, gesturing towards Lucy. “This little lady here is a werewolf. Still quite a new one, just three months.” She turn towards Lucy. “Isn't that right?”
Lucy spat towards her. “Fuck you and all you pointy teethed freaks.”
“See that spirit,” Audrey said turning back to the crowd. “A regular little spitfire. So lets have a round of applause for our newest werewolf.” She waited for the somewhat mocking clapping to die away before she spoke again, “So who have we got to fight this little lady I hear you ask – bring him out boys.”
Looking dazed and confused a man of about fifty was pushed into the arena, as Audrey said, “This is Gordon. He used to be a bit of thug in his younger days, kick your head in if you looked at him funny. He's gone to seed a bit now, but he used run with the Millwall crew until he became a family man. But that kind of fire doesn't die, we just need to ignite it again.”
Gordon stared at her, then at Lucy. “I won't fight no woman. That ain't right.”
“You will, if you want to live that is. She's not the helpless little thing you think,” Audrey said amused. “Ben give him a knife. We want it to be fair at least.”
“So that's it?” called the heckler again. “I thought you said it was going to be a night to remember.”
“They're just the warm up act,” Audrey replied. “Now let me introduce our main event.”
“In you go boy,” Joe said to Tom. “I don't want to have to come in there and drag you.”
Fighting down another stab of pain, Tom walked into the arena head held high, trying not to show the fear coiling in knots in his stomach.
“Let me introduce Tom McNair.” Audrey waiting for the chatter to die down again before continuing. “Yes, that one. Twenty one years a werewolf, over forty known vampire kills and son of 'Mad dog' McNair. Now how will that do you!”
There was more cheering and Tom felt sick. There would be no rescue for him this time, his dad was gone. Another spike of pain doubled him over, gasping and he missed whatever she said that made the crowd roar with laughter.
“Seriously though folks, what could we have to fight a seasoned vampire killer like this? No mere human, even another wolf wouldn't be much of a challenge him,” Audrey said, working the crowd. “So I'll tell you.” She nodded to Joe to take a cover off another cage that connected to the arena.
There was silence for a moment and even a few gasps from the assembled vampires, then Audrey spoke again, “Fresh from the sewers of Cardiff, the creature with no name.”
Lucy and Gordon exchanged horrified glances and backed away. Tom stared at the creature, finally seeing what had produced the hitherto unidentified scent.
Human in shape alone it wore a boiler suit that was ripped and stained with who knew what. It sniffed the air, nostrils flaring and the wrinkles on its elongated face crinkling around its deep set eyes. It turned to look at Gordon and Lucy, its taloned hand raking across the wire separating them, then it snarled, mouth full of razor like teeth as it tried with brute force to break down the fence.
Tom backed into the corner of his cage, as the vampires laughed and jeered, and a few threw bits of scrunched up paper or coins down at the creature, adding to its fury. What it was Tom didn't know, nor did he want to find out. He looked at Audrey, “You want me to fight that thing?”
“Honestly I'd rather it ripped your throat out,” Audrey said, carelessly. “It was a lot harder to catch than you were. Although there are more of them out there and only one of you, so perhaps you should try and stay alive. It might be fun to have a rematch some time. ”
There was no escaping it, Tom thought miserably, trying to ride out another spike of pain. Andy would never know what happened to him, he'd just think that he'd run away and abandoned him. Or what if they just dumped his body somewhere afterwards, maybe back in Rhayader. Would Andy have identify it or something, that had to be worse than just thinking he'd run, hadn't it? Closing his eyes, Tom gave up trying to ride out the change with his wits about him, deciding to just let the wolf free as it so desperately wanted to be. Conscious thought slipping away, Tom promised himself that he'd get home to Andy or die trying.
X0X0X0X
Tom rolled over and groaned. Everything ached, but he didn't care. Lying there, Tom laughed until tears ran down his face. He was alive and for a few minutes nothing else mattered.
