Old World Pharmaceuticals

by Brian Myrick

  “Of course, honey,” Samantha says. “Let’s try this, sweetie. I know you will like it. Samantha starts to tie Martha to a large wooden cross, bolted against a wall.

  Veronica finishes her drink in one long gulp, then throws her purse onto a red leather chair. Veronica rubs Gabriel’s arm and then his shoulder as she turns to leave the room. “I should have started drinking when you guys did,” Veronica says. “I have some catching up to do if I’m going to keep up with all of this. I’m going to get another glass of wine, and I’ll be right back. This is looking like a long night.”

  With a nod of approval from Gabriel, Veronica leaves the room. Gabriel walks over and starts helping Samantha tie up Martha.

  “Did you just let that girl leave?” Samantha asks.

  “She is fine, the house is locked down, and her phone is in here in her purse,” Gabriel says. “Where could she go?”

  “What do you mean?” Martha asks.

  Gabriel grabs Martha’s head with both hands and starts kissing her before she can finish her sentence. Martha’s eyes close with pleasure, enjoying the moment-until suddenly her eyes open wide in shock. A small line of blood runs down her chin. Gabriel stops kissing her and pushes her head back some to look at the line of blood that drips from her chin onto her cleavage, then pulls her head back to lick the blood from her lips.

  “Ouch!” Martha shouts. “That fucking hurt, am I bleeding?”

  Samantha, now overwhelmed with excitement, tears open Martha’s shirt and bra. One of Martha’s naked breasts hangs out.

  “What the fuck!” Martha shouts. “I said nothing rough, and you just ripped a $50-dollar bra, and my shirt! Bitch, untie me!” Martha is quickly sobering up now to realize this isn’t the fun and games she was expecting.

  Martha struggles in her restraints, helpless. Gabriel and Samantha are both overcome with excitement. Samantha rubs Martha’s naked breast. While Gabriel focuses in on Martha's neck, as she struggles Gabriel grabs a full hand of Martha's hair and slams her head against the wood cross she is tied to. Martha's eye rolls back in her head for a moment semi-unconscious before she comes back to life.

  Samantha's fangs come out with a snap, and she bites deep into Martha's breast, a thin line of blood runs in between her cleavage.

  Gabriel's fangs snap out, and he bites deep into the side of Martha's neck. Two lines of blood run down her neck and join the blood in her cleavage. The two of them are like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

  Oblivious of what is happening in the room with the green door, Veronica turns on the lights in the kitchen and walks over to the half-empty bottle of wine sitting on a counter, she pours a full glass of wine and then puts her hand under the ice dispenser on the refrigerator door, waiting for a chunk of ice to cool her wine, but nothing comes out. She opens the freezer door; no light comes on and no food is in it. She opens the other fridge door and it’s the same, no light, no food. Veronica shuts the doors and immediately moves over to a cabinet, stops and stares at the closed door, then slowly opens it, empty, then another cabinet, then another, all empty. Nothing at all, no food, no plates, no cups, just empty. She spins around surveying the countertop. Everything looks normal, but then she sees a wood block that would normally have knives in it, also empty.

  First, a feeling of confusion, then a feeling of fear takes over her! Veronica knows something is wrong with this house and her hosts. She starts to walk toward the front door but stops and notices that what was the floor-to-ceiling window she looked out when they come into the house earlier is now covered with a steel roll down security shutter, and there are no other windows to be seen. She now knows she is locked in the house.

  In the other room, Martha is still moaning and squirming to get free while Gabriel slowly slides his large hand over Martha’s mouth to silence her moans and pleas to stop.

  “You should probably go get our little friend in the kitchen,” Samantha says. Before taking another deep bite into Martha’s underarm that is securely tied to the cross.

  Gabriel and Samantha laugh. Gabriel is gone from the room in a flash. In the front entryway of the house, Veronica is frantically trying to open the front door, then sensing she is no longer the only person in the room, stops and slowly turns around to see Gabriel looking at her from the other side of the room.

