B00724AICC EBOK (24 page)

Ryman threw his cards into Holgate’s face. “You’ll keep your damn mouth shut, that’s what you’ll do. He’ll kill the both of us just for the hell of it and someone else will get the job. We need the money and you know it. It’s best to just keep quiet around this guy. The less you say the better. He wants biters that follow orders.”

“
All right, all right.”

Sharpton had power and status. He was known as a vampire mobster, and had his hands into many illicit endeavors. Not many vampires could stand up to him and live to see another night. He might be affable to your face and then hire someone to put a knife in your back. His reputation was known by most. It was also said that he controlled a gang of vampires to do his bidding, but no one seemed to know that for sure. The infrequent reports that went into the police about him were usually ignored; no one wanted to be forced to dig their own grave, which is what he usually forced upon the humans that he dispatched.

Upstairs, Sharpton flew into the window in bat form and then morphed. He grabbed a black attaché case from under his king size bed and his distinctive cane with a sword concealed inside. The head of the cane was a meticulously carved bat. He headed down the narrow stairs permitting his footsteps to be heard. In the kitchen Sharpton stared at both of them, one at a time, just to see if they dared to say anything untoward. Both were silent and nodded to show him respect. He stared them down as they averted his gaze.

Sharpton was just over six two with shoulder length black hair. His complexion was dark and his eyes amber; eyes that could spell a man from across the street. His mother had been black and his father had been a bad-tempered Irishman with a proclivity toward illegal activity. His father had run an illegal card game that didn’t follow the rules, and one rainy night his deviousness got him killed.

Sharpton was good looking with a way that emitted confidence. His demeanor and voice was deep and dark, with every word and gesture appearing important, but he could feign affability when it suited him. “I assume there will be no misgivings about killing a child?”

Ryman was surprised at the request. Their faces went somber as their minds engaged scenarios of such an unpleasant task. “Killing a child is bad karma. You said nothing about it being a child.”

“
So you don’t want the extra money?”

Holgate continued to play with his beard and decided to let Ryman do the talking. Ryman didn’t like the idea of it but they wanted the money. There was silence and deliberation as Holgate shrugged. Sharpton opened the attaché and showed them the cash, all in hundred dollar bills. Their pupils widened at the sight of the green.

“
It’s double the amount agreed to earlier. Double.”

Ryman finally nodded. “Fifty thousand each? We’ll do it but we won’t like it. Holgate, I’ll have enough to get that Caddie.”

Sharpton adjusted his red tie and smiled. “The name of the girl is Jenny Waller. I believe she’s around 11-years-old. Jenny dispatched a good friend of mine, a natural born hunter. Don’t be fooled by that cute face or it’ll be the last thing you’re fooled by. She’s the product of vampire and human conception. I can’t read her at all. Her energy field is off the chart. She has a foot in both worlds. Even at her young age she’s already an accomplished vampire killer. Jenny’s quite dangerous and I believe that she doesn’t even fully understand her own capabilities yet, and she’s on the side of the humans. I want her head, literally. I need it for a spell. Her address is in the case.”

Holgate was puzzled. “So a vampire and a human screwed and had a child?”

“
That is correct.”

Holgate shook his head. “I heard about that but I’m pretty sure that’s a myth. Are you sure?”

Sharpton blurred and grabbed Holgate by the throat. Ryman placed his hand on his Glock 22 that contained the wooden tipped bullets but didn’t dare release it from the holster. Sharpton applied pressure and Holgate’s eyes commenced to bulge. Sharpton had the strength to actually remove his head from his shoulders. Ryman was deeply concerned about the money.

“
I am sure. Do you believe me?”

Holgate nodded as best he could. “I do now.”

Alexander exited the minivan with the dog and approached the house. The dog let her vampire teeth out but then retracted them. The sheriff now had Sharpton on tape plotting the murder of a child, and that was enough to bring him in, but in reality no immoral vampire ever got brought in. They got their heads removed, which was the most efficient way to destroy a biter. But he found the front door open and the place was empty. He had the ability to enter any dwelling without permission, as did his dog. Spells did have their usefulness.

“
Tessy, find them!”

The dog commenced to sniff the area but then started to sneeze. Something had been released into the air to confound her sense of smell. It appeared that their presence had not been so secretive after all. Alexander had not been aware that the vampire had locked onto him. But why let the sheriff know exactly what he was up to, unless it was to be a trap. He ran up the stairs but the shepherd beat him into the bedroom. The sheriff approached the open window. “Bats into the night?”

The German shepherd barked to say that she didn’t think so, and again she sneezed several times. Tessy’s nose burned from whatever had been discharged into the air; she wanted to give Sharpton such a bite.

Alexander stuck his head out the open window and scanned the night sky. “I don’t see anything. I can’t sense anything.” They searched the house but found no one.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

DRACULA AND PIERS STOOD in front of the Florida three bedroom two bathroom cream colored house. Dark blinds were shut tight though some light escaped out into the darkness. Night had fallen as the author had to track down the informant to obtain the correct address, and the Master had not been amused. There was a large palm tree positioned in the front yard, which always grabbed the attention of the tourists. The trees had the same appeal as the sweetness of a lollypop to a 4-year-old. A thirty foot pool was enclosed in the back yard. It was a rental house of which there were many in Orlando. Moon Diamond jumped out of the Master’s arms onto the ground and meowed several times as it attempted to speak. It grabbed and ate a reddish brown water bug, an American cockroach that was pounced on. Zacharia was embarrassed as he forced the cat to cough up a fur ball, along with bits of the insect.