When nobody appeared to either laugh at him or tell him to shut up, Tom got unsteadily to his feet and looked around. The remains of Gordon and Lucy lay in opposite corners of the arena, skin bloody and tattered, he was glad he couldn’t see their faces. The creature, whatever it was, was lying on the ground near the centre of the cage, although whether it was dead, Tom couldn’t be sure. His own clothes, with the exception of his coat, were ruined as well, as he’d refused to strip off in front of an audience of vampires.
The vampires were all gone now, although Tom suspected that some, most likely Audrey, Joe and Bill and Ben were still around somewhere to deal with the clean up. Not that he wanted to see any of them, as despite Audrey having told him if he won that she’d let him go, trusting her would be a very bad idea. Looking around Tom saw the knife that had been given to Gordon lying on the ground near the creature. He glanced back at the lock on the arena door, it didn’t look particularly sturdy, and he was fairly sure that if he had a few minutes and the knife he could get it open.
Holding his coat in one hand, ready to use it as a distraction should the creature get up, Tom paused a moment listening for the sound of anybody approaching. Hearing nothing but the patter of light rain falling outside, he slowly walked forwards.
As he approached the creature it lurched to its feet, apparently more confused by than dying from the gashes across its chest and face. It stared at Tom and made a whining noise.
“Can yer talk?” Tom asked, taking another step forwards. “Are you asking for help?”
Lightening fast and not seemingly slowed by its injuries the creature gave a snarl and lashed at him, its claws opening up bloody gouges on Tom’s leg that ran from hip to mid thigh. With a yell, Tom kicked out at it, hitting it in one of the still sluggishly bleeding wounds and it backed off snarling.
Limping backward, eyes still fixed on the creature should it try to rush him, Tom knew he didn't dare risk checking to see just how bad it was yet. It hurt and he could feel the sting an open wound and warm trickle of blood lower onto his leg below the wound, he was still standing though and there was nothing to suggest that the claws had ripped through anything major.
Tom was wondering whether to try to make a grab for the knife again, when he heard the sound of running footsteps, the noise having brought Bill in to see what was going on. “Blooming hell,” he said staring at Tom and the creature. “I thought you were both deaders.”
“I will be if you don't let me out,” Tom said thinking fast. “You know Audrey said she'd let me go if I won, well it looks like I did.”
Bill shrugged. “So what?”
“She wanted me for a rematch, so if you mess that up, I expect she'll put you in with that thing instead.”
Bill looked at the creature and then at Tom who'd slowly moved toward the door to the arena as he'd been talking. “Alright, but don't you run or I'll hand you over to Ben for a while and you'll be wishing you were back in there with that thing.”
Tom glanced down at his leg. It looked worse than it was, at least he hoped that it was, but there was no sense telling Bill that. Limping forward, exaggerating it slightly, he said, “No running from me.”
“Alright.” Bill opened the door.
The creature, seeing a chance at freedom or possibly another meal, rushed at them both. It was now or never Tom decided, and grabbing Bill's coat he pulled him into the cage with him, the momentum spinning them both round, until Bill was facing the creature.
Pushing Bill forward so that he fell against the creature, Tom stumbled through the open door and then slammed it behind him. Pausing only to grab his coat, Tom limped out and into the farmyard.
Crouching down behind large rainwater tank at the side of the barn Tom, paused listened for sounds of pursuit and looked for anything around him that he might give a clue to where they'd taken him. There was some noise from within the barn, probably Bill's friend or maybe Joe trying to get him away from the creature, and Tom decided that trying to take the van parked near the farmhouse was out of the question. Hot wiring took time, and he'd never been that good at it even when the pressure wasn't on.
To the south of the farm, the high, bare hill top that lay at the northern end of the Craig Gogh reservoir was visible, rising up steep and bleak, and to Tom's relief, not too far distant. There was little more than five or six miles of moorland between him and home. Moorland that the vampires, for all their complaints about how wolves smelt, would not be able to track him over.
Scrambling over the low wall, Tom ran for the tree line as fast as his injured would allow him and was soon hidden from view by the tangle of branches.
Part 31 http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/229740.html
Fandoms Torchwood/Being Human crossover fic.
Characters/pairings Andy Davidson/Tom McNair. Other Torchwood and Being Human characters will appear later on.
