Available Darkness Season 1

“Deal.”
    Larry reached around John and awkwardly dragged him by his armpits into the other room, then lifted him onto a chair before sliding the white jacket over John. The sleeves were much longer than John’s crossed arms, and Larry pulled the leftover length behind John’s back where he fastened the buckles. Abigail felt claustrophobic just looking at the contraption. She could practically feel the breath growing tighter in her lungs.
    Once finished, Larry rolled John back a few feet, then turned his attention to Abigail.
    He glanced at one of the monitors behind him which showed the time. 4:40 a.m. He closed his eyes tight and then started pacing the room, mumbling under his breath as if trying to work something out.
    “What is it?”
    “It’s almost morning. Which means we can’t bring John somewhere to feed. Which means … we need to bring someone here.”
    Abigail stared at Larry for a moment before the meaning of his words clicked into place.
    “Oh my God, are you saying we have to bring someone here to die?”
    Larry nodded, “If we don’t, John won’t survive the day.”

    * * * *

CHAPTER 11 — Caleb Baldwin

    Caleb stumbled through the doorway and into his darkened house; a cavernous hollow in the deep dead of night. It was close to dawn and he was exhausted.
    While Bob waved the carrot of a promotion, he’d not been nearly as forthcoming with details as Caleb would’ve liked. There was a process, Bob said, which would be starting soon — though not until Caleb solved the case he was working. In other words, if Caleb wanted to know everything, he had to catch the killer he’d already been hunting for years.
    Caleb wasn’t sure why Bob had even bothered to call the meeting. Sure, he supplied him with some sensitive details — that he was hunting something not human. A big fucking deal, no doubt. But something wasn’t adding up. Why withhold other pertinent information? Why promise him a promotion he wasn’t even bucking for? Bob was putting the squeeze on him, a gentle one, but a squeeze nonetheless. Why? It wasn’t as if he needed more motivation than catching the man who murdered his wife.
    Five minutes from Bob’s estate, Caleb called his second in charge and said he’d be out of commission for the day. Not exactly the best way to kick the investigation into overdrive, but it had to be done. He was falling apart and needed time to mend, a few hours to do nothing but lower his lids and surrender to the dark.
    He fell into bed, not even bothering to get undressed, reached into his nightstand and retrieved his lone tether to peace of mind. The pills that made all his thoughts disappear… at least for a little while.
    Caleb quickly fell into a peaceful slumber, a blissful smile on his face.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 12 — Abigail

    “It’s not that big of a deal,” Larry said, shrugging his shoulders.
    “Killing someone isn’t a big deal? ” Abigail asked, not quite believing what she was hearing. They’d been debating his proposal for nearly 10 minutes already.
    “It’s no different from feeding a snake. Sure, you don’t want to kill the mice or rats because they’re cute, but you know if you don’t drop the cute and fuzzies into the tank, your snake is going to die. Same thing here, we just need to bring someone here for when John gets hungry.”
    “I don’t like snakes,” Abigail said, her arms crossed, “and people aren’t rats!”
    “Apparently, we don’t hang in the same circles,” Larry joked, but the joke fell flat; Abigail giving him the silent treatment.
    Finally, she said, “There has to be another way.”
    Larry suddenly rushed Abigail, wrapped his arms around her from behind, closed his hands over hers and pulled the gun up, aiming it straight at John’s head.
    “No!” she screamed as she tried to free herself from Larry’s sudden grip.
    What is he doing?!
    “This is the only other way,” Larry whispered in a soothing voice that seemed at odds with his quick, abrasive actions. “If you want John to die, then pull the trigger now so at least he doesn’t suffer.”
    Abigail trembled, unable to say anything, as she looked at her angel’s face, so calm and peaceful. His eyes moved again under their lids and she wondered again what dreams he was dreaming and if, perhaps, she was in them?

    * * * *

CHAPTER 13 — A Boy Long Ago

    The boy clutched his pillow tightly as the shadow in the corner subtly shifted, dark charcoal barely outlined against