So, he was probably being tracked. That didn’t sit well with JC. And while he hadn’t heard of any deaths in the homeless community near his haven, he was hesitant to feed there again. Not just because it could end up with someone dead close to his home but because if he fed there too often it was sure to be noticed sooner or later.
He had tried to consider several options, including heading farther afield. It had been several months since he’d been in Davis. At the same time, if whatever or whoever followed him past the Barrens it would mean not having the support of Sacramento Kindred. At least in the city he knew there were some who could help.
That was a strange thought.
In the end, he decided to hunt in what had once been a familiar place.
Meetings didn’t really change that much. There were the introductions. The main topic would be brought up and explained. There was an activity this time, for which he was glad. It meant less time for group discussion. Less time to hear about these people’s problems and lives. Less time to see them as… people.
JC mumbled his way through a story that wasn’t his when it came to his turn. He’d heard enough of them that he could compose a believable narrative from snippets of past patients and other meetings he’d attended.
All the while, in the back of his mind, he could smell the stench of withdrawal sweats. All he could think about was the taste of blood. At one point his senses heightened. It didn’t even surprise him when the scent of drugs hit his nostrils. Being clean may be the goal but that didn’t mean everyone who came in was. It would make them an easier target. Even as it made their recovery worse.
JC muscled through those thoughts as best he could but he couldn’t justify himself. It’s why he’d stopped hunting this way. In addition to the fact that such victims were more likely to be medically tested at some point. At the same time, he hoped the fact that some where being watched over more carefully might detour his stalker.
The Serenity prayer finished and JC got up, closely following the woman who smelled of sweat and depression back onto the night streets.