CHAPTER 2.5: The hero

Audra and Patrick had trawled through all of the information they could find in Dr Parsons office and one name kept coming up, Theo Singer. 


Theo was a research assistant at the science lab where Dr Kaminski was conducting his experiments and he had sent numerous faxes and E-mails on the Doctors behalf.


He must have been helping with the research, Audra thought, she had to speak with him to see if he could salvage the anti-virus.

They found Theo outside the science lab and armed with what was left of Dr Parsons research they confronted him.


"Hello, my name is Audra Traytor."  Audra said shaking Theo's hand.

"Oh!" Theo gasped as she introduced herself, "You were the subject of Dr Kaminski's latest research."


"You mean I am the subject of his research." Audra corrected.


"No I mean what I said."  Theo answered abruptly, "I'm afraid the Doctor had to leave town suddenly, a family emergency i believe."

"Then we need you to show us the research that he left behind."  Patrick interrupted.


"I'm not sure that I can do that, I'm afraid all of his research was destroyed during an attack on his laboratory."  Theo replied.


"Were you here when the attack took place?"  Patrick questioned.

"No I was running errands when it happened.  However I worked very closely with Dr Kaminski, I know all of the research.  I'd be happy to help you, if you could get me access to Dr Parsons work."


"We have some of it here." Audra blurted out.


"Let me look at what you have, it may just be the missing piece."  Theo said, gesturing towards the science lab, "Won't you please come inside?"

Theo showed them into the lab and Audra gave him the files they had retrieved.


"Yes, this looks promising."  Theo exclaimed, "I know Dr Kaminski had created an anti virus for you to test but it was destroyed along with his files.  I think with a little time I should be able to recreate it for you."


"That's amazing!" Audra said hugging Theo.


"Yes, Theo that is amazing."  Patrick agreed, although Audra noticed his tone seemed less genuine.

Audra and Patrick left Theo in the lab working through the available information.


"You were a little rude back there."  Audra accused.


"And you were a little quick to offer him all the research information."  Patrick shot back.


"He's trying to help me!" Audra said, exasperated at Patrick's tone.


"Not everyone is as genuine as you Audra, you need to consider what other motives he may have.  Don't worry though I kept a little back from you."


"What do you mean Patrick, what are you hiding?"  She asked.


"There were some encrypted files on the good Doctors computer so i took them home to run through my scanner, it should be about done by now."  he replied a smug look crept onto his face which made Audra want to slap him, Patrick could be so infuriating.

She insisted on seeing the files straight away. 


Patricks apartment was very sparse and plain, but his laptop was state of the art, "Borrowed" from the CSI department he explained.


"Look at this."  He instructed, "This file was sent to Dr Parsons from Dr Kaminski but he encrypted it.  Why would he do that unless he suspected that someone was spying on them?"


"But all the other faxes and E-mails we found were sent on Dr Kaminski's behalf by Theo, which means he must have trusted him."  Audra argued.


"Perhaps." He conceded, "I need to jump in the shower, how about you read through this information and see if there is anything useful?"


Audra agreed, and began scouring the document but most of the technical terms the doctors were using were too far beyond her comprehension and she soon tired.  She looked at her watch, it was late.  She should be getting home, but Patrick still had not emerged from the bathroom.


Audra opened his bedroom door to tell him she was leaving.

Patrick was drying himself off, he gave her a cheeky grin "If you wanted to check out my six pack, you only had to ask." He quipped.


"It's late, I'm leaving."  Audra replied sternly.  "You know Patrick if I didn't know better I'd think you kept this information from me just so you could get me back to your apartment."


"Well you always did have a high opinion of yourself."  He retorted his face still cracked with a smile.  He approached her as she stood in the doorway, "Besides, it's not as though i had to put the cuffs on you to get you up here."

He brushed the hair back from her eyes and caressed her face gently, "I know you came here for more than the research Audra, so why deny it?"


