Too late

Making a run for it

An hour earlier

Haley's point of view

The last few days had been uneventful. Brunches, dinner parties, all about making an appearance, then a couple of more private business meetings before heading back to court. Rufus had a private meeting at Baton Rouge before we returned. This one was different from the last one. This time he told me to stay outside, went in, and came out an hour later with a satisfied smile, which told me all about what they just did inside her apartment.

"I told you, I didn't want your opinion," he told me, as we exited the building and headed towards the parking lot. It was a pretty long walk over through a park and under the main road going through.

"I didn't say anything," I told him sternly.

"The look on your face says everything. You really think it is that horrible?" He asked me. I was starting to get the idea that this whole 'I don't want your opinion' thing was a cover and that he actually found my opinion interesting, or at least amusing.

"I think you should find someone your own age. I also think you forgot to mention someone in Baton Rouge."

Rufus didn't look at me, but I could see his smirk. "Yeah, she is new."

I sighed frustrated. "That is a lot of new mistresses." I had decided to call them that, instead of whores. If it was me, I would rather be a mistress.

Rufus just shrugged. "Yeah... Do you want to know why?" He asked, suddenly a bit excited that there was something I didn't know yet.

I raised both brows at him. "Yes please?"

His smile widened and he threw himself into the story. "Well, a long time ago, when I was on these trips I used escorts, like most men in my position. But soon the escorts' employers got the idea to charge me more because of my status. I got tired of it and started using a fake name when I made the order, but news travels fast. Then one of my... 'special lady friends', at the time proposed I could take her with me instead. We were already doing dirty stuff, so why not? She claimed she liked the rush.

We don't see each other anymore, but she gave me the idea. Instead of escorts, I made appointments with beautiful women who were willing to offer me more than a bed in return for a little something. It was cheaper and more fun than the escorts, so that is what I used as a permanent solution," he announced as if it was the most brilliant idea of the century. I scowled, about to grumble about his bad moral, when a chill ran through me. At first, I had thought it was Rufus and his disgusting habits that made my gut roll, but now I realized it was something else.

Quickly scanning the area, I knew what it was immediately. We were about to walk through the tunnel that would lead us under the road. A lamp was broken at the exit, making it that more creepy and hard to see. When we walked through that tunnel, we would be attacked. By preparedness, I'd say it was more than one vampire, so I guessed that they would surround us – bad odds with only one guardian. If we turned around now, they would attack anyway - we couldn't outrun them, but we might have an advantage in stopping their plan and not get surrounded. I stopped and grabbed Rufus's arm, whispering as low as I could while reaching for my dagger. "Don't panic. I need you to stay calm. When I tell you to run, run. Use whatever you can use your magic for to escape, and run," I told him as calmly as I could, yet leaving no room for discussion. Rufus looked confused, but I didn't waste more time on him, as I grabbed my dagger and readied myself for what was to come. Sure enough, four vampires swarmed around us, knowing they were busted.

I backed Rufus up against the wall behind us and tried to make a plan. I couldn't take down all four, but if I started with the weakest, then maybe I could keep the other two at bay while Rufus escaped. That plan went out the window when two of them lunged at me at the same time. I kicked one out of the way while narrowly avoiding the other. My kick didn't do much harm to my immortal enemy, who was lunging for me again with his friend. He was the youngest, I quickly figured out she was older but had been a fairy or something similar before she was turned. He was the fighter, but she was stronger. While I tried to keep them away the other two tried to sneak past to get to Rufus. I threw myself sideways, knocking one to the ground while lashing my dagger across the other's face.

"Run!" I yelled, but Rufus was frozen. He just stood there staring with wide eyes as the strong woman grabbed his shoulder and shoved him hard against the wall. Her attack on him gave me an opening, and I stabbed her through her back, quickly drawing back my dagger only to be shoved into the wall by the younger of the pair. By that, he had isolated me from the other two, who now had free access to Rufus. I started fighting him furiously, trying to get to Rufus, but I knew it was a lost fight. The most I could hope for was to survive myself. He showed me into the wall, his fingers piercing through my skin, digging into my shoulder. I yelled out in pain and kicked him straight in the stomach which made him stumble back a few feet. He thought he had me with the heavy injury, but adrenalin was forcing me to ignore it. I aimed my dagger and made a clear stab through his stomach into his heart, then quickly turned to Rufus, expecting him to be dead already, but was pleasantly surprised. Instead, one vampire was yelling out in pain, as several stakes seeming to be made from the stone in the wall pierced through her. The other was having less trouble, but couldn't get to Rufus as the ground shook beneath him. Rufus had sweat running down his face as he concentrated on using his magic, and I knew he couldn't hold It much longer. So, I sprang to work, quickly going for the male. Rufus noticed and dropped the magic around him, focusing on the woman instead.

This one, the male, was old and trained but he had been weak before he was turned, which gave me a slight advantage. I underestimated him though, and he showed me to the ground, stepping down on my leg, making it crack and tearing the skin. I bit down hard but lashed out with the dagger, hitting him in the leg and dragging him down with me. Once on the ground, I didn't underestimate him again and held my distance, then as I made it look like I went for his stomach with my right hand, I switched the dagger to the left and stabbed him through his chest. It was the hardest way in, but I made it. With strength, I didn't know I possessed, I pulled myself up, just in time to see Rufus giving up with exhaustion, dropping the stone stakes and the female lunging for him. She didn't make it. I tackled her to the ground, as I couldn't stand with my leg, and stabbed her in the stomach, missing the heart. She hissed but didn't pass out, and instead, her nails lashed through my already injured shoulder, tearing out some more flesh. I yelled out again, but didn't miss the opportunity to knee her in the not yet healed wound and knock her over, then made a clean stab, watching as she struggled for life then turned quiet and lifeless.