Word count: This part 4300 (Total posted 83,300 /100,000)
Rating This part teen (adult over all) – see contains below.
Contains Mentions of depression/anxiety. Mentions of past canon major character death. Mention of minor character death – not canon. In later parts canon level violence, graphic sex, Andy's homophobic mother. Spoilers for Being Human (UK version) up to series 5 episode 3, and for Torchwood up to Children of Earth.
A/N: Crossover with Being Human. Technically a CoE fix it as it's set in the same 'verse as Finding Ways To Smile Again (although that isn't apparent until about 2/3 the way through the story). Follows on from Break and Breakaway from Tom McNair's POV – which is where it breaks from Being Human canon.
Summary
After being pushed out of the police force following the events of Children of Earth, Andy Davidson tries to build a new life for himself in the deep in the Welsh countryside.
Tom McNair walked out off his old life after realising it wasn't what he needed.
A chance meeting would take their lives in directions that they had never expected and bring them love that they'd not thought they'd find.
Starts here: http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/214504.html
The market had been busier than Tom had expected, but dry weather and a coach load of tourists whose bus had broken down on the way to Brecon had meant that it had been well after five by the time he'd helped Mrs Griffifths pack down the stall.
He he'd managed to sell a few carvings and had agreed to make a couple of bookends and a house number plaque. All in all, Tom thought as he headed for the chip shop things were going pretty well. Things between him and Andy well were good too. They'd settled back into their old routine, the wolf relegated to a one night a month inconvenience. Annoyingly that one night a month was tonight and with the later than expected finish he'd only have an hour or so at home before he'd have to go out again. At least it he would if he walked back, but Tom had a plan. He'd buy them both fish and chips and then call Andy to come and pick him up, so they'd be able to spend the evening together.
There wasn't much of a queue at the chip shop and Tom realised that it would probably end up getting cold by the time Andy driven out to get him. He'd call Andy first and then buy the food. Or at least he would, Tom thought listening to the automated voice on his phone telling him he had insufficient credit to make the call. Okay, revised plan, he told himself – get phone credit, call Andy and then get fish and chips.
A van passed him on the narrow street and pulled up just down from the chip shop. Tom glanced back from where he'd finally managed to get the cash point to accept that he really did only want to top up with ten pound and he really didn't want it to do or print anything else. His heart sank as he saw it was the two men he'd seen shortly before Christmas in the car park when he'd had the run in with Vampire Biker Lady, as he now referred to her or at least would have if he'd told anybody apart from Hal about her. Deciding that he wouldn't speak to them or anything unless they came over to him first Tom turned back to the cash point.
They weren't in the chip shop, their van or anywhere else on the street when Tom had finished, and he looked around, unnerved by it, but not sure why – there were plenty of other places they could have gone. As did though the unmistakeable smell of vampire drifted past him, and a moment later the Vampire Biker Lady stepped out from an alley between two shops that had already shut for the day. Without her helmet, but still dressed in skin-tight leathers, she stalked over the street towards him.
“What do you want?” Tom asked, annoyed and now doubting that it was coincidence that the men in the work van were somewhere around too.
“What does any one want?” she said carelessly. “Food, friends and fun.”
“Ain't they all the same thing to a vampire,” Tom said knowing that he couldn't do anything without being seen. Although at least the same applied to her. A stand off again, he thought annoyed, all I want to do is get my tea and go home with Andy, why do vampires always have to muck things up?
“Snappy little thing, aren't you?” she said with a laugh that showed just too much tooth. “So are you still playing at being a real boy or has he got tired of the dog breath and hairs on the furniture?”
“He knows,” Tom replied, wishing he'd never mentioned Andy to her when they'd first met, although at least, he thought gratefully, he'd not told her his name. “And he don't mind, that's why he's better than any of your lot.”
“Mad or plain desperate then,” she said, cruel and mocking now. “I suppose its got to be better than getting too friendly with a sheep. A least you can train a dog.” She looked at his bag. “He trusts you to pick up his shopping then, does he?”
