Chapter 1 - The Black Case
The primal instinct to protect my family completely overrode any rational thought in my brain.
I did not wait for the silent intruder to open his mysterious black case.
I threw off the heavy winter blanket and launched myself aggressively across the mattress.
My shoulder slammed directly into the tall man's chest with brutal force.
He let out a muffled, desperate grunt as we both crashed violently onto the hardwood floor.
The narrow black case slipped from his gloved hands, sliding far across the bedroom.
My wife screamed my name in absolute, unadulterated terror.
I ignored her cries, pinning the intruder down and raising my fist to strike his masked face.
Before my knuckles could connect, he violently jammed a sharp, metallic object directly into my ribcage.
A sudden, agonizing shock of pure electricity pulsed viciously through my entire nervous system.
My muscles locked completely, stealing the air from my lungs.
I collapsed helplessly onto the rug, twitching and gasping for breath.
The man frantically scrambled to his feet, completely ignoring his fallen case in his panic.
He sprinted out of the bedroom and disappeared into the dark shadows of the hallway.
I heard the heavy oak front door slam shut a few seconds later.
My wife rushed to my side, her cold hands trembling as she desperately checked my chest.
I pushed through the lingering, burning pain of the stun gun and forced myself to sit upright.
I looked her dead in the eyes and demanded to know exactly who that man was.
She backed away from me, her beautiful face impossibly pale and streaked with fresh tears.
I slowly crawled over to the abandoned black case and flipped the metal latches open.
Inside, nestled securely in sterile foam, were thick medical tubes, sterilized needles, and massive, empty blood bags.
I stared at the horrifying medical equipment in absolute, paralyzing confusion.
I asked my wife why a masked stranger was sneaking into our house every night to draw her blood.
She covered her face with her trembling hands and began to sob uncontrollably.
She walked over to the bedroom door and locked it with a loud, final click.
She told me that I should have just taken my sleeping pill and stayed completely oblivious.
She warned me that this secret was the only thing keeping our family alive.
I stood up, my anger finally overpowering the physical pain in my chest.
I told her that I was calling the police immediately to report a violent home invasion.
I reached for my cell phone resting on the wooden bedside table.
She violently swatted the phone out of my hand, sending it crashing against the wall.
She looked at me with a terrifying mixture of rage and absolute despair.
She whispered that if the police got involved, the syndicate would stop taking her blood.
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She took a deep, shuddering breath before delivering the final, crushing blow.
She said that if they stopped taking her blood, they would come for Maya's instead.
