Family Ties

A Supernatural story: I don't own the characters just the crazy idea floating around in my head! AA

Chapter 1 Watching

Carrie Beth wiped the bar down with a damp white rag. The slow time for the diner was typically between three and four o'clock in the morning and she took the time to clean the tables and refill the sugar and toothpick containers. She started a fresh pot of coffee and grabbed all the salt and pepper shakers to redistribute them to the tables. The bell above the door jingled and a group of weary looking travelers strolled into the diner.

"Have a seat wherever you want folks and I'll be with you in a minute."

She set the salt and pepper shakers on the counter, wiped her hands on her apron, and grabbed her pad and pen. "Can I start you with something to drink?" she asked. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Who else is here with you young lady?"

She didn't think the question was odd. She had been asked it many times in the years she had been working at the diner. She figured it was because she was a young woman and folks were either being protective or looking to take advantage. She grinned at the man who had asked the question and noticed the darkness in his eyes. "Well I've got a cook and a housekeeper and another waitress around here somewhere. Why do she ask?" She answered with a grin.

The man smiled at her but didn't move. "Just wondering if there was enough to go around."

The sudden intensity that filled the diner made Carrie Beth step back from the table. "I'm not sure what you mean," she said in a higher pitched voice than she intended.

"You asked what we wanted to drink and I was just making sure that there was enough of our choice to go around young lady."

She eyed him cautiously. "But… you didn't order anything."

"Well you see… Carrie Beth," a female member of the group said reading her name badge in the process, "we haven't ordered because what we want isn't exactly on the menu."

Carrie Beth drew in a deep breath. "Well this is just great," she said dramatically. "You want to drink my blood or eat my liver or something don't you?"

She crossed her arms in a huff across her chest. "Why is it that all the customers that come in at this time of day only want to maim and murder us? We actually have a great menu and don't you think you could skip out on the mayhem for one night."

The group laughed at her before they started moving around the diner. The last thing she remembered was the orange vest of the man who had asked who else was with her in the diner.

XXXXXXXXX

Carrie Beth woke up slowly. Her vision was blurry and she wasn't sure where she was or how she got there. She shook her head and blinked several times attempting to clear her vision. As the room came into focus she looked around trying to decipher just what she had gotten into last night. The room was basically empty and she almost sighed with relief until she made eye contact with another captive.

She stared at Marci trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Her uniform from the diner was dirty but there was something about the angle in which she was laying that disturbed Carrie Beth. She tried to call out Marci's name only to realize she was gagged. The realization suddenly hit her that she was bound and gagged on her knees on the dirty floor.

The memories of the ordeal hit her like a ton of bricks and she let out a choked sob. Marci was dead. Carrie Beth glanced down at her uniform and noticed the blood that coated her apron and skirt. It wasn't hers. She felt hot tears run down her cheeks as she remember the monsters from the diner. They had killed the housekeeper in the diner and left her body there to rot. She had a family and was working at the diner to help save money for the house they wanted to buy. Now she was dead and her blood was all over Marci's uniform.

The monsters had laughed when the youngest of the group had slit the woman's throat open. The man in the orange vest had pushed Carrie Beth to her knees next to the woman and made her watch as the youngest member lapped her blood up with his tongue. He had been messy and that was how she had become covered in blood herself. "Look at her," the man in the orange vest said, "see how glassy her eyes are? She's dying from blood loss and Gus here is the reason."

She had been crying silent tears the entire time as she watched the life leave the woman's eyes. They had knocked her out then and she briefly remembered being tossed around in a box or bag of some kind. She remembered Marci, her fellow waitress on the night shift and Ernie, the cook, being placed on their knees and tied in a similar fashion to her. The monsters had taken Marci first. Carrie Beth had heard her screaming from the room at the end of the hallway and must have passed out from fear.

Marci was dead and Ernie was nowhere to be seen. She heard it then. A deep, disgusting laugh and the sound of Ernie begging. "Please don't. Please! I never did anything to you! I don't even know you man!"

"Keep begging human." She recognized the voice of the man in the orange vest. "Begging makes the blood so much sweeter."

She heard Ernie scream then before she passed out again.

XXXXXXXX

She wasn't as groggy when she woke up the next time, but she was still bound and gagged on her knees. She glanced towards where Marci's body had been and noticed Ernie sitting next to her glassy eyed and dead. She tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry from the gag. She was next.

She had been praying for rescue throughout the ordeal, but now she just prayed that it was over quickly. She was strong, but in her position bound on her knees there was nothing she could do to overpower her captors. She wondered what was behind the door at the end of the hall. Maybe if they had to release her hands or feet she could escape. She glanced back at Ernie. If they had managed to take Ernie down and kill him, how could she possibly have a chance?

The door at the end of the hallway opened throwing light into the room. "She's awake," said the man with the orange vest.