“Have you really got nothing better to do than go around annoyin' people?” Tom asked, decided that if she didn't shut up in a minute he was just going to walk right past her and go and buy his chips any way.
“I have actually.” She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
Tom caught the scent of another vampire just a fraction to late and spun round to see the younger of the two men with the van facing him, a taser in his hand.
“What...” Was all Tom had time to say as the man jabbed the taser against his stomach. The man smiled, eyes black and fangs showing. “I've always wanted to try one of these things, they look right cool.”
Tasers really, really hurt, was Tom's only thought at that moment, as pain arced through him, his legs giving way and dropping him to the ground at the vampire's feet.
“This is so much better than the old iron bar round the head, don't you think?” The vampire woman said, placing her foot on Tom's back so that he couldn't have got up even if his legs had felt up to it.
When Tom didn't answer, she removed her boot, and said, “Secure him then, or do I have to do everything myself?”
Still dizzy and with tremors running through him, Tom felt his arms being dragged roughly behind his back and his wrists fastened together with plastic ziplock cuffs. Tom looked around groggily as he was hauled to his feet to see the second van man approaching, although from his eyes it was clear he was a vampire now too.
It was probably a stupid idea, Tom decided, but he had to try, as if they got him into the van the chances of getting way were slim. He didn't need to get far though, if he could just get closer to the chip shop, then maybe they wouldn't risk it. Being seen bundling somebody into the back of a van and then speeding off generally got people suspicious, and he doubted they wanted that.
Dropping all his weight to one side so that the vampire who'd tasered and was currently holding him was off balance, Tom kicked back at him, pleased when he felt his boot come into contact with the vampire's knee. The vampire gave a yell that was more surprise than pain, and let go of him. The chance to escape though fail to present itself as the other vampire, seeing his one time workmate get kicked, decided that Tom needed the same, so after tripping him, landed a heavy kick to Tom's side.
“Stop that!” the vampire woman shouted. “I want him in good condition for tonight.” She bent down next to Tom so that he could see her face. “And you need to be a good little doggy. Bad dogs get put down, just you remember that.” She patted him on the head. “I'll make you a deal. If you survive the fight I'll think about letting you go. I can't say fairer than that.”
“That's not...a...deal,” Tom said, trying to breath through the added pain now running through his rib and hoping that it was only bruising.
“It's all I'm going to offer,” she said, straightening up. “Now get him into the van.”
0X0X0X0
The van had stunk of the same unidentified creature he'd smelt a couple of times in Rhayader, but which had otherwise remained elusive. Tied hand and foot, and with a sack over his head, Tom had rolled and bumped over the floor of the van as they had driven down what had seemed like the most pothole filled round in Wales until, at last they had eventually stopped.
It was at least another half an hour after that before the back of the van was opened and he was dragged out and dropped onto what felt like a cobbled yard. Through the coarse sacking Tom could see a farm house and for a horrible, stomach churning moment he thought that they had taken him home, that Andy was about to be dragged into the nightmare as well. The place didn't smell right though, the lingering scent of dozens of pigs remained around the long, low barns and the angle of the setting sun over the grey slate of the farmhouse roof was wrong.
“Cutting it a bit fine there, aren't you lass?” said a man with a broad Yorkshire accent, coming out of the nearest barn to meet them.
“You know me, Joe,” said vampire biker woman. “Where's the excitement in it otherwise?”
“It's going to come back and bite you one of these days, Audrey,” he said shaking his head. “So what you got for us this time? Because what Lenny brought in, well if either of them last five minutes I'll eat my hat. It'd probably be a damn cite more entertaining an' all.”
“You wait and see. It'll be a special one tonight.” Audrey smiled and wagged a finger at him. “When have I ever lied to you?”
“You ain't.”
Tom was beginning to wonder if they'd forgotten that they were actually standing over him chatting like they were just catching up at the pub or something when Joe said, “Right well let's be getting this 'un into the cage then. I don't reckon we've got too long now.”
Dragged to his feet again, Tom didn't fight it this time. Out numbered at least four to one, bound hand and foot and quite possibly miles from anywhere all he would get was another beating and put in the cage anyway. No, his only chance now was to win the fight and hope that Audrey would keep her word.
