American Blood: A Vampire's Story by Gregory Holden

little sour. But once in a while it’s real sweet. I always remember the sweet ones.”
    “You sound like a real connoisseur.”
    “I am.”
    The door to the cell opened and Siri walked in carrying fresh towels, soap, a bottle of blue shampoo, and another patient gown. “Calida, I’ll turn on the water supply to that shower head and you can get cleaned up,” she said. “Ryan, why don’t you call your lab and get an update or something? Figure we’ll need thirty minutes in here.”
    Calida looked at him. “Thank you, Siri for allowing me some dignity. And remember Ryan, when you get back . . . .”
    Siri stared at Ryan.
    “Don’t ask,” he said. “Miss Vampire is being difficult.”
    Ryan left the cell, annoyed. As a purely visual exercise, Calida’s body didn’t hold any secrets for him.
     
    Ryan headed for his laboratory so he could get the sample of Calida’s epithelial cells prepared. This would take at least half an hour, which meant that she would just have to wait to be fed. It was a clear early March night and already the spring peepers were starting their chorus from the wetlands surrounding the facility. The five-minute walk breathing in the cool, fresh air cleared his mind and allowed his sense of smell to reset from the odor of blood.
    Back inside his lab he completed the prep work on the sample. Ryan considered taking another THC pill as an added measure against Calida, but he placed the vial down next to the keyboard. Designing the feeding station was one thing but now, with his participation imminent, its purpose became a disturbing reality. Although the process did hold a certain morbid fascination for him, he needed to approach this from a scientific point of view. Of course with her that could be extremely difficult. Calida had intruded into his personal mind space and he didn’t know if that was entirely her fault.
    The phones in the lab started to ring. Ryan reached over to the phone at his workstation and placed the call on the speaker so he could continue entering the test parameters of the sample.
    “Ryan, here.”
    “My good Doctor Ryan,” the voice of the Director beamed from the speaker. “Doctor Lei has briefed me on your progress and I want to congratulate you, both of you, for getting her to cooperate.”
    “She doesn’t have much choice.”
    “No, perhaps, but there seems to be a developing, and how should I say this . . . a friendship between you and her.”
    Ryan stopped entering on his keyboard.
    “I hadn’t noticed that.”
    “Oh, come now, Doctor, I’ve been watching the video feed. There is an attraction.”
    “Her only attraction is for my blood. She’s made several comments about feeding on me, I think.”
    “She is a vampire after all, Doctor Ryan, but I’ve noticed that these comments are more of a friendly or even, and I apologize if I’m wrong here, possibly romantic nature.”
    “You’re wrong.”
    “It is important for her to start trusting us.”
    “I don’t think that’s in her nature.”
    “Many living creatures can learn that with acceptable behavior comes reward.”
    “Where’s this going?”
    “Please allow me to simplify. Your relationship—call it what you like—must be allowed to develop. This is also true of Doctor Lei. We want her to feel that this is a place of safety for her.”
    “She’s in a cage. She’s pretty safe.”
    “Ah, but here our two paths of understanding can cross.”
    “I don’t understand you at all.”
    “This creature has great value in many areas, would you agree?”
    “Go on.”
    “Besides the research value, which is considerable, she can also be trained to be a contributing member of society.”
    “What? Society is her food. We’ve already discussed this.”
    “Not all food is worthwhile, do you understand?”
    “I’m beginning to, and I don’t like the implication.”
    “This agency, Doctor Ryan, serves a singular function. We are given the task to protect this country against only the