  “Please don’t,” Veronica begs. “I swear I won’t say anything.”

  “What about your friend?” Gabriel asks as he takes a step toward her. “Were you just going to leave her?”

  “I don’t even really know her,” Veronica says as tears well in her eyes. “I swear, I won’t tell anyone I was here, please.”

  “Aww, now that’s not being a good friend,” Gabriel laughs, and he takes another step toward her like a cat would if it had a mouse in a corner.

  Gabriel closes the remainder of the distance between them at super speed and grabs her by the hair before she can even blink her eyes, to drag her back to the room with the green door. Veronica screams and struggles to escape, but Gabriel has done this to many times before to let her get away from him.

  Gabriel enters the room, holding Veronica by her hair as she struggles to get free. Samantha stops biting Martha and looks up at them.

  “Look who I found, trying to leave the party early,” Gabriel says. With his arm extended lifts Veronica a few inches off the ground by her hair holding her suspended in the air. Then like throwing a pillow on a couch, Gabriel throws Veronica into the room and onto the floor. Gabriel walks further into the room and shuts the door behind him, locking it.

  “Tonight, the two of you never had any drinks at the club!” Veronica shouts as she gathers herself. “Why is there no food or anything in the kitchen!”

  Samantha let’s go of Martha who is fading in and out of consciousness and walks over to Veronica looking down at her intensely.

  “Because our food came home with us,” Samantha says looking hard at the shaking and trembling Veronica who is still on the ground.

  Veronica looks over at the bitten and bloody Martha tied to the cross and says “Vampires? are you fucking kidding me? For real!”

  Samantha looks at Gabriel with a smile.

  “Yes, we are definitely real and very hungry,” Gabriel says.

  “Are you ready to join your friend Martha in the fun?” Gabriel asks as his razor-sharp fangs snap out again.

  ***

  Hours later, Gabriel and Samantha are standing outside in the darkness at the edge of a large wooded area with smaller trees that gradually turn into tall trees as you go further in. It’s the beginning of the forest that could be seen from Gabriel’s living room window. In front of them are two deep holes they’ve just finished digging. Next to each hole is what looks like a body wrapped in plastic and duct tape.

  “We need to finish this up, it’s getting close to dawn,” Gabriel says as he looks at the lightening sky.

  “You know, we don’t have to stay here with Azreal and the others,” Samantha says. “We can leave and just continue to have fun wherever we want to go, anywhere in the world.”

  “We need to stop for a while Samantha and let things die down,” Gabriel says as he glances down at the bagged bodies laying on the ground next to them. “This was our last night like this for a while.”

  “It doesn’t have to be!” Samantha pleads and tries to place her hand on him, but he shrugs her off.

  “Just finish up we don’t have very much time till dawn,” Gabriel says.

  Samantha laughs, “It’s your fault, you played with these little mice too long this time my big cat.”

  The first rays of the sun start to peak over the foothills. Samantha and Gabriel look at each other. They start moving incredibly fast in a tornado of motion, throwing the body’s in the holes and then filling them almost all the way full of dirt. Then quickly set a small tree on top of each hole before finishing filling them with dirt.

  The sun almost cresting the foothills behind the f
orest now. Gabriel and Samantha run fast as lighting back to the garage connected to Gabriel’s house just as the first rays of sunlight hit the driveway, almost chasing them into the garage. Gabriel walks over to a floor sink and washes his arms and then his shovel. Next to the sink is a bottle of bleach that he pours over the shovel.

  Gabriel turns to see Samantha standing there looking at him. She doesn’t have her shovel.

  “Where is it? How could you have forgotten your shovel?” Gabriel asks aggressively.

  “It’s not a big deal,” Samantha says. “I’ll get it tomorrow night, no one is coming here.”

  ***

  Chapter Ten

  The Year Is 2018

  I

  n the Old World Pharmaceuticals parking lot Dan’s black, a four-door sedan pulls in and parks, followed by Frank’s sedan. Dan exits his vehicle first and buttons up his jacket as a cold breeze blows past him. Frank gets out of his car next, and they both walk toward the front of the Old World Pharmaceuticals building.