“So how are your two new helpers getting on?” Joe asked pushing Tom in front of him into the barn.
“Bill and Ben?” she said, following them inside. “About as well as you expect. Honestly they've not got a brain cell between, but Ben at least enjoys his work. Vicious little bastard if you give him the chance. Give a century or two and he might even be able to think for himself. And Bill, well he'll stay to keep the Ben company. He's some kind of relative I think, uncle maybe. I can't I really cared enough to listen.”
“You reckon this ones up doing anything?” Joe said, pulling the sack off Tom's head and pushing him through an open door into cage. “He's just a kid.”
On his knees on the floor of the cage Tom could feel the first twinges of the change stirring deep in his bones, the ache adding to the last hour or so of rough treatment. Gritting his teeth he got up and turned to face them. “It ain't the first time I've bin in one of these places. An' there were a lot of dead vamps and no dead wolves that time, so you'd better watch out.”
“Well he talks the talk,” Joe said, not sounding impressed in the least. “Alright, lad. You back up to the wires and I'll cut the cuffs. Ain't gonna be much of a fight otherwise.”
Tom just glared at him, taking in the set up of cages and wire fenced arena as he did so. The dried blood on the floor, the scraps of fur snagged on the wires and solitary human tooth lying forgotten in a corner pointed to only one thing - what was going on here was no one time thing.
“Alright then.” Joe shrugged and started to turn away. “You can try changing with 'em on if you want. Might be good for a laugh, well for us anyway.”
Joe had a point as much as Tom hated to admit it – if the cuffs didn't break while he changed they'd end up cutting into his wrists. Dying because he couldn't defend himself or because the cuffs cut through an artery wasn't an option. He was going to fight, he was going to win and then he was going home. He closed his eyes knowing Andy would be worrying where he was by now. Tomorrow he'd see him again, Tom told himself, hoping if he told himself it enough times he'd believe it. Tomorrow things would be alright again.
“Fine,” Tom said angrily, moving awkwardly over to the end of the cage, the short rope tying his feet together only allowing him to shuffle.
“See, he's a good boy really. Well trained,” Audrey said, as Joe used a pair of clippers to cut the plastic ties. “Right well, I'd better go and get ready.”
With his hands untied, Tom spent a few minutes removing the rope from his ankles, fingers tingling and clumsy. Freed from their cramped position behind his back, his arms and shoulders started to ache again, but Tom forced himself to stretch and move them until the it lessened.
Vampires started to arrive alone, in couples or occasionally in groups, the occasional one or two bringing a human or two with them either as servants or a snack for later, the only difference between them, as far as Tom could tell, was that some were dull eyed with resignation to their position while others were wide eyed with terror of the new and unknown.
And all the while the shift, twist and lightening fast stabs of pain that preceded the change built, the intensity growing until Tom wasn't sure how much longer he could actually keep from crying out. Just a little longer, he told himself, head hanging down, sweat running in his eyes. His dad used to be able keep silent until past the point where you could see the bones in your hand break and stretch. He could do the same.
Eventually the tiers of seating around the cages and arena were full and Tom estimated that there were probably at least forty vampires packed in there. There was a was a crackle of a PA system, then a blare of music that wouldn't have been out of place at a fairground and then Audrey reappeared on a stage built at one end of the barn and lit by a spotlight. No longer wearing her biker leather, but something that was probably best terms ring master burlesque.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening and welcome.” She looked around at all of them. “What a show we have for you tonight.”
There were cheers and one vampire, a little louder than the rest called out that for the money they'd paid it better be bloody spectacular. Rather than be offended, Audrey just laughed. “I don't think you'll be disappointed. So before it gets any later and we can't tell our dogs apart, let me introduce Lucy.”
Bill and Ben appeared dragging a young woman between them, who was fighting every step of the way, and swearing at them telling them to let her go. Slightly built, her leggings ripped and her old t-shirt looking like it had seen better days, Tom wondered whether they'd been keeping her caged for some time or she'd been living rough somewhere.