Rufus came over as soon as she was dead and ripped off his shirt to press it against my wound, trying to stop the bleeding. I held it in place with my healthy arm, and he helped me stand.

"I told you to run," I hissed out through the pain. He shifted me, so he had an arm around me, and started walking to the car as fast as he could.

"We both know I wouldn't have made it far without you," he just stated as we staggered towards the car.

"I didn't know you could fight like that," I breathed out as we finally got to the car, and he practically lifted me in.

He grunted. "Neither did I." Then he hurried to the driver's seat and made a U-turn out of the parking lot.

"We can't go to the hospital with this," I pointed out, as we hit the main road.

"I know, I am taking you to court," he told me as matter-of-fact and hit the speeder a little harder.

"I am not going to make it to court," I told him, already feeling dizzy from the blood loss.

"Of course you are - just press down on the shirt harder," he told me calmly, yet practically stepped on the speeder, pulling out in the fast lane.

I shook my head. "It is a half-hour there, and my leg is bleeding too," I told him, surprised by how accepting I was about this. Sure it was early, sure I had a lot of things I hadn't done yet, but this is how I always thought I would die. In battle, protecting the living from vampires.

"You are not going to die, Haley," he stated and pulled around a car that was apparently going too slow.

I sighed. "Right, but if I am: Can I make a dying wish?"

He didn't dare take his eyes from the road but nodded.

"Can you please start dating women your own age or something?" I asked, and he almost drove off the road right then and there.

"You get one dying wish and that is what you ask?" He choked out, as he steered clear of yet another car.

I tried to shrug but gave up with my injured shoulder. "Hey, this is my last chance to change the world," I joked and he let out a dry laugh.

"I promise you, Haley, you'll get plenty of more chances. Now, how about a real wish – any loved ones, I should say goodbye to?"

I thought about it then shook my head. "Nah, They all know this is how it was going to go down anyways, but if you could like bury me at Sanit Croix then that would be neat. Like: I was stuck there all my life, and now not even death will do us part," I joked lightly.

He chuckled. "Sure, I could fix that. Anyone you want to be buried next to."

I hummed. "Yeah, I had a friend that died. Shane Murray? If you could make that happen, and like, place a white sheet on our tombstones with eyeholes cut out, I'd say you have done your part," I joked on, remembering our last Halloween and how Shane had practically forced that sheet on me. "But you never do Halloween!" he had whined. "That is so not true! I do Halloween, at home, but this isn't Halloween it is October the 21'th whatever that is," I had argued back before finally accepting his lazy costume. Rufus laughed a little, as he speeded up even more - thank god this car was built for it!

"Sure thing, IF you die, which you don't." I made an attempt to laugh him off, but my breath got caught, and I couldn't get out a single word. Rufus noticed and glanced at me worried for a split second. "We are halfway there, I am calling in." I looked at the sign by the road as we flew by. Sure enough, Rufus' speed drive had gotten us almost halfway in half the time it should have taken. I was surprised we didn't have a trail of police cars. Rufus pushed a few buttons on the dashboard while clutching the wheel tightly and the speaker system started up. "You have reached 227, emergency-line of the official court. What can I do for you?" A male voice said, and I almost giggled at the thought of the court having an alarm central. Like people had time for the last call before being sucked dry by vampires.

"My name is Rufus Hale, my guard and I was attacked tonight night and I am bringing us in heavily injured. I need you to open the gate beforehand, so we can drive straight in," Rufus spoke with an amount of authority no one would have questioned, but the guy at the station apparently had a strict rulebook laid out.

"I am sorry Mr. Hale but we cannot simply open the gates while it is-" Rufus cut the poor guy off with a roar.

"It is Lord Hale, and yes you can. Get Richards on the phone right now!" Ruleset or not, no one said no to a lord and the guy dialed us over to Mr. Richard.

"Richards speaking," a grumpy voice came on the speaker.

"It is Rufus Hale. I am coming in injured with a guard in a lethal state. I need the gates open, so we can pass through quickly, and a medical team ready at the infirmary."

"Lord Hale, we can't-"

"The hell you can! It is life or death, Richards!" Rufus roared again.

This time Mr. Richard was slow to reply. After a few moments, he answered again, sounding less sure of himself than before. "Alright… We'll let you pass through directly, but know that we will be meeting you with maximum security. If this is a trick, then know that you will go down before even making a move." I generally considered Mr. Richard pretty serious in most interactions. This trough was the most I had ever heard. His deadliness shone across even though we could only hear him. And yet again I had to hand it to Rufus, he didn't take crap from anyone.

"Great, have a medical team ready when we arrive. Miss Wright is in a bad state." Then he disconnected and focused back on the road, speeding up again as we had lost speed during the call. "Hang in there Haley!" He ordered, as though he could see my eyelids closing as I tried not to fall asleep.

"But I am really tired… Can't I go to sleep?" I mumbled, feeling the world spin as my head bumped back against the headrest.

"Not yet, keep your eyes open," he told me calmly, but I didn't have it in me to give a reply. A loud blast of music threw me awake again, as Rufus pressed the radio.

"What the?!"

He smiled a little, but soon his lips were pressed into a firm line again. "You need to stay awake. I really need you to stay awake Haley!"

I groaned but felt the music invade my brain, making it harder to sleep. "Okay, I am awake!" I mumbled, but it didn't take long before the darkness threatened to take me down again.

"We are almost there!" Rufus told me through gritted teeth.

"Haley?" he asked when I didn't answer.

"HALEY!" He repeated, panic in his voice, but I was already too far gone to answer him.