Audra could feel the longing for him build up inside her, she knew he was right but she had to consider Tate.


"I have to leave." She murmured half heartedly.

But when Patrick pulled her closer and pressed his lips against hers, Audra knew she couldn't fight her desire any more.

When Patrick woke the next morning, Audra was gone, crept out in the night he assumed. 


He knew she would feel ashamed about the previous night but he also knew that eventually she would realise that there was a reason she couldn't commit to that boyfriend of hers, and that reason was Patrick.


He had loved Audra Traytor since the first day he met her, when she had accused him of mocking her with his compliments.  She was the most stubborn girl he'd ever known, so quick to ignore what her heart told her and that was the reason she never fully trusted anyone. 


But Patrick heard his heart loud and clear, he knew he loved Audra and he would do whatever it took to make up for the way he treated her in school and to regain her trust.

He would wait as long as it took for her to realise that she loved him too.

He grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge and drank straight from it, the perks of living alone he thought.


His phone suddenly sprang to life and buzzed loudly from the kitchen worktop where he had abandoned it last night.


"Hello?"  He answered, the number was not one he recognised.


"This is Theo, from the lab?" 


"Uh-huh."  Patrick replied.


"I've looked through all the information you brought me but there's still a missing piece of information, i was wondering if you had access to any of Dr Parsons computer files?"  Theo's voice sounded high pitched and urgent as though his life depended on getting the information.


Patrick agreed to bring over the other files and headed out to the science lab.

When he arrived Theo seemed agitated and it looked as though he'd been at the lab all night.


"Everything alright?"  Patrick asked.


Theo ran a hand through his dishevelled hair and nodded, "I've been trying to fit together all the pieces of research i have but I'm still missing a vital bit of information, i can't finish the anti virus without it."  He stated.


"Well there are some files which I found on Dr Parsons computer but they were badly damaged, maybe I could use your system to try and repair them?"  He lied, what he really wanted was to get a good look at Theo Singer's files and find out just what it was he was hiding.

As Patrick went through the motions of pretending to try and repair the files, Theo busied himself at his work bench.  Patrick saw his chance and started searching his files and browsing history. 


Theo had been doing quite a bit of vampire research himself, only from what Patrick could make out it wasn't a cure he was looking for but a way to boost the powers of a vampire.  He had been searching all sorts of theories into how the virus inhibited a vampires abilities in the sun.


He wants to make them invulnerable, Patrick thought, but why?


But as this question popped into his head he sensed a presence behind him, he moved too slowly to turn and see who it was and then he saw only darkness.

Jessica had delivered a sharp blow to the back of Patricks neck, "He knows." She stated.


"I was careful Jessica I swear!"  Theo replied anxiously.


Jessica regarded the pathetic human, "Evidently not."  She retorted, "No matter, he has ceased to be of use to us.  Now we know where the missing files are, I will go to his apartment and retrieve them and you will finally make me the day walker serum."  She commanded.


"B-but what about the girl?"  Theo asked hesitantly, "She will come looking for him."

"I will deal with them both."  Jessica answered sternly a deliciously evil sneer spread across her lips.

Audra had been on edge all day.  She had crept home in the early hours of the morning and crawled into bed next to Tate although she could still feel Patrick's touch linger on her skin.

She was sure that Tate would question her at breakfast, but he acted as though everything was normal, even kissing her on her forehead as he left for work.

She waited impatiently all day for Patrick to call her, and just as she was about to call him a text message flashed up from him.

Meet me at Outlook Point, it's urgent.

What on earth could be so urgent at Outlook Point, she wondered it's just an abandoned building site.  All of her instincts were screaming at her not to go alone, but she couldn't risk any of the boys getting hurt and she certainly wasn't about to drag Tate into this mess after the way she had behaved last night.

When Audra arrived at Outlook point it was eerily quiet. 

