Blackjack

by Kristopher Norris

  I was surprised how fast we made it to the airport. The driver Alan and I had a nice conversation. We didn’t talk about anything in particular just pleasant small talk, totally uncharacteristic of me.

  When we arrived at the airport William was standing outside the plane with Terry. “Hey,” I was the first to speak.

  “Morning Black,” Goodspeed nodded. “A little early for you ain’t it?”

  I pushed my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose with my middle finger and smiled. “Yeah, but what can you do?” Goodspeed chuckled. William hadn’t said a word, odd, very odd. “Willy is somethin’ bugging you?”

  “No, no. I’m sorry to be rude. How are you this morning?” He spoke very fidgety.

  I was thinking that I was suddenly nervous by the way he was acting. “Good. You?”

  “Fine just fine. Shall we? It’s going to be a long flight.” He didn’t wait for a response he was already walking up the staircase to enter the plane.

  “Don’t mind him,” Terry chuckled, “he hates to fly. Scared to death of it.” He motioned for me to get on.

  “After you.”

  Kindly he got on first. I was going to be careful till I was proved otherwise. When we got on, Willy was already strapped into a seat. He was trying to take some type of pills but was spilling more water on his shirt then he was getting in his mouth. “Sleeping pills.” Terry offered as an explanation. “He’ll be out in five minutes.” He whispered to me. “Have a good nap William.” The only response he got was a quick jerky nod of William’s head.

  The pilot’s voice came over the speakers. “Please take a seat and strap in, we’ll be preparing for departure soon.” Ten minutes later we were taxing out to the runway and William was out like a light. If we did crash he’d sleep right through it. At least he had that going for him. The engines roared to life and we were off.

  The flight was wonderful. It was much better than flying commercial. We had food, drinks, whatever movies we wanted, and no fat annoying people stuck next to you. I should have always flown like that. Even with all the perks the flight was too long. We had to stop in New York for fuel before the transatlantic flight.

  Finally, after what seemed like days later, we arrived in London. It was just as I expected, foggy and dim. Even if the sun had been up it wouldn’t have helped. William was just coming out of his coma as we were unloading our bags. Another Rolls Royce, this one black, was waiting for us on the tarmac along with a Range Rover for our bags and an entourage of armed guards. I would have thought that I would be tired from the time change but I guess that someone that doesn’t have a normal sleep pattern can’t screw it up.

  We followed the Rover out of the airstrip. Driving through the streets of downtown London was very interesting. The architecture was amazing! The old styles meeting the new, it was absolutely beautiful. I began to hope that I’d have time to go through the city and really take it in. I wanted to learn everything I could during my stay here, which I didn’t even know how long that would be. My thoughts ran deep those next few moments. My life had changed so much in just a few days.

  I had a lot to think about, but as it often goes I didn’t have time for it. We soon reached the outskirts of the city, then onto country roads. This was the point I became worried. Not because of my newly found business partners but there was something out there. I couldn’t explain it but I felt something following us. I quickly spun around in the seat and began looking out the rear window. On the long open country road it was obvious that there were no cars following us. Something was not right. I felt something out there watching us, following us.

  “What’s wrong Black?” Goodspeed asked. He knew something was up too. His voice was low and cold. He’d switched to professional mode.

  “We’re not alone. There’s something out there.”

  “Wha…” he didn’t have time to finish what he was going to ask. As he tried to speak we hit something, or rather something hit us. Looking out the front of the car I could see that the guards’ truck had come to a stop but that’s not what grabbed my attention. There on the crushed hood crouched a vampire and he didn’t look like he was here for a social visit. He was yelling or something, I couldn’t hear over the screams of the driver, his fangs shone brightly in the moonlight.

  My gun was out. I’d have taken a shot much sooner but Terry was in the way. “Down!” I yelled! Goodspeed dropped, but the driver was panicked and frozen. That’s not good when your life is on the line. Without a clean shot there wasn’t a damn thing I could do from here. The vampire’s fist came smashing though the windshield and grabbed the driver. As he was being pulled back through the shattered glass he was screaming, blood curdling screams.

  Goodspeed and I were out of the car, pistols drawn. The vampire wasn’t alone. While climbing out of the smashed car I saw why the guards weren’t taking care of the vampire on our car. They were fighting off three of their own. Even with the dim moonlight it was very hard to make anything out, but I knew there were three of them over there. What scared me was I didn’t know how I knew that. Their automatic assault rifles were going off in short spurts, very tactical. The tips of the rifles lit up with the exiting bullets giving off enough light to make things a bit more visible confirming what I already knew, there were three vamps attacking them. They knew what they were doing and didn’t need our help. The driver laying half in half out of our car with vampire fangs stuck in his neck did need it. The vampire cradled the driver in his arms his head buried at the neck. The drivers screaming had stopped. I hoped that was due to panic. I didn’t want to wait ‘til the vampire let go. I couldn’t shoot from here. I needed to be closer. I didn’t want the bullet to go through the vamp and into the driver. I ran up and drove the barrel of my gun right into the vamp’s forehead. His eyes opened wide gazing at me. He released the driver’s neck and began flashing his fangs again, blood dripping off them and out of his mouth. I guess he thought that would scare me. Idiot. I unloaded a shot into his face, he screamed but didn’t fall. I let off another shot and another loading the vampire’s body with shots. I kept shooting ‘til he fell off the hood of the car. As he lay on the ground still screaming I drew out one of my forearm blades, a long thin blade worn in a sheath along the forearm, walking around the front of the car to where he’d fallen. I sent the blade down though his neck, it stuck in the ground. I didn’t have time to pick it up anyway. I’d replaced the empty clip and had my second pistol out preparing myself for whatever was next.

