Red Serpent: The Falsifier (30 page)

“John,” Ranjit’s voice came through his earpiece, “We’re finished.”

“Really? That’s great! So you managed to do it without much trouble.”

“Well, the trouble is we haven’t enough discs, so...”

“So?”

“So, we decided to shift the hard drives to the tankers.”

John laughed. “Good Ranjit. You always have a trick or two up your sleeve!”

The tankers arrived at the Vatican Library and bulldozers were sent through so that the transportation process would be streamlined. All this while, as the loading and unloading continued, the button Evan had pressed was still on. The loading crew laughed when they saw the vampires suffering on their behalf. Ranjit felt a little remorse for what he had done and what he was doing. He asked himself if it was all worth it. Were they any better than their enemies? “I’m going outside,” he murmured to Evan. He didn’t wait for any response, but strolled into the forest, far from anyone or anything. He wanted to be alone, to think things through.

Why did he think like this? What was good? What was evil? Was this an evil that they were doing? What he had seen...his men laughing at the vampires suffering. They were behaving like merciless Nazis. Did that make him one too? A Nazi following another power-hungry Hitler: John Howe! In fact, wasn’t it John who had said that he would be remembered as a power-hungry dictator, just like Hitler? Okay, so this time it was different. Instead of fighting their fellow man they were fighting an alien race. But wasn’t fighting a race from another planet just another extension of their ethnic prejudice?

Ranjit shook his head and sat on his knees in the moist grass, the pale outline of the Regnum high above his head. “General?” Evan said softly. “I’ve shut off the frequency switch. Don’t worry; they’re too numbed to do anything for the next hour. We’ll be gone by then.” He was now a foot away from Ranjit. “General Singh? Are you okay?” Ranjit remained silent, praying. Evan continued. “That other vampire who helped us can’t attack; we bound his hands in semi-silver chains. He won’t dare to move.” Again silence. “General?” Evan remained silent for a few more seconds, and said plainly, “Sir, we must board the tankers. Everything is ready.” Still, no reply. “Sir! Watch out!” Evan shouted. Ranjit opened his eyes and saw a dark figure emerging from the wild grass. The vampire moved swiftly and waved his sword around and stabbed Ranjit’s chest.

“Oh, God. You are great! Protect them and see to the righteous!” were his last words before he collapsed. Evan drew his plasma pistol to blow the head off the masked assassin, who burned up into a heap of ash.

“Sir!” Evan shouted, shaking him and trying to get a response from him. But there was nothing. Only dead eyes looking at him with compassion.

The general’s face was blank but peaceful. A subtle smile rested on his lips.

The ship descended.

Alex knew things had changed and that they were going to change some more. He wondered about Angel and her parents. He was sure they would be apprehensive after the events that had unfolded. He thought of Grandma. What was going to happen to her? He was still running the events of yesterday and today through his head.

The massive tanker hauled itself into the Hangar. Once it was on the ground, hundreds of soldiers ran towards the tanker, searching around for their friends, hoping they had made it through and were safe and unharmed.

Alex was the first to get off. The Rebels followed with Richard and finally the rest of them. When Alex and the Rebels were off, there was no commotion whatsoever. Everyone stared at them as if they were unwanted. Richard, seeing their reaction, said loudly, “Is that anyway to welcome back the Falsifier?”

“Relax,” Alex said, already knowing that the people were apprehensive, “I won’t bite and neither will they. I trust my life with these men, all of them, man or vampire! And I
suggest
you do the same.” That was the usual Alexander they knew; a dynamic, charismatic leader who would “suggest” rather than dictate. Alex had a way with people and with words.

“Let me introduce you to those you don’t know,” Richard added. He presented each vampire, one by one. Each one of them gave a bow, or a smile, or a wave. As he finished he said, “And of course there is the infamous Nikolas Gareng, Dante Varenkoff, and Liam Tios. But more of them later.”

To say it was awkward would have been an understatement. The backup units wanted to celebrate with their friends, and celebrate they would, but they had not expected vampires to be amongst them.

