The Veiled Monarch

by Shae Bryant

  "Don't tell me what I can and can not do, whelp!" Vince shouted at her, "I've over a century on you! Do you think I don't know those sounds?"

  Belle struggled against him, but it would do her no good. And older Vampire was always stronger than a younger one. Someone Belle's age would have no chance against Vince Moretti. Three or four younger ones might overpower someone Vince's age. Just one? He'd turn them to ash.

  "They are gone because we grew weak! You grew weak!" she coughed.

  Belle lifted both of her legs and kicked towards Vince's chest, breaking his hold. She caught herself halfway to the ground and flew towards him. Suddenly, there were blurs of clothing passing by my eyes. Every so often, Vince or Belle would slam up against a wall or fall to the ground. The metallic, sticky scent of blood was starting to permeate the room. If we didn't do something, one or both of them would blood craze.

  A blood crazed Vampire was the worst thing anyone could deal with. Their blood boils inside of them, and they are overcome by their rage. They lose control of any emotion that isn't extreme. That emotion is almost always rage. A Vampire in this state will kill a Human in a moment. If they fight one another, one of them almost always turns to ash.

  Catherine reached for her holster, "Where's my stake!?"

  "Catherine no!" I reached out and pulled her against the far wall.

  I got a good look at both of them while I pressed myself against the wall. There was no blood craze. Not yet. Both of them had blood pooling in the whites of their eyes. I could still see Vince’s dark irises. But, Belle’s baby blues were almost completely red. He had the upper hand right now, and he might be the only person to keep us safe from her.

  "The law states that a Vampire fight requires a stake gun in case of a blood craze! We have to stop them and call it in!" Catherine drew her stake gun, hesitating to point it at either of them.

  I pulled her inside the door and slammed it shut, "We didn't see it, Catherine."

  Catherine scowled at me, "Detective Escobar!"

  "Listen to me!" I was determined to make her understand me, "If we call this in, Vince could be staked! He may be saving our lives right now. Belle is an old Vampire. She could kill both of us. Vince is the only thing standing between us and her. We. Didn't. See. This."

  "Fine!" Catherine's nostrils flared in anger.

  I was willing to accept this if it meant our hides were saved. The noise outside stopped and I slowly opened the door. Belle was dangling against the wall again. This time, Vince was trying to break her neck into pieces.

  "Put her down, Vince!" I demanded.

  He was seething with anger, "I'll rip her throat out and drain her of her essence."

  Catherine whispered to me, "Raina. He's slipping."

  She was right. The whites of his eyes were turning crimson at an alarming rate. Once his blood boiled over, I'd have no choice but to defend myself. There were ways to soothe a blood craze. Sometimes, kind words from someone close helped them calm down. I wasn't close to Vince, but I had to try to reach him.

  I carefully approached him, holding my arms out in surrender. I spoke as quiet and as soft as I could, "Vince. You did a good thing and you helped some friends. Come on. Calm down. You're fine. Everyone is OK. Look at me. We're all OK."

  He sucked air in through his exposed fangs, unlocking a clenched jaw. The red in his eyes started to slowly fade away. But he kept his hold on Belle.

  "I'll keep her here."

  Belle struggled against him. Her energy had been put into the boiling blood in her body. There was little left in her, but to fight. She struggled against Vince, gnashing her fangs towards his hand and thrashing in his grasp. It wouldn’t do her much good. Vince was older, which meant he was stronger. He still had a handle on his emotions. Belle did not.

  "Don't do this!" She screamed.

  Catherine and I walked through the same hallway we had gone through earlier. The door to one of the back rooms was slightly ajar. It opened to a relaxing massage room. Everything looked normal at first glance. There was something off on the far wall. It was opened just a tiny bit.

  A hidden door. Why didn't I think to look for one before? Vampires were very secretive. It was no surprise to anyone that a Vampire had a hidden room or closet. Most of them had more than one.

  Catherine pulled the door open and we stepped inside together. Once our eyes adjusted to the dark, we instinctively grabbed hold of each other's hand for comfort. This looked like something out of a horror movie!