She had, had to pass by numerous signs warning of ground instability just to get onto the site.  She remembered reading that when the builders had started digging the foundations they had unearthed massive underground caverns rendering the land unsafe.

"Patrick." She called out, every fibre of her being was telling her to turn and run but she had to know he was safe.

She heard a rustling of leaves to her side and jumped in fright until she focused on Patrick.  Her heart lurched at the sight of him, he was alright she smiled.

But as she regarded him closer she noticed that his shirt and jeans were torn, his face was bloodied and his feet were without shoes, he looked like he'd been hit by a bus.

"Patrick!  What happened?"  She called.

As she started to move toward him he called, "Stop!  Don't come any closer, run Audra please run!"  His voice was so filled with panic that she instantly listened to it and turned to run.

"Leaving so soon?"  A chilling voice spoke to her, "But we are just about to begin."

Audra turned to see a blurry figure race towards Patrick.  As the figure came to a stand still at his side, she focused.  Audra could see the blood red eyes and sallow complexion, "Jessica." She stated rather than questioned as there was no doubt in her mind who was in front of her.

"Let Patrick go."  she called, "It's me you want."

Jessica through back her head and laughed, "You stupid child!  What need have I for you?  You are as disposable as that human step mother of yours."  She spat cruelly.

Audra recoiled from the venom with which Jessica spoke, if she didn't want Audra and the research then what did she want?

"Why won't you leave my family alone?"  She asked.

"Your half breed coven are of no concern to me, soon I will have the ultimate power."

Audra had no idea what Jessica was talking about, ultimate power, what did she mean?

She noticed that while Jessica had been ranting, Patrick had moved closer to the edge of the pit they were standing near.  It must be one of the caverns the builders had unearthed, she thought.

But Jessica had noticed this too and she turned on Patrick.

"Don't move another muscle or you both die!"  Jessica threatened.

"Isn't that the reason we're here?"  he challenged bravely.

"Pathetic human, you dare to question me!"  Jessica screeched.

With this she dived at Patrick knocking him to the ground as she began relentlessly biting into his skin.

Audra could hear Patricks cries of pain, yet through it he shouted "Run Audra!"

But Audra saw her opportunity to end this for good.

She summoned all of her strength and ran as fast as she could towards them.

As she approached the battling pair, Patrick shoved Jessica as hard as he could, raising her up from him with the force of his arm for the briefest of moments. 

Audra was ready, she pushed Jessica backwards toward to pit.

Jessica howled in surprise as she fell into the cavern, the last thing she saw was Audra's triumphant face. 

But as she fell she clawed frantically for something to hold on to and found Patricks leg. 

The force with which she fell pulled them both down into the hole.

Audra stood at the edge of the pit calling Patrick's name over and over.  But there was no reply.  As she peered over the edge tears began to fall heavily down her cheeks, she could barely make out the bottom, there was no way he could have survived that fall.

Heart broken she fell to her knees and cried out.

Suddenly she dragged herself upright, as she sensed a presence behind her.

She spun around prepared for a fight, but the figure in the fog looked so familiar, was it Blake?

But as he got nearer she realised it was Jonny, it was her father.

He pulled her into a tight hug and she finally relaxed and let the pure emotion of the events flow from her.

After a while he spoke to her "Audra sweetheart, it's time to leave."  He said, but she recoiled from him.

"I can't leave him down there."  She replied aghast at his comment.

"There's nothing we can do for him now."  Jonny soothed.

"I won't leave him down there with her!"  She stated through gritted teeth.

"The sun will be up soon.  Without shade and food down there Jessica won't last the day. Please come home with me." He persuaded her.

Audra knew her father was right, but how could she walk away when she bore the blame for the death of two people she had cared for deeply, two people who had helped her and all for what?  An anti virus she had no hopes of ever seeing.

But she allowed her father to gently lead her away, and as the sun began to rise in the distance they could hear Jessica's pitiful cries for help.

Audra did not look back.

Chapter2.4

Chapter2.6