“Don't let appearances fool you,” Audrey said, gesturing towards Lucy. “This little lady here is a werewolf. Still quite a new one, just three months.” She turn towards Lucy. “Isn't that right?”
Lucy spat towards her. “Fuck you and all you pointy teethed freaks.”
“See that spirit,” Audrey said turning back to the crowd. “A regular little spitfire. So lets have a round of applause for our newest werewolf.” She waited for the somewhat mocking clapping to die away before she spoke again, “So who have we got to fight this little lady I hear you ask – bring him out boys.”
Looking dazed and confused a man of about fifty was pushed into the arena, as Audrey said, “This is Gordon. He used to be a bit of thug in his younger days, kick your head in if you looked at him funny. He's gone to seed a bit now, but he used run with the Millwall crew until he became a family man. But that kind of fire doesn't die, we just need to ignite it again.”
Gordon stared at her, then at Lucy. “I won't fight no woman. That ain't right.”
“You will, if you want to live that is. She's not the helpless little thing you think,” Audrey said amused. “Ben give him a knife. We want it to be fair at least.”
“So that's it?” called the heckler again. “I thought you said it was going to be a night to remember.”
“They're just the warm up act,” Audrey replied. “Now let me introduce our main event.”
“In you go boy,” Joe said to Tom. “I don't want to have to come in there and drag you.”
Fighting down another stab of pain, Tom walked into the arena head held high, trying not to show the fear coiling in knots in his stomach.
“Let me introduce Tom McNair.” Audrey waiting for the chatter to die down again before continuing. “Yes, that one. Twenty one years a werewolf, over forty known vampire kills and son of 'Mad dog' McNair. Now how will that do you!”
There was more cheering and Tom felt sick. There would be no rescue for him this time, his dad was gone. Another spike of pain doubled him over, gasping and he missed whatever she said that made the crowd roar with laughter.
“Seriously though folks, what could we have to fight a seasoned vampire killer like this? No mere human, even another wolf wouldn't be much of a challenge him,” Audrey said, working the crowd. “So I'll tell you.” She nodded to Joe to take a cover off another cage that connected to the arena.
There was silence for a moment and even a few gasps from the assembled vampires, then Audrey spoke again, “Fresh from the sewers of Cardiff, the creature with no name.”
Lucy and Gordon exchanged horrified glances and backed away. Tom stared at the creature, finally seeing what had produced the hitherto unidentified scent.
Human in shape alone it wore a boiler suit that was ripped and stained with who knew what. It sniffed the air, nostrils flaring and the wrinkles on its elongated face crinkling around its deep set eyes. It turned to look at Gordon and Lucy, its taloned hand raking across the wire separating them, then it snarled, mouth full of razor like teeth as it tried with brute force to break down the fence.
Tom backed into the corner of his cage, as the vampires laughed and jeered, and a few threw bits of scrunched up paper or coins down at the creature, adding to its fury. What it was Tom didn't know, nor did he want to find out. He looked at Audrey, “You want me to fight that thing?”
“Honestly I'd rather it ripped your throat out,” Audrey said, carelessly. “It was a lot harder to catch than you were. Although there are more of them out there and only one of you, so perhaps you should try and stay alive. It might be fun to have a rematch some time. ”
There was no escaping it, Tom thought miserably, trying to ride out another spike of pain. Andy would never know what happened to him, he'd just think that he'd run away and abandoned him. Or what if they just dumped his body somewhere afterwards, maybe back in Rhayader. Would Andy have identify it or something, that had to be worse than just thinking he'd run, hadn't it? Closing his eyes, Tom gave up trying to ride out the change with his wits about him, deciding to just let the wolf free as it so desperately wanted to be. Conscious thought slipping away, Tom promised himself that he'd get home to Andy or die trying.
X0X0X0X
Tom rolled over and groaned. Everything ached, but he didn't care. Lying there, Tom laughed until tears ran down his face. He was alive and for a few minutes nothing else mattered.