  The room was cold concrete from floor to ceiling. Thick chains lined the walls and a strange device sat in the center of the room that looked like a modified pull up bar. Various knives and scalpels were neatly laid out on a steel table covered in a blue cloth. On the far side of the room, two people laid crumpled in a heap. There was no way they were alive; their bodies were broken and twisted beyond saving.

  On the other side of the room were two people chained to the wall. One of them was hanging three inches above the floor with a bowl underneath her. She had cuts on her body similar to Shane Lynch's, and her blood was draining into the bowl.

  The other person was awake. He looked at us with a pained expression, puffing up his chest to create a distressed noise. When I turned to him, I had to cover my mouth to keep from screaming. Part of his chest had been flayed and his skin was laying on a tray near him.

  "I'm going to be sick." Catherine's face was turning green while her hand flew to her stomach.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Case 1. Closed.

  The "old ways". That's what they were called. In the Dark Ages, it was common for Vampires to torture and brutally maim their victims before feeding. They seemed to think that the agony helped the blood taste better. Some victims survived it. Most didn't. After the Iron Oath culled a good majority of Vampires, many of them claimed they left the old ways behind.

  Many of them didn't leave it behind. Not until they discovered that a willing donor was much better than one who was in pain or weakened. After that, Vampires abandoned those methods, opting for an alternative that benefited both Vampire and Human. Every so often, a Vampire group or an older Vampire will be found trying to resurrect or keep the old ways. Belle Patricio was the last person I would have suspected to keep this way of thinking. She seemed so modern and so much more in touch than many other elder Vampires. Yet, here I was staring at a horrific torture chamber containing dead bodies and two people clinging to life.

  The contents of my stomach threatened to spill out. Tears were stinging my eyes. I wanted to run to the bathroom, lock the door and cry. These poor people must have been in anguish during the last hours of their life. What kind of a person would do this to someone else?

  I closed my eyes and gulped, making myself whisper to Catherine, "Call it in."

  Catherine trembled when she grabbed her radio, "This is unit four one david six. Requesting immediate assistance at 3107 Collins Avenue."

  The man who was still alive opened his eyes slowly. He stared right through the both of us. That was when I understood what Leo meant about Shane Lynch's eyes. This poor man had the most haunting look I had ever seen. "Anna...? Help."

  I felt a need to remove the chains and help him lie down on the floor. But, I wasn't able to do that until the Paramedics arrived. No matter how much we want to comfort a victim, we can't move them. We can only offer the aide of a supportive voice and sometimes a comforting hand.

  I forced a smile, "It's alright. We're bringing help. Can you tell me who you are?"

  Ask him questions. Keep him awake. Keep him alert.

  He managed to mumble a few unintelligible words. Then, his head drooped, and he closed his eyes again. I reached out towards him, taking care not to touch him. He just needed to hear someone was near him.

  "Tell me your name." I urged him. "I need you to stay with me. Tell me what your name is." I grabbed my radio, "This is unit four one david eight. I need an ETA! NOW!"

  Dispatch responded, "Nearest unit is two mi
nutes from your location."

  "I have multiple victims. Severe injuries...and fighting Vampires!" I shouted into the microphone.

  Silence. Dispatch was stunned. That's alright. Every unit in the area had heard me. There would be sirens wailing towards us any second now.

  Dispatch cleared her throat ,"Non Human perpetrator?"

  Catherine yelled into her radio, "Definitely! Err... Yes. Suspect is being held."

  "Copy that, four one d eight. And ahh...six."

  Once again, my attention was on the conscious victim, "Hey. Still with me? Come on. We've got help coming. Stay awake, OK? Talk to me. What's your name?"

  He gurgled out the name again, "Anna...?"

  "No. I'm Raina. I'm a Police Detective. Who is Anna? Can you tell me?"

  Behind me, Catherine was turning circles on the floor. Her eyes were getting wider by the second. The look she had on her face was when you finally hit the crime scene that your mind just can't handle. You panic or go into full shutdown mode. Everyone's reaction depends on how their bodies and minds process this sort of thing. Catherine's body was choosing to panic. Mine chose to shut down.

