The fear in Nile's eyes had killed Arden inside. He gave the Agents no trouble. He refused to answer their questions. He endured their beatings in silence until they had gotten tired of him and brought him to the blood farm. He lay in a cold metal pod. Naked, sedated, and in shackles. Tubes violated his arms, one giving blood and the other taking it in set intervals. He lost all sense of time because most of the time he was simply unaware. There were dreams now and then. Dreams of longing, of pain, of things that once were. Mostly there was blackness. When he did feel something, it was despair.
Awareness came and he could see movement through the thick round window of his pod. An Agent's dark helmet. He felt jostled as if he was being moved. Arden slipped blackness again. There were a few more moments of awareness, but they didn't connect. There were only muffled sounds, moving lights, and then something dark thrown over the window. The sensation of motion, speeding up, changing direction, slowing down, stopping.
Agent Morris was sleep deprived. He did not want to be working the gate today, he wanted to be home. He wanted to fix things with his wife. They had been up half the night arguing again. This was getting to be too much. For God's sake, they had awakened their daughter. It was time to take action. Maybe see a therapist or something. He took a deep drag of his cigarette as the black van pulled up. He sighed, unhappy about having been interrupted from his brooding. He walked around to the driver's side window. The Agent inside handed him a code card. Morris scanned it. He hoped the Agent wouldn't engage him in small talk and he was happy when he didn't. Morris was in no mood to pretend this was a normal day. The scanner was taking a while. Damn technology, he thought with impatience. Finally the scanner beeped and the words "Clearance Granted" flashed in green. Morris handed the code card back to the driver and walked back to his guard shack. He pressed the button that lifted the barrier and the van drove away.
Arden was aware of hunger. It kept gnawing at him, persistent and growing. It interrupted the blackness and forced him awake. His mind was foggy. He was restrained and in darkness. Confusion set in. The shackles beeped and he felt the calming impulse. His eyes fluttered and he disappeared again.
"You stand back," a woman's voice said. "Let me give him the blood first. He's starved. You're a human. He'll attack you. It's as simple as that."
Arden's eyes opened and he saw light and a blur over him. The scent of blood brought him to full awareness of his hunger. He couldn't move his arms, but he tried to get up. A bag was shoved into his face and he pierced it with his fangs, gulping down the metallic liquid. It was cold. But that did not matter. Once drained, another bag appeared. Three bags later, the blood lust was subsiding and his awareness deepened. There was a woman standing above him. A vampire. She had short blond hair and eyes that were almost lime green. He was in an underground bedroom, but not one that he recognized.
"You're going to be all right," the woman said with a smile.
"Who are you?" Arden asked. "Where am I?"
The woman was shoved out of the way and in her place was Nile, his deep brown eyes frantic and worried. He reached down to touch Arden, caressing his hair, making sure he was real.
"Nile?" Arden said, a flood of emotions and realization hitting him hard. This was real. He had been at the blood farm, but Nile had somehow saved him. "It's really you?"
Nile leaned over and kissed the vampire's lips, ignoring the blood, and then nuzzled his face into the vampire's neck. He wept. Arden wanted to reach up and hold Nile, but he was still in shackles. The woman was standing off to the side now, a sad smile on her face.
"I'm so sorry," Nile whispered through his sobs. "I'm so sorry for what they did to you, Baby, I love you so much, I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop them, I tried, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you. Oh God, I thought I'd lost you. I thought you were dead. I missed you so much."
"How long was I in that place?" Arden asked in a weak whisper.
"Two months," Nile said, bursting into fresh sobs. "Two months it took me to get to you...there was so much planning. So much to do. I'm so sorry it took so long."
"Two months?" Arden said. "I...don't remember much."
"That's a blessing," the woman said. "There's more blood in the cooler. I'll leave you two now...Nile, you know where to find me."
"Yes, Rain, thank you," Nile said through his tears.
Rain smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help." She left the room.
"Who is she?" Arden asked.
"A former client I helped out," Nile said, raising up to look into Arden's eyes. He caressed the vampire's hair. "I contacted her and she helped me find this place."
"Where are we?" Arden asked.
"In a Community," Nile said. "Or...well, the outskirts of one. A few hundred miles west of home."
"How the hell did you do this?" Arden said.
"It took a lot of money, planning, and patience," Nile said.
"Why are you wearing an Agent uniform?" Arden asked.
"Had to disguise myself to rescue you," Nile said.
"You saved my life," Arden said, a smile coming to his lips. "You're here and you saved me."
"Yes," Nile said, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. "I saved you, Baby."
"Unlock these fucking shackles," Arden said. "I need to hold you."
"Oh! God, I forgot!" Nile said. "I'm so sorry!" He pulled a key out, put it in the the shackles, punched in a code and they released.