When nobody appeared to either laugh at him or tell him to shut up, Tom got unsteadily to his feet and looked around. The remains of Gordon and Lucy lay in opposite corners of the arena, skin bloody and tattered, he was glad he couldn’t see their faces. The creature, whatever it was, was lying on the ground near the centre of the cage, although whether it was dead, Tom couldn’t be sure. His own clothes, with the exception of his coat, were ruined as well, as he’d refused to strip off in front of an audience of vampires.
The vampires were all gone now, although Tom suspected that some, most likely Audrey, Joe and Bill and Ben were still around somewhere to deal with the clean up. Not that he wanted to see any of them, as despite Audrey having told him if he won that she’d let him go, trusting her would be a very bad idea. Looking around Tom saw the knife that had been given to Gordon lying on the ground near the creature. He glanced back at the lock on the arena door, it didn’t look particularly sturdy, and he was fairly sure that if he had a few minutes and the knife he could get it open.
Holding his coat in one hand, ready to use it as a distraction should the creature get up, Tom paused a moment listening for the sound of anybody approaching. Hearing nothing but the patter of light rain falling outside, he slowly walked forwards.
As he approached the creature it lurched to its feet, apparently more confused by than dying from the gashes across its chest and face. It stared at Tom and made a whining noise.
“Can yer talk?” Tom asked, taking another step forwards. “Are you asking for help?”
Lightening fast and not seemingly slowed by its injuries the creature gave a snarl and lashed at him, its claws opening up bloody gouges on Tom’s leg that ran from hip to mid thigh. With a yell, Tom kicked out at it, hitting it in one of the still sluggishly bleeding wounds and it backed off snarling.
Limping backward, eyes still fixed on the creature should it try to rush him, Tom knew he didn't dare risk checking to see just how bad it was yet. It hurt and he could feel the sting an open wound and warm trickle of blood lower onto his leg below the wound, he was still standing though and there was nothing to suggest that the claws had ripped through anything major.
Tom was wondering whether to try to make a grab for the knife again, when he heard the sound of running footsteps, the noise having brought Bill in to see what was going on. “Blooming hell,” he said staring at Tom and the creature. “I thought you were both deaders.”
“I will be if you don't let me out,” Tom said thinking fast. “You know Audrey said she'd let me go if I won, well it looks like I did.”
Bill shrugged. “So what?”
“She wanted me for a rematch, so if you mess that up, I expect she'll put you in with that thing instead.”
Bill looked at the creature and then at Tom who'd slowly moved toward the door to the arena as he'd been talking. “Alright, but don't you run or I'll hand you over to Ben for a while and you'll be wishing you were back in there with that thing.”
Tom glanced down at his leg. It looked worse than it was, at least he hoped that it was, but there was no sense telling Bill that. Limping forward, exaggerating it slightly, he said, “No running from me.”
“Alright.” Bill opened the door.
The creature, seeing a chance at freedom or possibly another meal, rushed at them both. It was now or never Tom decided, and grabbing Bill's coat he pulled him into the cage with him, the momentum spinning them both round, until Bill was facing the creature.
Pushing Bill forward so that he fell against the creature, Tom stumbled through the open door and then slammed it behind him. Pausing only to grab his coat, Tom limped out and into the farmyard.
Crouching down behind large rainwater tank at the side of the barn Tom, paused listened for sounds of pursuit and looked for anything around him that he might give a clue to where they'd taken him. There was some noise from within the barn, probably Bill's friend or maybe Joe trying to get him away from the creature, and Tom decided that trying to take the van parked near the farmhouse was out of the question. Hot wiring took time, and he'd never been that good at it even when the pressure wasn't on.
To the south of the farm, the high, bare hill top that lay at the northern end of the Craig Gogh reservoir was visible, rising up steep and bleak, and to Tom's relief, not too far distant. There was little more than five or six miles of moorland between him and home. Moorland that the vampires, for all their complaints about how wolves smelt, would not be able to track him over.
Scrambling over the low wall, Tom ran for the tree line as fast as his injured would allow him and was soon hidden from view by the tangle of branches.
Part 31 http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/229740.html
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Date: 2014-03-09 06:50 pm (UTC)Great to read more :D