  "I don't know what to do!" She cried.

  "I can't leave this man." I told her, "Take a deep breath and go check on Vince. It will be OK."

  Catherine staggered away from the room with a look of complete bewilderment. She stumbled upon Vince and Belle still entangled in a struggle. Most of the struggling was Belle, trying to thrash and bite at Vince's hand. He was calmly holding her against the wall, letting her use up what strength she had left.

  "Vince..." Catherine whispered.

  "I'm fine now. She isn't going anywhere." Vince muttered.

  Belle shrieked, "Vincenzo! You can't do this to me! To us! We've been friends for centuries!"

  "And for centuries we've evolved. Why would you do this Belle? They're innocent people!"

  "They're mortal!" Belle tried to dig her fangs into his skin, "Human! You can snap every neck like a twig. They're ours!"

  "Those are old ways, Belle. Older than me!"

  Belle's eyes had been taken over by the blood inside of her. There was little left of the sweet, doting Belle Patricio. The Vampire in front of us was an enraged woman who was intent on killing anyone and anything in her sights.

  "Don't do this! Kill these Humans!"

  "No!" Vince barked, "This isn't what we are anymore!"

  Catherine's mind was overloaded. The only thing that came to the forefront was the years of training we had gone through. Arrest the suspect. She stepped forward, "Miss Patricio. I'm placing you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."

  "Detective! Move! Now!" Vince's hand dropped away from Belle, letting her fall to the ground. He rushed towards Catherine, pushing her out of the way.

  Catherine rolled against the wall, "Vince!"

  She shuffled around on the floor, trying to pull her stake from the holster. Belle's blind rage had focused itself on Catherine. Vince saw it coming, which is why he made the choice to move Catherine away. Now he was between the two of them. Sirens wailed into the parking lot and the alley. Doors slammed and footsteps ran closer to the door. This was all happening so fast. They wouldn't make it inside quick enough to help Catherine. The only person who could save her was Vince.

  "She's blood crazed!" Catherine pressed herself against the wall, gripping the stake in her hands.

  Belle flew towards Catherine with a shriek that was interrupted by a loud choking sound and the echo of a gunshot. The blood drained from Belle's eyes in an instant, and she grabbed Vince's arm, pitching forward with a groan. Her fingers curled into claws while they shriveled up and turned a sickly gray color. The skin started to flake away like paper. In moments, Belle's body disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

  Vince dropped to one knee, "Oh Belle..."

  "I'm sorry. I..." Catherine put a hand over her chest. She couldn't breathe, and she was gasping for air, "I had to. I had to!"

  "I know you did."

  She grabbed her radio, trying desperately to speak without hyperventilating. "This is Unit four one david six. Vampiric suspect is..." Catherine's head lulled to the side, and she slumped over against the wall.

  "Unit four one d six, please repeat." When she didn't answer, Dispatch called in again, "Detective Kleyman?"

  I was on my way out of the hidden room when Vince's voice crackled over my radio, "Ahh Hello? How does this work? I push the...hello?"

  The lobby door slammed open. Loud footsteps and the clicks of guns cocking filled the room. Officers surrounded Vince, pointing stakes at him and shouting orders.

  "Get on the ground! Put your hands out beside you!"

  "Me?" Vince sat near Catherine, "No. You're mistaken."

  "Get on the floor now!"

  Oh, God. Vince had no idea how to deal with Human cops. I felt like I couldn't open the door fast enough. I waved my hands around in the air with the badge in one and a gun in the other. They must have thought I was insane.

  "Get in there! In there!" I screamed, pointing towards the opened doors, "And let the Paramedics through!"

  Officers ran through the hallway and into the room where the victims were. Second later, a few of the Officers rushed out. One had gotten sick. The other was overcome with emotion. Paramedics rushed past me with stretchers. Our radios didn't stop bawling at us. Send in backup. Send in more ambulances. Bring in the coroner. It had become a mess of voices, frantic movement and questions being thrown at a rapid pace.