When the Generals came to greet the survivors, they warmly embraced the Rebels like old friends. Seeing this, the new soldiers thawed a bit. After saluting the Generals, they tended to those who were wounded and escorted them to the hospital.

The second tanker with John and the others inside arrived. As it landed, there was a new burst of cheering. Alex watched the newly arrived mega-ship with wonder and curiosity. The whole vibe of celebration had got to him and put his worries to the back of his mind. John came out, then Nikolas, and the other two Rebels followed by the soldiers.

“Uncle John,” Alex called out as soon as he saw him. He wanted to unleash his thoughts, but he knew now was not the time. He simply hugged him and said, “I know about Grandma.”

“Alex,” Nikolas shouted, as he finished chatting with one of the Generals, “You were brilliant out there, I heard!”

“Thanks!” Alex said and embraced Nikolas. They seemed rejuvenated by the buzzing energy.

“What? Who told you about Grandma?” John asked, perplexed.

“No one.” Alex smiled. “I knew it; intuition I guess.”

“But how? This change is so sudden.” John faced Nikolas and the others.

“We’ll talk about it, old friend. We have lots to talk about,” Nikolas said with a wide smile. “But for now; let us enjoy this day.”

“Wait, I almost forgot,” John said, noticing the physical change in Nikolas due to the blood that he had lost. “Where’s Daniel?”

“I told him to wait. I don’t think the people are ready. Let everything calm down and we will introduce him.”

“What? He’s here?” Alex said, while the other Rebels and Richard looked at the four in amazement and confusion. He turned to Nikolas for an explanation, but instead Dante spoke:

“Alex, he has decided to join us.”

Alex’s face reddened with anger. “I don’t like the look of it. I know that he’s your son, but he’s an Imperial vampire. He’s the president of that Regime for God’s sake!”

“What do you have in mind?” John asked.

Alex furrowed his brow as he thought. Everyone circled around him, waiting for his response. He sighed, “I’m not so sure about him. He just gives me a bad feeling. I know that he betrayed the Regime, but that doesn’t really mean anything.” He shook his head. “I think we better handle him with care.”

“And what would you suggest?” Nick said. He was not angry, but a little worried. “Should we keep him as a prisoner for the time being?”

“Yes.” Alex said, “Keep him as a prisoner of war. We’ll have to test him.”

“So then bind him,” John said gruffly. “Richard, take these,” he handed him a pair of silver handcuffs, “and put them on him.”

Richard did as he was told and went quietly. Nick flinched as he passed and remained silent.

As the third tanker flew into the Hangar and slowly landed, John turned to see which one it was. “The Vatican,” was all he said and ran to it, hungry for news.

Michio, Chang, and Evan came out, with grief-stricken faces. John knew at once what had occurred. “Well,” he said, “Did it work?”

Evan nodded. “We have the holodrives with us.”

“And the enemy?”

“Destroyed,” Michio said, “All of them, along with the library.”

John nodded, “Where’s Ranjit,” he asked, guessing what had happened by the look on their faces. The reserve soldiers talked among themselves, curious to know where their pals were. Then, the electromagnetically levitating coffin came out of the tanker with the soldiers following it. Ranjit was inside, with his sword on top of him. The men looked on in horror and complete surprise. “What happened?” John asked, controlling his grief.

“He went alone into the forest, to pray I suppose, and a vamp stabbed him in the heart.”

“You were supposed to stick together,” said John, a little angry. “What about the frequency?”

“I shut it off. The vamps were down, unable to move.”

“Well it doesn’t seem like it, does it?”

Suddenly, there was an explosion from the entrance of John’s tanker. Richard fell towards Dante who was closest to the ship. Blood covered Richard’s face.

Daniel flew out with an aura of red and black electricity around him. His hair flew in all directions as if he was a madman, and he rocketed into the air. His face darkened and his eyes turned the bloodiest of red.