He strolled down the hallway followed closely by another man and woman and the young man who had killed the housekeeper. "Oh little Carrie Beth. You are going to be so sweet. I can just taste your goodness now," said orange vest. "We were quick with the others you see, but you, you are special. You have suffered some already, but you haven't really felt pain yet."

He started pacing back in forth in front of her and she watched him cautiously. "Are you ready for the fun?" he asked, but she couldn't answer. "I said 'Are you ready for the fun' bitch?" he screamed at her before he started laughing. "Gale, grab her some water will you. I forgot the stupid bitch had been gagged this whole time."

He squatted down in front of her and pulled the gag from her mouth. "You have to be at your best to make this really fun. I'm sure your mouth and throat are dry so we'll let you drink some water before we go to the play room."

She didn't speak. The woman he called Gale brought back a bottle of water with a straw. She held the straw to Carrie Beth's mouth and instructed her to drink. Carrie Beth didn't want to, but orange vest was right when he said her throat and mouth we so dry. Maybe she could scream for help if she relieved the dryness. She sipped the water slowly at first and then began to gulp. The woman held the bottle patiently and waited for Carrie Beth to finish. "More?" she asked.

Carrie Beth nodded and the woman disappeared but came right back with another bottle of water. Carrie Beth drank this one slowly and pulled away after half the bottle was gone. "Satisfied?" Gale asked.

"Yes," Carrie Beth croaked out.

The orange vest took a deep breath and smiled at her wickedly. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Why?" Carrie Beth asked. "Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?"

The orange vest cackled with evil laughter. "She wants to know why. This dumb bitch wants to know why we have killed her friends and why she is going to pay. How stupid are you?"

Gale touched the orange vest lightly. "She may not know Viktor. She lived with that woman remember. The one who claimed to be her grandmother."

Carrie Beth scrunched her face up. Claimed to be her grandmother? What the hell did that mean? "Damn it you are right Gale. I didn't think about our little princess here not knowing her heritage."

The young guy spoke next. "Let's take her to the play room and you can tell her the story before we start the games," he suggested.

"Now that is a brilliant idea Brent. I'm so glad you joined us. You really make things easier for me." Orange vest glanced back at the other man before he spoke again. "Get her up Simon. I'm sure she can't walk because she's been in that position for so long. Strap her down to the table, but elevate her head. I want her to pay attention to my story."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The one named Simon had picked her up like she was weightless. He had left her bound until he dropped her onto a hard surface and then had held her still while he strapped her down with some sort of leather restraints. She glanced around the room trying to decide if there was a way out of this mess. There were chairs around the surface she was lying on and she realized she was in a dining room. There was a broken chandelier hanging over her head and the smell of blood was heavy in the room.

Gale lifted her head and placed a folded blanket of some sort beneath it to elevate her off the table. "Aren't you as pretty as a picture," Viktor said strolling into the room and closing the door. "You can scream all you want little one, but no one can hear you in here."

She stared at the ceiling and started praying that her demise would be quick. She wasn't sure what they were going to do to her, but she didn't want to suffer. Suddenly Viktor was leaning over her and staring into her face. "Now now pet, you are going to look at me when I talk to you. This story is important. You need to know why you have to suffer for the crimes of your father."

She shook her head at him. "I never knew my father," she croaked out while hot tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I've lived with my grandmother my whole life. Please, you have the wrong person."

"Scent does not lie sweet heart, but people… people will lie about anything. You are lying to me because you smell just like him."

"Who?" she whispered.

"Your father, the man who murdered my mate."

She shook her head violently now. "I don't know what you are talking about!" She screamed at him. "I never knew my father! I have lived with my grandmother, Edna Morrow for my entire life! I don't know what you are talking about!"

He slapped her then and she immediately tasted blood. The younger one of the monsters growled and licked his lips. "She smells delicious," he said.

"Later Brent," Viktor said harshly.

"Have you figured out what we are yet Carrie Beth?" he spat at her. "Let me help you. We can only come out at night because we are kind of sensitive to the sun. We are immortal unless you cut off our heads. We really, really like the taste of human blood. Any ideas?"

She closed her eyes tightly and sobbed quietly as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "What are we Carrie Beth?" Viktor asked.

She didn't answer but she was beginning to shake trying to hold back her cries. She wouldn't give them the pleasure of hearing her scream. "Say it!" he yelled at her.

"Vampires!" she screamed out. Crying and sobbing she continued her tirade. She couldn't hold back her screams now. "YOU. ARE. BLOODY. FUCKING. VAMPIRES!" She bit out between sobs.

Viktor grabbed the back of her head and pulled her face close to his. She could smell the blood on his breath but she refused to open her eyes. "Open your eyes bitch," he whispered. When she didn't comply he increased the pressure on her neck. "I said open your eyes!"

