Blood Vane

:::::::::::::::


One week later:

Micky Cooper had had a hard week. He had been so sure after what happened after the Carolina/Georgia game that Blood had finally decided that they were more than just friends, and that they would be a couple from then on.

Instead, all he had gotten from his best friend since then were a few stammering sentences before Blood bolted away from him as quickly as possible. It hurt Micky’s feelings because he knew he was being ignored, and Blood was going out of his way to avoid him. The fact that his friend wouldn’t even meet his eyes whenever he did manage to corner him for a few minutes stung even more.

It didn’t make it any easier that he couldn’t help but notice how Blood’s eyes seemed to follow Seth everywhere he went. Just the thought that Blood might be developing feelings for Seth Edwards made Micky’s stomach twist into a painful knot.

As far as Micky could tell, he had done nothing wrong. Nothing that should have had had best friend giving him the cold shoulder anyway.

Now he just stood and watched as Blood and Seth ate lunch in a companionable huddle without him. He knew that if he walked over, Blood would suddenly remember that he needed to be elsewhere.

He was just watching and brooding, when suddenly he felt a sinister presence sidle right up beside him.

“Seems like Blood and Edwards are becoming quite.... close.” Roddy Malone said.

Micky shifted uncomfortably. If there was one thing he didn’t need, it was Malone pointing out things he already knew.

“It doesn’t seem quite fair somehow.” Malone continued. “After all, you saw him first.” Roddy Malone turned so that he was facing Micky. “Too bad that Seth is just so much better looking than you are.”

“Fuck off Malone.” Micky scowled at him.

“Not that it really matters.” Roddy shrugged. “Edwards belongs to me, and I mean to have him.... even if it means cutting Vane’s throat.”

Micky stiffened. He knew that Roddy didn’t make idle threats.

Roddy leaned in so close that he was whispering in Micky’s ear. “If you want to have any hope of saving your boyfriend, you’ll listen to me. Come to my cell in a half hour.”

Then Malone was gone and Micky was left standing there. His mind awhirl with what Roddy had told him, and the blistering jealousy that washed over him every time Blood and Seth smiled at one another.



Roddy Malone grinned as he sauntered back to his cell. Cooper was so easy to read that it was pathetic.

His cellmate, Luke Miles glanced up from the skin mag he had been ogling as Roddy came through the door. “You look happy.” He grinned back at Malone.

“I am.” Roddy nodded. “Everything is beginning to fall into place.”

“Oh.... that reminds me.” Luke shifted on his bunk, reaching underneath the thin mattress to pull out a small baggie with about half an ounce of crystalline powder inside. “I got what you wanted.”

Roddy’s grin broadened as he grabbed for the bag, only to have Luke snatch it out of his reach. “Uh uh Malone.” Luke said. “Before you get this; we talk.”

Roddy scowled at his second in command. He wasn’t used to not getting his way. “Talk about what?”

“Well....” Luke leered at him. “Before I give you this, I want to know... who are you planning to rape?”

“What makes you think I’m planning to rape anybody?”

“Because....” Luke shook the baggie at him. “You specifically asked for this... not the easiest thing in the world to get either, by the way.”

“Give it to me.”

“Not until you tell me who its for.”

“Why?” Roddy sneered. “Wanna help?”

“No.” Luke smirked. “But if I’m going to help you do it I want details. Its Edwards right?”

Roddy nodded slowly.

“I thought so.” Luke grinned. “You’ve had a hard on for him since he came through the door.”

“Just give me the stuff.”

Still smirking, Luke tossed the baggie containing the GHB to his boss.



Micky wriggled under the arm thrown across his shoulders. He really didn’t like being this close to Roddy Malone. Not like he had a choice though.

Malone had grabbed him as soon as he stepped through the door. “W-what do you want?” Micky stammered.

Roddy grinned down at the trembling boy he held close to his side. “Nothing much.” The grin grew to a nasty leer. “You’re just going to do me a tiny favor.”



That night:

Thomas “Blood” Vane found himself walking underneath a gray dismal sky with no one for company but the two wolves at his side. Slowly he looked around him. It seemed that they were in the middle of a huge field of dead grass.