“Oh, cousin!” Daniel shrieked at Alex. He stuck out his tongue and taunted him like a demon.

“I can’t fight him,” Alex said, as Nikolas pushed him forward.

“Neither can I; how do you expect me to kill my own son?”

Reluctantly, Alex materialized his sword. It glistened with blue electric sparks, brighter than ever before. Everyone stared at it with their mouths open in awe. Daniel materialized his own sword. It crackled with black and crimson electricity, more dangerous and daring.

“I want you, Falsifier!” Daniel said, his eyes glistening with blood, his face now more demonic than ever. His eyebrows slanted angrily and his cheekbones heightened. His nose grew much longer than before. The chin and ears were sharply pointed. He seemed to have spawned from hell.

The crowd backed away, giving space to the two challengers.

“Don’t do this, Daniel,” Alex said calmly, as he walked closer to him. A faint aura surrounded Alex. Daniel’s aura was the same color as his sword and was constantly increasing in size and intensity. The closer he tried to walk, the farther away Daniel moved. He was afraid. “You don’t need to fight; we don’t have to resolve it this way.” Just then, he felt as if a hammer had struck him right on top of the head. He fell to the floor in pain.

Daniel laughed, “What’s the matter, Falsifier?”

“Uncle John, it’s grandma; she’s dying!” He groped at his chest and began to shake uncontrollably.

Just then, John got a message on his nanophone. Andrew appeared on the hologram in front of him and said, “Sir, Dr. Wallace is on the line. He says your mother’s having an attack.”

“I’ll be there!” John said and looked back at Alex. He wanted to help his nephew but something told him he would be fine. “Make sure no one gets close to them,” he said to Richard and Nikolas. “I will not have any more deaths today!” He left.

Alex closed his eyes. He saw his grandmother. Her eyes were closed but he could feel her heart beating fast. She was suffering.

Daniel, looking at his father and the rest, gave them a bitter smile, showing his large fangs. He flung his sword towards Alex. But Alex backed away just in time. He grabbed the sword by its handle before it went back to its master and he threw it at Daniel. Daniel laughed and gloated and didn’t sense the danger. His own sword plunged into his body and he groaned in agony.

I have to stop this,
thought Alex.
I need to control this power before it kills me, before it takes over and kills everyone.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind. He opened his eyes slowly and exhaled. Then he smiled at his impaled enemy. Daniel pulled the sword out of himself and rushed towards Alex. Before Daniel could attack, Alex disappeared, teleported behind him, and threw a blue fiery energy ball at him, knocking him to the floor.

The Rebels sensed the energy around them, pure and potent from Alex and wild and uncontrolled from Daniel. Daniel lay there, recharging his energy. Alex let him. He could have simply killed him there and then but he didn’t and it made him wonder why.

John ran into the hallway. Four doctors and half a dozen nurses rushed in and out with medical equipment and shouted frenzied orders. John pushed his way through to see his mother lying completely immobile on her hospital bed. He looked at the EEG and the ECG monitors. There were sharp dips and spikes in the graphs.

A doctor stepped in front of him, his face barely centimeters away. He smelled of tobacco and dried fish.

“Get away from me,” John said, shoving him aside.

“Sir, we need you to wait outside.”

“The hell you do! She’s my mother and I’ll be with her whether you like it or not.”

“Sir,” said a nurse behind him, “We really do need you to be outside!” John scowled at the doctor. He turned around to walk away. The computers made a faint but monotonous droning sound, which brought chills up his back. No! It couldn’t be!

It was confirmed by a voice, “We’ve lost her.”

Alex felt his heart had fallen into a bottomless pit. She was dead! He could feel her soul leave the body. He wanted to cry, to do something, but he had to concentrate on Daniel. “Grandma!” he said softly, “Don’t leave us.” He felt her presence around him.

Daniel had gathered plenty of energy now. He grinned at Alex, trying to taunt him.

“Alex, I have to go,” he heard his grandma’s voice say. “My work is finished.”