Available Darkness Season 1

bouncing echo from one of Tiny’s men called out, “Five-Oh is here.”
    John stared at the portal, waiting for Caleb to reappear on either side, but the gateway was filled with smoke, and John couldn’t see a thing.
    “Caleb!”
    No response.
    He heard someone call his name, but it wasn’t Caleb.
    It was Abigail ― from somewhere in his mind.
    John, where am I? I’m in a box and can’t get out… I’m scared .
    John stared at the portal, half tempted to jump through to the other side to bring Caleb back. But he had no idea what would happen once he crossed over. If the portal closed with him on the other side, he’d be trapped, possibly forever.
    John… please. Abigail’s voice cried out, Can you hear me?
    John closed his eyes, I’m on my way.

    **

    John met up with Tiny outside. The remnants of his crew had disappeared into the dark, as flashing lights from fire trucks and police cars lit the scene. One of the cops shouted for John and Tiny to stay put. John answered with a blast of energy, knocking the man back, as Tiny hopped into the driver’s side of the van. John climbed in and rode shotgun.
    Tiny checked the rearview as they raced away, but the cops were too busy dealing with a burning building and fleeing gangsters to consider chase.
    John closed his eyes, trying to reach Abigail.
    Nothing.
    Tiny got on his phone, and dialed one of his men, “Hey, who’s with Larry? Oh, you are? Put him on the phone.”
    Tiny handed the phone to John.
    “Larry, are you there yet?”
    “We’re almost there, we’ll call you the minute we are.”
    “No, stay on the phone,” John commanded, not wanting to let go of the only tether he had to Abigail.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 13 — Larry and John

    Larry

    Larry and B arrived in the clearing where John had been buried and betrayed. The box was in the wide open, fully above ground. B stopped the car and Larry raced towards the coffin, a crowbar in one hand, phone in the other.
    “The box is here!” he said to John.
    Larry banged on the box, “Abi, can you hear me?!”
    “Larry?” she said from inside, voice frail.
    “Yeah, honey, it’s me, I’m gonna get you out in a sec.”
    “I don’t feel so good, Larry,” she said. “I feel … weak … and hungry.”
    “What’s that?” John called out on the phone, “What’s wrong?”
    “Shit,” Larry said, “I think she’s in need of feeding.”
    “Open the box!” John screamed.
    “She might attack us,” Larry said, “while she might not kill me, she can kill B. Hold on, I’m putting the phone down.”
    Larry yelled at B, who was approaching to help.
    “Get outta here!” Larry yelled, “She’s a vampire, and she needs to feed now!”
    B stood for a moment as what Larry said sunk in. Abigail began kicking at the box, growling, likely sensing the meal outside.
    “Leave the van and just take off, don’t stop running.”
    B’s eyes widened; he fled without another word.
    Larry waited for a moment until B was out of site, then pried at the locks with a crowbar.
    The locks fell and Abigail burst from the box, eyes wide and dark, hands twitching, nose sniffing the air.
    “Abi!” Larry shouted, trying to rock her from her trance-like state.
    Suddenly, she leaped over Larry, bounding towards two gunmen who had appeared from behind.
    “Freeze, FBI!” one of them shouted, taking aim at Abi.
    She jumped into the air as gunshots cracked the night. The gunmen missed her as she flew past the man on the right, hooking his neck with her palm and connecting, causing him to fall to the ground convulsing, burning alive as she swallowed his life.
    “We’ve got a feeder!” another agent shouted.
    Larry realized they were surrounded.
    One of the agents shot at Abi and she fell to the ground like a drugged lion, gnashes turning to whispers on her way down. Larry saw a glowing green dart sticking out of her leg.
    “Abi!” Larry shouted just before a second dart sent him to the ground.

    **

    John

    John and Tiny watched from afar as the FBI vans left the field. John felt utterly helpless, unable to stop them from taking Abigail.
    “Should we follow?” Tiny asked.
    John wanted to, more than he’d ever wanted anything, but something told him not to. He didn’t know if it was instinct, something he couldn’t quite understand, or maybe just fear whispering in his ear that if he went against the Guardians, Abigail would die. She was alive, for now. And he had an idea where they were taking her.
    “No, we