She did and he grinned at her showing her a second set of sharp white teeth. "I met Marla in the 1930's and I knew from the moment I smelled her she was my mate. Vampires mate for life. Did you know that Carrie Beth?"

He didn't wait on her answer before he kept talking. "Marla was my everything and when I turned her she was beyond fabulous. She was ruthless and cunning. She was the perfect vampire."

He let go of Carrie Beth's head and she relaxed back against the pillow as best she could. "We had found some prime hunting ground in a little town in Arkansas. The locals were naïve and feeding was easy until your dad and his partner showed up."

Viktor had paced to the end of the table now and was looking at her feet. He slipped her shoes off and threw them across the room. She felt a prick on the top of her foot and watched with muted disgust as he licked the drop of blood that appeared. "So sweet," he said breathily and the others licked their lips in anticipation. "You have his scent in your blood Carrie Beth," he said grinning at her. "When they rolled into town we weren't worried. We were gods in that town and everyone worshiped us. People assume a lot about vampires, but not those two guys. No they knew things about us that wasn't part of books or movies."

Viktor moved to her other leg and pricked a place on her calf. He licked the drop of blood that appeared and she sobbed silently. "Marla and I were getting ready to turn a couple of town folks. Ones that we felt would help us after we had drained the town dry when they showed up."

Viktor pushed the yellow skirt of her uniform up her thigh and pricked a place there. This time he drug his finger across the spot and held the drop of blood up to the light. She heard one of the others, probably Brent, groan. He slid his finger down his tongue and swallowed loudly before he continued talking. "Carrie Beth dear, you are shaking. Are you afraid?" He laughed at her. "I'm so sorry this is scaring you," he said mockingly. "Your dad and the black guy that was with him, he called him Rufus such a dumbass name, they blocked the exits to the house so we couldn't get out. Rufus covered the back door while your dad came busting through the front. Marla never stood a chance. Your dad, he had a machete. Scary looking knife. It was sharp too. It took Marla's head off with one swipe and I watched the whole thing."

Carrie Beth closed her eyes and tried to fight the tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. "HE. CUT. OFF. HER. HEAD," Viktor said, pronouncing each word with hate. "And now Carrie Beth, my dear, my pet, my dove, you and your little friends are going to pay the price for her death. I started out hunting down the bitch that gave birth to you but she went and got herself blown up trying to help those damn Winchester's. Her other daughter would have been a good target because even though he wasn't her dad he knew her personally, but she got ripped up by a hellhound first and ruined my plan."

He was back at the head of the table now. He grabbed the top of her yellow uniform and yanked it open throwing buttons across the room. He slid his hand in-between her breasts and smiled before he pricked her left breast and drew blood. She turned her head away as he leaned over to lick the drop that appeared and sobbed out loud as he squeezed her breast to produce more blood. "I was going after the Winchester's but those boys, man they are psychos. I left them alone. Your dad was in a wheelchair and I thought he would make an easy target but hell fire if he didn't make a deal with a demon and get his legs back."

He grabbed her chin and pulled her face towards him. "You can see that I was getting frustrated. I wanted revenge and every opportunity I was foiled." He kissed her then, forcing her mouth open with his thumb on her chin and slipping his tongue inside. "God you taste good," he said pulling back from her. "You can imagine how excited… thrilled I was when we caught your scent driving through this little punk ass town. The others, they thought I was crazy because they didn't know the scent like I did. But they followed me and we watched that shitty diner for a couple of days before this fateful night. Your friends were appetizers so that we could make you last and last all night long Carrie Beth. Does that make you excited?"

"How can you blame me?" she spat at him. "I never knew any of those people! I am innocent!"

"Hell yeah you are," he said with a chuckle, "in more ways than one. I can taste it in your blood. Maybe I should rid you of that nonsense before I suck you dry."

She turned towards him now and met his gaze. "You wouldn't dare," she whispered.

He licked his teeth. "I could turn you. Could make you one of us. Would you like that? Then it would be torture forever instead of just one night. I could use another mate."

She heard Gale let out a soft cry at that comment. "I don't think Gale likes that idea," she said bitterly.

He nodded at her and smirked. "A seven course meal it is then and I'll leave your innocence intact. There is something wicked about knowing that you are dying a virgin. How the hell are you still one anyway? Aren't you like fifty or something?"

She grimaced. "I'm thirty-three," she said not sure why she felt like he needed to know her age.

"Such a young age to die," he said. "But it took me long enough to find you."

"Answer one question for me," she said with conviction.

"Dying wish?" he said with a chuckle. "Sure."

"My… father's name. I want to know my father's name."

He grinned at her. "Yeah I bet you do." He leaned over close to her and whispered the name into her ear and she nodded her acceptance. She closed her eyes then, ready to meet her fate.