  “Why are we here, Dan?” Frank asks. “Does Angela know we’re here?”

  “Yeah, it’s all good,” Dan says over his shoulder to Frank. “I just have a few follow up questions. We will be in and out, don’t worry so much fucking new guy.”

  Dan and Frank walk in. The receptionist is sitting at her desk, watching the same wall screen TV again. She hardly notices Dan walking up to her desk. Frank sits in the waiting area and starts watching TV.

  “Déjà vu, huh?” Dan says.

  The receptionist stops watching TV to look at Dan, “Huh?”

  “Never mind,” Dan says. “I need to see your bosses for a minute.”

  The receptionist flips through her appointment book in front of her, “I don’t see any appointments for today. Do you have an appointment?”

  “It’s okay, are your bosses here?” Dan asks. “This will only take a minute.”

  “Have a seat and I will check,” the receptionist turns to look out the window at the sun setting.

  Dan turns and walks over to sit down next to Frank. They both look up at the TV.

  On the television a single news anchor sitting at his desk reports, “It looks like we have another update on the latest in a series of missing persons reported. Let’s go live, now, to Houston PD.”

  The TV show cuts to the briefing area inside the Houston Police Department. The public relations officer and Jacob Ellis walk to a podium.

  “We have had some new developments in our missing person's case,” the public relations officer says. “Unfortunately, we have had two new cases reported over the weekend.”

  “Can you give us any other new details?” a reporter asks.

  “Yes, the names of the two new cases are Martha Ellis and Veronica Sanchez,” the public relations officer says. “They were both reported last seen at Prohibition, a nightclub in downtown. We think these two girls may have come into contact with the subject or subjects we are seeking in the other cases.”

  Jacob Ellis, in wrinkled clothes, looks like he has been awake for a few days, leans in closer to the microphone to talk after the Public Relations officer, then holds up a picture of Martha Ellis.

  “This is my sister Martha, if anyone has seen her please contact me, or the police department, please!” Jacob says while holding up his sister’s picture for the camera to see.

  The Public Relations Officer places his hand on Jacobs' shoulder and then leans back to the microphone.

  “So, is this a serial killer case?” another reporter asks.

  Jacob uncontrollably breaks into tears at the sound of the question.

  “We are still hopeful all these girls will be found alive and well,” the public relations officer says. “If anyone has any information, please call our hotline.”

  Dan looks from the screen back at Frank with a surprised look and says, “I know it is that mother-fucker!”

  “What the fuck, that was Jacob and a picture of his sister, that answered the door for us,” Frank says stupefied.

  “Yeah, I know, I saw her Friday night at that club,” Dan says.

  “What do you mean, you saw her?” Frank asks, then turns to look Dan in the eyes. “Why would you be at that club, Dan?”

  Dan says, “I was doing a little surveillance, and I followed Gabriel and a girl who works here to that club.”

  “What the fuck, Dan, Angela doesn’t know we are here, huh?” Frank demands. “She damn sure doesn’t know you are doing your own surveillance, does she?”

  “Keep your voice down and just relax, FNG. We are going to get these bastards, I know it,” Dan says.

  “Fuck Dan, you’re going to get you and me fired!” Frank says.

  The receptionist hangs up the phone, then looks over at Dan and Frank, “You don’t have an appointment, but they will see you anyway.”

  ***

  Dan and Frank enter the conference room and take seats at the table. Azreal, Gabriel, and Haley are already sitting on the other side of the table.

  “Good evening, agents,” Azreal says while tapping the fingertips of both hands together in front of him with his elbows on the table. “What can we do for you?”

  “I just have a few follow up questions,” Dan says.

  “Next time you have questions, you should make an appointment,” Gabriel snaps at Dan.

  “Yeah, I’ll make sure and do that next time,” Dan says directly at Gabriel. “So, how was your weekend, Gabriel?”

  Dan places his hand on the table, and rolls his fingers slowly, then leans forward. The others glance at his fingers as he wraps them against the table over and over.