  When the body of the vampire ignited that got the attention of one of the others. It turned from the guard it had pinned against the truck and charged me. Before I could even get my guns into the air he was right in front of me. His palms came into my chest with incredible force. I flew through the air several feet and slammed into the side of the car. For a moment I lay there trying to regain the ability to breathe. If Terry hadn’t been shooting at my attacker I would have been dead as I lay there. Despite Goodspeed’s efforts the vampire charged me again. I was able to get my guns in the air. I sat there leaning into the car and emptied both of my guns into him. Even with my guns blazing I could hear a loud noise from behind me. A noise as if some metal were being torn apart. Then there was a cry for help. I couldn’t turn around to see what the source of the noise was or who had cried for help. My attention was on the vampire coming at me. If I’d been a second slower or if I’d have had a few less bullets in my guns he’d have been on top of me again. He dropped to his knees a few feet in front of me. He had a stunned look on his face, like he couldn’t believe what was happening. “You might want to move.” Goodspeed was standing behind the vampire with my blade in his hand. I nodded and scrambled to my feet. Right out of one of those old Knights of the Round Table type movies, Goodspeed lopped his head off right there as he knelt. Just like the others he erupted in a blue inferno. Terry took out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned the ash blade off. “Good knife.” He tossed it in the air, turning it around and handed it to m
e handle first.

  “I like um.” I slid it back into the arm sheath next I placed fresh magazines into my guns.

  The guards had dispatched the other vampires. “Report?” Goodspeed asked one of the guards. While he was talking to them I went to see what that noise was. When I reached the driver’s side of the wrecked car I saw it. The rear door and a good bit of the doorframe had been torn off the side of the car and William was nowhere in the car. “Goodspeed!” I yelled out but he was engaged in conversation with the guard. So I walked to where they were standing.

  “Johnson sustained a broken arm,” I assumed he was talking about another guard. “Carl is stable but lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to the safe house.”

  The same guard turned to me. “Mr. Black you saved his life, sir. If he had not been let free when he did he would have bled out right into that blood head.” I really didn’t know what to say I wasn’t known for saving people. If I had anything to say it wouldn’t have mattered I had something much more pressing to talk about.

  “William is gone. Judging from the side of the car I’d say he didn’t leave willingly.”

  “What?” he spat as a fierce look past behind his otherwise stone cold eyes.

  “He’s gone.” I felt the need to give condolence, but didn’t.

  Terry took a deep breath and composed himself. “Alright, we get to the safe house and we’ll figure this out. Let’s get moving.” And like good little soldiers the guards loaded Carl into the back of the Rover. We left the Rolls-Royce on the road there was no way that thing was going to drive again anytime soon. Where the vampire landed on the hood, he had snapped the front suspension and destroyed the hood, front clip, and fenders. Later I’d have to find out how a vampire that is no bigger than a human can do that by merely jumping on a hood.

  The rest of the drive was a mix between moments of silence and uncomfortable laughing. The silences were times of reflection; the laughing was the camaraderie of fighting alongside one another trying to ease the tension. Goodspeed and I were not that type of fighter; we worked alone. There was no camaraderie in what we did. While Terry was on his cell phone relaying the nights events to someone at The Guild one of the guards spoke to me. “Sir, may I say that you were amazing out there tonight. I’ve never seen such fearlessness in anyone. How long have you been a hunter?” This kid was young and British. He was still filled with the dreams of grand adventures.

  I looked at Goodspeed. I didn’t know if I should be honest. “Go ahead tell ‘um.” He said hanging up his phone.

  “It’s my first day.”

  They were all silent for a brief moment then they exploded into laughter. “First day he says.”

  Yep they were having a good laugh about it ‘til Terry spoke up. “He’s telling the truth. He saw his first vamp a week ago.”

  Again they fell into silence. “How are you not afraid, sir?” the same guard asked.

  “I’m already dead.” The look in Terry’s eyes let me know he knew what I meant. The young kids around us didn’t, they couldn’t, not ‘til they lost what we had lost. Until they lose the enjoyment of life they’d never understand. I looked out the window. I hope this young kid finds whatever it is he is looking for before he gets himself killed. I didn’t say another word on the ride. William was on my mind. By Goodspeed’s silence I figured he was thinking about him also. I wanted to know what was going to happen to him and what we were going to do about it.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The safe house was a huge compound; it was a mix of a mansion estate and a military base. This estate made The Guild’s Vegas house seem like nothing. Dogs and armed guards were everywhere. I think there are fewer guards at the damn White House. When we finally got through all the gates and guards and got to the house, Carmen was waiting for us on the front stairs.

