Sam slid the van into the two-hour parallel parking spot across the street from the Gary Public Library. He dropped eight quarters into the slot on the meter. He’d pulled the change out of the jar on the kitchen counter before he left the house. After looking both ways, he crossed over to the side of the street where the two-story dull cement structure took up the corner block of West Fifth and Adams Streets. Sam had never been to the library. Once he passed through the vestibule and into the main room, he was surprised to see how few people were inside. He asked where to find the computer lab and was directed to an area fifty feet to his left. There, he found long counters separated by wooden dividers, with a computer stationed in every third booth. Uncomfortable looking armless office chairs sat in the compartments that held the dated, well-worn computers. Sam assumed that at one point, all of the spaces must have held computers. With the city in decline and experiencing budget cuts, the chances of replacing equipment had likely fallen by the wayside. He took off his coat and placed it in the empty space next to him.
“Sir?”
Sam turned in the chair.
“You aren’t going to get online unless you pay in advance.”
“Oh, sure. How much is it”—he looked at her name tag—“Jean, and who do I pay?”
“It’s three dollars for every hour of use, and you pay me at the counter over there.” She pointed directly behind her.
Sam stood and walked with her to the counter. He fished three singles out of his wallet and slid them across the laminate surface.
Jean smiled as she accepted the money and printed a receipt. “You don’t look familiar. First time here?”
“Yeah, I have midterms. Have to study, you know.”
“Really, what are you going to school for?”
“Phlebotomy, the study of blood. Going into the medical field.”
She handed him the receipt. “That sounds exciting. You’re in booth three. If you need more time, let me know in advance so the computer doesn’t shut you down before you’re ready. Good luck.”
Sam took the receipt, tucked it in his wallet, and walked away. He muttered under his breath, “I’ll need all the luck I can get.”
He repositioned himself at the computer in booth three. There was barely enough room to scoot in and still have elbow space. With all of the empty areas between computers, he was surprised they hadn’t thought of removing some of the dividers. He huffed his discomfort and pulled the slip of paper out of his front pants pocket.
Sam typed in the search bar the first URL he had written down before he left the house. Vampireravesonline popped up on the screen, with dozens of related sites listed down the page. That particular URL directed him to all the vampire raves and clans throughout the United States. He needed to narrow it down to Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. With Adeline so ill, Sam couldn’t leave the house for any length of time. Five hours was about as long as he felt comfortable being gone. He scanned the site but didn’t find a local chapter of the group. The nearest Indiana location was on the southern edge of Indianapolis, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Gary. That wouldn’t work.
“What’s this?” he whispered as he narrowed the search even more by typing blood cults near Gary Indiana into the search bar. Up popped a local site consisting of witch and warlock groups within a fifty-mile radius of Gary.
I know they use blood for their rituals, but they probably just snatch and kill people’s pets.
Sam clicked on the link that took him to the web page. Locations popped up on a map, and the calendar of upcoming events was posted as well. Sam browsed the locations and found a chapter called Spiritual Awakenings only fifteen minutes east of his home. He clicked on the link, which directed him to their home page. There, he found information about the coven, its members and activities, and a “Contact us” page.
Bingo. This is just what I need, but I wonder how long it’ll take for somebody to respond?
There was no other way to contact this group, and Sam didn’t want to have a face-to-face yet, anyway. He’d ask a few generic questions through the contact form and see what response he got.
He began typing, made up a fake name, and asked about the group and whether they really considered themselves witches and warlocks or were nothing more than people dressing the part. He said he had recently moved to the area from the west coast. He claimed he had been involved with a well-known group in LA and enjoyed participating in blood sacrifices.
That ought to get their attention. They may be pissed off enough to respond quickly.
He kept the tab open and went back to search for vampire sites. If anyone used human blood for their rituals, it would be them. If they were actually drinking it, they would probably pay more for the blood.