The scent of cinnamon was on the air from a neighbour’s house down the street. The wind was blowing it directly to them. It brought back pleasant memories from the author’s childhood of warm rolls every Saturday morning. Life was now strange and exciting, but never in ten lifetimes would he have imagined becoming a vampire. The life of a biter was like no other. Piers was uncertain if he’d ever fully adjust to it.

Dracula looked down at the cat and responded to its thoughts. “I’m not sure how we’re going to get in yet.”

The night air continued to be warm as they accessed the situation. A soft breeze moved through the palm tree and Piers glanced up at the sound of it. An almost full moon hung over the house and the night was active with various insects. Moon Diamond caught and ate a grasshopper as Zacharia screamed silently for it to stop. Dracula smiled at the incident as the cat shook his head and spit out a leg. Piers fell over the cat and got up without saying a word.

Dracula nodded and felt anger washing over him. “He’s in there. I can smell him.”

Piers made his way around to a side window where a small sad looking girl stared out through the bars. She was blond with defeated blue eyes. Her hair was matted from the perspiration and stress that she had endured. Dracula and the cat followed the author. They all stared in at the girl. “Invite us in. We’ve come to take you home.” Piers smiled at her.

But Olivia White had been through much and now trusted no one, and so she hid behind the bed and refused to make any more eye contact with the two strange individuals at her window. Perhaps they had come to eat her, but she couldn’t be sure. She hugged the dirty gray elephant that had been given to her and refused to move any further.

“
Now what?” Dracula spoke more to himself than to anyone else. He could smash the house to pieces but it would frighten the girls even more. The cat growled as it was quite anxious to get in there and attack those evil bastards that resided within. The Master stared down at the Siamese and smiled. “If the cat was in there I’m sure Zacharia could invite us in.”

Piers nodded. “Yes, but how do we get the cat in there? All the windows appear to be locked.”

An alligator approached them out of the darkness. Dracula quickly broke it in two and tossed it away from the house. Piers had been genuinely surprised at the sight of the reptile being snapped in two. Dracula made his way surreptitiously around the house, so quiet in fact that an ant would not feel his vibrations. He approached a window on the other side of the house and could sense that the room was empty. In a moment the cat and piers were behind him. He commanded the cat to jump into his arms and Zacharia did so without hesitation. Dracula stared at the cat as the Siamese stared at him. It suddenly found itself flying through the air and through the window. Inside it shook the glass out of its fur and invited the both of them into the empty bedroom.

Dracula and then Piers broke through the remaining glass and entered into the carpeted bedroom. Eqerton rushed into the room in nothing but his white underwear. He was a skinny fellow with a long gaunt face. The Siamese cat jumped into his face and dug in. The cat’s claws were three times the length of a normal Siamese and they actually dug into his skull. He shrieked as he attempted to rip it off. It was both satisfying and entertaining to Dracula to see that even with Eqerton’s considerable strength he was unable to remove the cat from his face as it commenced to chew on his forehead.

Lyre ran up to the bedroom door with blood on his face; he was quite sure that he could handle any intruders in record time. He was a big husky fellow with jowls and a protruding stomach. He wore black pants but no shirt to cover his hairy torso. He grabbed Piers and threw him headfirst into the living room, but when he turned he saw the Master and immediately knew that his life expectancy had probably dwindled to seconds.

Dracula shook his head to show his disgust. “Lyre, I should have killed you a long time ago.”

Lyre searched for the words that would perhaps save him. “But Master, they are only humans. They don’t deserve our respect.”

Eqerton continued to scream as Dracula snapped his neck and pulled his head off. He turned to bones as he fell to the floor with the cat still attached to his skull. Lyre felt he had no other choice and so he attacked Dracula, but it was like a puppy fighting a pit bull. The Master tore him to pieces, literally. He pulled large parts of his skin off as Piers made sure the four girls didn’t exit the back bedroom where they were being held. Dracula knocked down Lyre with a slap; he stomped the head off him and was content when he turned to bones. Zacharia was a bit miffed that he wasn’t able to get in on that fight.

Piers Anthony led the four girls out through the sliding back door. They were all dressed in red pajamas that were saturated in blood. They all appeared gaunt. They sat on the lawn and looked utterly defeated as Dracula approached them.

“
Did you wipe their memories of the events?”

Piers looked just a little embarrassed. “I have no idea how to do that. I’m quite new at this game.

“
I’ll do it. You’ll see to it that they’re reunited with their families?”

“
I will.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

STEPHEN, JOSHUA, LUKE AND NOAH found themselves in the middle of the Virginian forest attempting to locate one of the hidden vampire museums. The early morning fog was starting to lift. An adult male bright red Cardinal with is black face made its way past them. They had no idea if the place really existed or if he was simply using time to his advantage. It was possible that he was biding his time until he could fashion his escape. Philo continued to be groggy and out of sorts from the tranquilizer, which was exactly how they wanted him.

Noah thought that Philo appeared to know where he was going.

Philo’s brown eyes were constantly on the lookout for the opportunity to escape, however he knew he wasn’t sufficiently recovered to get away with it. He assumed that he would actually have to show them the location of the museum, but had no idea if the genuine Hithroma resided within. He hoped that it didn’t. His braces held up his black Brioni pants, but they were no longer clean from trekking miles and miles through the forest.

They were in a mountainous area surrounded by white pine. Several Rosemary Pines with one a hundred feet tall was in the area. A small group of black pine was to their right as they stopped to enable Philo to ascertain their current location. He leaned against a spruce pine and noticed it a ways down a slope to his left, a large boulder that was one of the markers that led to the museum. Its face was chiselled flat but nothing else to indicate its importance.

Stephen’s shoulder continued to burn from the salt that had been on Philo’s weapon, and rubbing it brought him no relief. “That’s quite the hairdo there Philo.”