  I had to ignore the din of the crime scene and focus on one thing. I knelt down next to Catherine, "Catherine? Hey! Catherine!?"

  "She may be in shock." Vince said, "I promise she is unharmed."

  "Thank God."

  Catherine opened her eyes. She couldn't breathe. Her chest was tight. She was crying. The world around her was moving too fast and too slow. Her thoughts were jumbled with reality and overwhelming fear. This was a panic attack. She had never experienced one before. Welcome to this side of life, Catherine.

  I put my hand on her shoulder, giving her a little shake, so she would focus on me. Just breathe deep, Catherine. It will pass soon enough.Some of the Paramedics finally paid attention to the Detective. Vince and I were pushed aside while they gave her oxygen and calmed her down.

  After Catherine was wheeled out on a stretcher, my mind started to catch up with the rest of me. The crowd of Officers and First Responders around me turned into a multi colored blur of people. Voices all joined together in one continuous noise. I stood there for a few minutes with my eyes closed, trying to block all of it. Then, I took notice of the grieving Vampire next to me.

  "Oh Vince. I'm sorry."

  "As am I." he sniffed, "Please. Don't let them take her. I want to bury her properly."

  "We have to take them, but I'll make sure that her remains come back to you. I promise."

  Another Detective walked up to me, "Detective Escobar? We can take your statements now if you're up to it."

  "Sure." I followed him to a quieter side of the lobby.

  I turned to look over my shoulder, raising my eyebrows at Vince. I hoped he understood me. Listen to every word I say and repeat it. Vince tapped his lip like he was lost in thought, but I caught the subtle wink. He knew what to do.

  Catherine and I both received a couple of days off after dealing with a crime scene of that magnitude. I was grateful that we were able to avoid the media storm. The department was kind enough to keep our names out of it. Unfortunately, Vince Moretti wasn't so lucky. I saw numerous news reports where the media was trying to interview him and learn the name of the two Detectives who were on the scene. I almost felt bad for him when I blissfully enjoyed a few dinners with my friends and a couple of extra sessions with my Therapist.

  On the first day back at work, things were back to normal already. Darius was sitting comfortably at my desk with his feet
propped up and his hands behind his head. He gave me a cheesy grin and pointed outside the office where Catherine sat.

  "How is she?" I asked.

  "She requested some time off."

  "Let me talk to her first."

  "I'm giving her the time off, Raina."

  "I know." I tried to keep my voice even. I didn't want to argue this time, "Just let me talk to her first."

  Catherine looked like hell. Her makeup wasn't done, she had dark circles under her eyes and her hair looked like it needed a good comb. Her clean and trendy outfits had been replaced by a wrinkled shirt and a pair of yoga pants that had sand on the bottom of them. She was not taking this well at all, and no one had reached out to her in days. I felt responsible for this. I could have done something. I could have checked on her. Instead, I decided to go off on my own and absorb myself in my community. But, Catherine wasn't just my colleague anymore. She was becoming a friend. Right now, she needed some help.

  I approached her with a smile, "Darius said you need some time off."

  Catherine looked down at the floor, heaving a sigh, "I think I need a break."

  "You just started."

  "I don't know if this is for me Raina!" Catherine buried her head in her hands, "I don't know if I can do this. Greenville, South Carolina was one thing. This...? This is so different!"

  "Yeah. It is. You're right. We deal with a lot of Non Human crimes here. It's hard to see sometimes. And sometimes you have to deal with things like staking a Vampire."

  "It wasn't just that." Catherine slumped down into her chair,"I mean, yes it was. That was someone's life I took. It doesn't matter if she was kind of undead... And those people in the room. Those bodies. Raina, I can't sleep!"

  She had every bit of my empathy. I had been there. "I know. Most of us do. Especially after a crime scene like that. Listen, I want to give you someone's number. She's good to talk to."

  "Are you seriously about to tell me to see a Therapist?" Catherine scowled.

  "Yes I am. I see one too. Half of the department does. You are going to need one after something like this." I placed the business card in front of her.