Arden threw them across the room, leaped out of the pod and grabbed Nile, holding him close. The vampire broke into sobs. Nile was startled. He had never seen Arden like this. The vampire was trembling. He was naked, weak, and vulnerable. Nile just held him, stroking his back.
"I'm sorry," Arden whispered. "About killing Everett and scaring you..."
Nile choked back a hard wave of emotion. "You were trying to protect me. I understand that. I know you lost control."
"I'll never forgive myself for the way you looked at me...so much fear in your eyes," Arden said.
Nile raised Arden's face and looked in his eyes. "I love you. I forgive you. Let's just move on from that horrible day. We're together now and nothing will ever tear us apart again."
Arden burst into sobs again. He kissed Nile's lips over and over again. "I love you, Nile. I love you more than anything. More than life. More than blood," he whispered. "I can never thank you for what you've done...I don't know how...you've saved my life."
"You saved mine first," Nile said. "Everett was in a rage. He might have killed me. The Agents found a gun on him and a suicide note. He could've killed me and himself."
"I'm glad I protected you," Arden said. "I'm sorry I killed him, but I'd kill a hundred men and walk right back into the blood farm if it meant you would be safe. I'd do anything for you, Nile."
Nile caressed the vampire's hair. "I'd do anything for you, too, Arden."
Arden smiled and kissed Nile's lips, cheeks, forehead, eyelids, nose, and down his neck. He paused for a moment.
"Go ahead," Nile whispered.
Arden pricked the soft skin and took a small drink. He healed the marks and raised up to meet Nile's gaze again. He smiled. "Your sweet blood is the cure to all ills."
Nile smiled. "Come here." He led Arden over to the bed. They sat down together. Nile reached over and took a blanket off the bed. He wrapped it around Arden. "You look cold, Baby."
"So...what happens now?" Arden asked. "You'll...have to leave won't you?" He looked down and sighed. "You'll have to go home. And I guess I'll be running from the Agency again."
"The Agency thinks you are deceased," Nile said. "That was part of the plan. They also think that I moved across the country."
Arden looked up, raising a brow. "What?"
"We're free from the Agency," Nile said. "At least as much as anybody is."
Arden sat in silence for a moment and then took a deep breath. "So I'm to live in this new Community then?"
"Yes," Nile said.
"But...what about you?" Arden said. "I guess you found a home nearby? You can't live in a Community, you're a human. You'd get drained. I'm surprised you got in here without being attacked."
"I have Rain's protection and we're only on the outskirts," Nile said. "No one really knows I'm here."
"You can't hide here forever," Arden said. "They'll sniff you out. You'll have to find a place above ground."
Nile looked at Arden, his eyes somewhat sad. "You don't understand. It took all I had to arrange this. I had to sell my house. Everything. Money got me the van, the clearance cards, the safe passage here. I gave up my home, my job. I have nowhere else to go.
Arden stared at Nile with shocked sadness in his eyes. "You really gave up everything to save me?"
"Yes," Nile said, taking Arden's hand. "And I'd do it all over again. It was worth it just to be sitting here next to you."
"But...what are you going to do?" Arden asked, his voice a whisper.
"There's only one answer to that," Nile said, looking the vampire in the eye.
Arden was confused for a moment and then his eyes widened with realization. He shook his head. "No...no, Nile, you don't know what what you're asking..."
"I've made my decision," Nile said. "And being with you is well worth it. Besides...weren't we going to come to this crossroads eventually anyway? Might as well get it over with now."
"You don't understand!" Arden said, fresh tears welling in his eyes. "Nile! You're asking to give up your humanity! Do you know what that means? It means you'll be oppressed and in poverty forever. It means you'll hunger for blood. You will crave it and become a dangerous animal when you're desperate for it. You'll be a monster like me..."
"You're not a monster," Nile whispered.
"Yes I am!" Arden said, sobbing. "Don't you fucking understand that? Didn't you see what I did to Everett? Do you think that's the first time I've killed? I've torn people apart for less than what he did to you."
Nile took a deep breath. "I know you're not a monster. I love you. And I forgive you for Everett and whatever else you might have done in your past."
Arden sighed. "You'd really give up your life and your humanity just to be with me?"
"Yes," Nile said. "Because any kind of life without you is not worth living."
Arden swallowed hard, looking at Nile, his blue eyes in agony. "Don't ask this of me...I don't want to take your humanity from you."
"I don't want anyone else to do it," Nile said. "I want it to come from you."
"Oh God, Nile," Arden said, shaking his head. "You're so innocent. So sweet. You have no idea what you're asking of me."
Nile took Arden's hand. "I've agonized over this for months. I've made my decision. This is my choice."
"You'll hate me for it," Arden said.