With the wolves following closely, Blood made his way to the center of the barren field to a huge, blackened tree that stood towering over everything. Its ebony, skeletal branches reached for the sky; but not one leaf decorated the tree. It seemed that it had died while reaching for the stars.

Blood cautiously touched the trunk of the massive tree. There was no life there. Its heart had stopped beating long ago, yet in its own way it still tried to offer shelter in the only way it could.

Suddenly the wolves at his side started to growl threateningly. Blood tore his gaze away from the tree just as the large owl from his previous dream swooped down at him, clutching a long red snake in its talons.

Blood ducked as the wolves growled and barked. The owl dropped the snake at his feet, and then perched itself on one of the trees lower branches. “Who!” It screeched at the wolves. “Who!”

He froze as the snake uncoiled itself and raised its head. The thing was at least six feet long and seemed to be growing as he watched. Its tongue flicked out of its mouth. Tasting the air. Tasting the essence of the beings that stood before it.

Before he could stop them, both wolves bolted in front of him to confront the snake. It hissed menacingly, and seemed to grin. Blood screamed at his wolves to come back, but they were determined to protect him.

Both of them had their fur standing on end as they circled the snake. The serpent followed their every movement with an intensity that was truly unnerving. It watched and waited for its chance.

It took only one slight misstep. One paw just barely misplaced and the snake struck with vengeance. Blood cried out as he saw the sharp, deadly fangs sink into the soft fur of his wolfs neck. His chest constricted and he felt as though the twin daggers had been buried in his own heart as the once proud beast fell to the ground.

The other wolf immediately attacked. Snarling, it threw itself into the path of the snake to protect its brother. The serpent easily slithered away, then turned back on itself to sink its fangs into the throat of the second wolf.

Blood clutched at his throat. He couldn’t breathe. His vision turned hazy as he watched the second wolf collapse to the ground.

The snake reared its triangle shaped head in triumph. “Eassssssssyy.” It taunted with a hiss.

The word echoed through his head. Easy.

Thomas Vane forced himself to stagger back to his feet. The viper grinned, and flicked its bifurcated tongue at him. “Eassssssssyy.”

Blood swayed on his feet. The world was spinning.

A low, terrified whine split through the deafening silence of the dead field. Glancing down, Blood was shocked to see a lone wolf pup cowering behind his ankles.

The snakes slatted eyes widened. Obviously, it hadn’t been expecting the pup either. Not so easy after all.

Blood stiffened his stance and prepared to meet the snake head on.



Thomas Vane sat straight up in his bunk, and nearly screamed as the dream abruptly ended. Frantically he glanced around him, his breathing harsh and panicked. His heart felt like it was trying to beat right out of his chest, and he could barely swallow around the lump in his throat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked around the small room. It was okay, he kept telling himself. No snakes. Only a dream.

He glanced over at the other bunk in the cell where Seth lay snoring peacefully. They were both safe. It was just a dream. Thank God.

It had felt so real though. Blood chewed nervously at his bottom lip. Too real.

The first light of the new dawn was just breaking over the horizon as Blood Vane crawled down to the small locker at the end of his bed and retrieved some paper and one of the short, stubby pencils that Hillbern’s inmates were allowed to keep for personal letters. He needed some advice, and he knew one person that might be able to decipher his dream.

Blood thought about exactly what he wanted to say for a moment, then put pencil to paper.

Dear Grandfather.....


TBC....


A/N GHB:GHB and its analogues GBL, and BD 1,4 have gained notoriety as drugs used to facilitate sexual assault, adding an urgency to law enforcement efforts to pursue traffickers of these drugs.

The Dangers of Predatory Drugs

These drugs render the victim incapable of resisting sexual advances.

Sexual Assaults facilitated by these drugs can be difficult to prosecute or even recognize because:

Victims may not be aware that they ingested a drug at all. The drugs are invisible and odorless when dissolved in water. They are somewhat salty tasting, but are indiscernible when dissolved in beverages such as sodas, juice, liquor, or beer.

Due to memory problems induced by these drugs, the victim may not be aware of the attack until 8-12 hours after it occurred.

The drugs are metabolized quickly, so there may be little physical evidence to support the claim that the drugs were used to facilitate an assault.

Memory impairment caused by the drugs also eliminates evidence about the attack.