  “They have William,” Terry spoke as he got out of the car. “Yes, I know,” she looked very distant as she spoke. “I was told about five minutes ago,” Carmen said handing him a sheet of paper.

  As he read through the note he’d been handed, Carmen turned her attention to me. “Good to see you again, Black. Sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

  “Good to see you too. So what are we gonna do about this?”

  “We don’t know yet.” Terry said reading over the paper. “We don’t know where he’s been taken. But they’ve got an idea of who has him.”

  “Amun?” I asked.

  Terry handed the piece of paper to me. Not much to it really. It was a simple memo typed out.

  With the attack on our convoy and our own William taken we understand some emotions will run high. But remember we are here for a mission and no unauthorized action will be undertaken. Amun and his followers will be punished for these actions.

  “I can’t see why they would think that Amun has him,” I said handing the paper back to Terry. I retrieved a smoke from my pocket and lit it. After the first drag I spoke again. “Well, is he or some of his followers in England?” Releasing the smoke from my lungs I asked, “Any ideas where they would take him?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “Then what led them to the conclusion that Amun’s crew has taken him?”

  Carmen shook her head. “I don’t know. We’ve got a clairvoyant on the way to the attack sight to see what he can see.”

  “A clairvoyant?”

  “A physic…”Terry began to answer.

  “Yeah I know what they are. I just didn’t think they were real,” I paused for another drag. “I guess I’m going to be in for a lot of surprises like that, huh?”

  “More than likely,” Carmen said.

  “So what we just wait?” I didn’t even like asking the question. And I really didn’t want the answer that was coming.

  “I’m afraid so Black,” Terry answered.

  Afraid so hum? Yeah, so was I. I really don’t know why I cared that he was taken.

  A week ago I was shooting at him myself. I don’t like this team shit. And I really don’t like this waiting shit. I like to be in control. Right now none of us were in control of the situation. God knows what was happening to him while we could do nothing but stand there.

  After an uncomfortable silence Carmen spoke up. “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying, Black. Terry has a report to file.” She turned and began toward the door. “Terry, don’t blame yourself.” He ignored her. “This way Black, your bags will be brought up shortly.”

  I did what I was asked and followed her inside. I just gave Terry a nod. I know when someone wants to be left alone. That was one of those times.

  Carmen looked very different then when I’d meet her at the strip club back in Vegas. Instead of the little black skirt and tank top, she wore a very clean cut suit her black hair pulled tight to the back of her head, really looked like a female version of Terry or I. She looked like a professional hitter. We walked up a grand staircase. “I’m glad you chose to come to London, Black. We can use more people like you.”

  “What do you mean people like me?”

  “A killer, a true killer,” she paused for a second as if she thought she had offended me. “I didn’t mean any…”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m taking it as a compliment. That is how it was offered right?” She nodded and we continued walking. “I thought you were going to say American.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, that’s another nice feature. You and Terry are the only Americans we have at this house.”

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “Half,” She said with a smile, “American mother, British father.”

  “How long have you been with The Guild?”

  She took a sigh and thought. “Damn, a long time. A hunter going on near six years.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “When did you join? When you were eighteen?”

  “Ha, Ha. No I was twenty actually.” Though she joked I could tell there was something more on her mind than her boss being abducted.

  “Twenty five, twenty si
x, really?” I didn’t want to press the matter, so continued with the light conversation.

  “Yep. You?” I didn’t say, I just grinned. “Oh come on? I told you.” She tried looking very stern.

  “Twenty four.”

  “You look older. But you’re just a babe huh?” her laugh turned to giggling.

  “You’re just lucky you’re cute.” I could take the joking insult. It was distracting her from whatever was on her mind.

  “Really? Now would you be flirting with me, Mr. Black?” she giggled again and stopped in front of a large oak door.

  “Yep.”

  “Well,” she paused, “this is your room.” She opened the door.

  When I stepped inside, I was amazed. I knew the place was classy, but damn. There was a fireplace large enough to stand in, a full living room set, and a huge four-poster bed. Everything in the room was immaculate. “Damn, all this for me? The apartment I grew up in wasn’t half this size.”

  “Yep, all for little ol’ you,” She sighed. “Your bags will be up in a little while. If you need anything just let someone know.”

  “Well, as soon as I get changed I could go for a drink,” I grinned at her. “You know where I could get one of those?” She didn’t answer for a moment. “Or who I could get to keep me company?”

  She began to answer when there was a knock on the door. “Sir” one of the many guards stood in the open door way. “Where would you like your bags?”

  “Just inside there is fine, thanks.” He nodded and set the bags in the room and left. “Should I have given him a tip?”

  “I’m sure he would have liked that,” Carmen laughed.

  “So we’re just on hold right now for William huh?” I asked.

  Her laughter abruptly stopped. “Yeah,” she stared at nothing for a long moment. “You know,” she said. “I could use a drink to pass the time.”

  “You want to give me a minute so I can get cleaned up and changed? Then you can show me what ya’ll do for fun around here.”