  “I had a great weekend, but that’s not what your here for,” Gabriel says.

  “Really?” Dan replies and raises an eyebrow at Gabriel. “So, what did you do this weekend Gabriel?”

  Gabriel leans back in his chair thinking about the question and looking at Dan.

  “If you don’t have anything business related to talk about, we can end this meeting right now, agent,” Azreal says as he looks over at Gabriel.

  “So, yeah okay, let’s move on,” Dan says. “Did you guys get that list of compounds for XP1 that we asked for at the last meeting?”

  “You know that list was submitted with our application for XP1,” Azreal calmly replies.

  “No, I mean the one with all the compounds on it!” Dan shouts back at Azreal. “Not that partial one you submitted! Come on guys lets quit fucking around here okay.”

  “Both of you get up and get out!” Haley shouts at them as she abruptly stands up from her seat shoving it back a few feet and walks with a purpose around the table and straight at Dan and Frank.

  Frank frantically gets up as fast as he can to get away from Haley oncoming approach.

  “Come on, Dan, this is over, get up,” Frank says and grabs Dan out of his chair and onto his feet, then guides him toward the door with both hands-on Dan’s shoulders.

  “Don’t think this is over for any of you!” Dan shouts as he’s led away from the table by Frank “Not by a long shoot!”

  Frank continues to push Dan toward the door. He opens it as quick as he can to get Dan out of the room. Haley follows them close behind all the way to the door and slams it behind them, almost hitting Frank.

  Azreal springs to his feet in the blink of an eye then turns and lunges at Gabriel grabbing him by the arm and the neck, pinning him in his chair with such force it would have crushed a regular human’s bones. The chair rocks from side to side as Azreal pushes it across the room with Gabriel trapped in it struggling to free himself, until the chair comes to an abrupt stop, slamming against a wall.

  “What did you do over the weekend, Gabriel?” Azreal shouts as he leans his face closer to Gabriel’s face, they are almost nose to nose now. “Tell me, Gabriel!”

  “Nothing,” Gabriel shrieks back. “I swear nothing!”

  “You’re lying!” Azreal says and tightens his grip. “
I can see it in your eyes! You’re back to your old ways, aren’t you? I know it.”

  Azreal slowly releases his hold of Gabriel and backs up looking down at Gabriel still in the chair. Then, he turns back toward the conference table and walks over to it, slamming both of his hands on the table.

  ***

  Chapter Eleven

  The Year Is 1986

  A

  zreal, Samuel, Gabriel, and Senator Thatch are on a walkway that leads to a large house. The door to the house opens as they are walking up. Senator O’Hara an averagely looking man in his fifties is standing inside the open door. “I don’t know why you wanted to meet so late, so this better be good.”

  “Believe me,” Senator Thatch says, “this will be a meeting you will never forget. Is Myrick here?”

  “Yes, he is here and just as annoyed as I am,” Senator O’Hara barks back. “He is in the living room, waiting. And what does my son have to do with this?”

  “You going to invite us in?” Senator Thatch asks while still standing outside the door with the others.

  “Who are these guys with you?” Senator O’Hara asks.

  “This is Azreal, Samuel, and Gabriel, they need you to invite them into your home,” Senator Thatch says and then walks past Senator O’Hara to enter the house.

  “Come on in, I guess,” Senator O’Hara says to the others.

  A few minutes later inside the house in Senator O’Hara’s living room, there are several over-sized chairs surrounding a long coffee table. Sitting in the chairs are Senator Thatch, Senator O’Hara, and Senator Myrick, a short stocky man in his forties. Azreal, Samuel and Gabriel sit on a couch facing the Senators.

  “So, why the cloak-and-dagger stuff at this hour of the night?” Senator Myrick asks as he takes a drink from the teacup he is holding. He looks as if sleep is already dragging at his eyelids.

  “They need our help, and we definitely need theirs, but it’s better if I just let you two hear and see it from them,” Senator Thatch says to the group.