by Logan Keys
“Wait. I’m looking for a specific Diego Salvador. He’s not from here.” I waited as Chuy did the translations. When he was done, I continued, “He’s new in town. He’s tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Has anyone seen him?”
The townspeople looked around from person to person.
After several seconds, Chuy said, “I don’t think they know him, senorita.”
I let out a long sigh, pounding my fists on my thighs. “What do you mean? How hard is it to notice a giant man with blue eyes? He’s not easy to miss.”
The excited looks on the mourner’s faces turned to looks of shock and horror.
I took a deep breath and tried again, “He’s new. Nuevo. Has anyone seen him?” I scanned the crowd for help but was met with blank stares. Either they hadn’t seen him or were still in awe of my presence.
Chuy offered his assistance, speaking to the group in Spanish. They were more verbal, but it was clear they didn’t know him.
“Fine. Okay.” I refused to be discouraged. Someone around here knew something. I’d root them out soon enough. I had no doubt about that.
—4—
The celebrations continued throughout the night. I circled the crowd three times while I searched for any sign of the vampire slayer. Nothing. I even offered to buy alcohol, under the guise of celebrating their loved ones, and still came up short. If a drunken mourner had something to share, they’d never hesitate to speak. After several shots, some had plenty to say, but none of it did me any good.
Useless, I thought. This is a waste of my time.
“Que dice?” a woman, cloaked in a black veil and an embroidered outfit poked her head out of an open window.
“Nada,” I offered. I hadn’t realized I’d said anything out loud.
“I know why you’re here,” she said in a thick Spanish accent. “No one will help you.”
Oh, she wants to challenge me? She has no idea how much trouble I can cause for her and everyone in this town.
“I’m not afraid, senorita. Don’t be fooled. I’m more dangerous than anyone you’ve ever met,” she said, a smile on her face.
“Careful there. You might get hurt,” I warned. No reason to harm an elderly woman. That wasn’t my style. Besides, beneath this impeccable façade lived a woman who would see a thousand lifetimes because of the man she loved, provided I stayed clear of vampire slayers. The love bites from Eduardo left me virtually immortal. It was my job to make good use of my time.
She cackled a haunting laugh.
I folded my arms in front of me, tickled by her gumption. “Now that we’ve confirmed you can read my mind, why don’t you tell me what you want from me?”
She glanced up and down the street. Hordes of people blanketed everywhere the eye could see.
“Scared?” I figured as much.
She fixed a long, thin finger at me. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve seen dozens like you before. They come here with a score to settle. I send them back where they came from with their heads hung in shame. Just you wait and see. You’ll go home in tears just like the rest of them did.”
Impressive. “You’re feistier than I was prepared to give you credit for and your English is better than mine.” I didn’t know whether to take her at her word or chalk it up to the ramblings of an old woman. Diego had told me to be wary of people. I would think that included anyone who dared threaten me. I couldn’t be too careful. Vampire hunters were everywhere.
She shrugged. “Of course, it is. I’m from Omaha. This is where I came to retire.”
I had to chuckle. “Look at you. You’re a woman after my own heart.” I had to stop gushing because I didn’t come to Mexico to make friends. “You’re good. You had me.”
The woman cackled again. “I knew you were gullible. This is my home. I was born right here.” She pointed to a space behind her.
“So, if you know all about me, then, you must know why I’m here,” I challenged her.
She nodded. “Maybe.”
We locked eyes for several seconds before she looked away and made a tsking sound with her tongue. “He’s not here.”
“Who?” I asked.
“You won’t find him. Don’t try. Go home.” She waved me off, but I ignored her instructions. “I know you won’t, but you should. What you seek isn’t here.”
The tone of her voice told me it wasn’t a suggestion.
“I can’t,” I said. “It’s too late.”
She motioned for me to stop as two gentlemen passed, both with their faces hidden under their sombreros.
I waited until she signaled for me to speak.
“He’s not a good man. He will hurt you,” she warned.
I swallowed a lump in my throat, remembering my dear Eduardo. “He already has. He took my husband.”
She locked her eyes on mine. “He will hurt you again. Next time, you might not survive.” With that, she pulled a pair of curtains closed and left me dumbfounded.
“There you are.”
I turned to find Chuy and a herd of young children walking my way.
“Oh. Hi, again,” I offered.
He stopped walking, signaling for his companions to stop as well. “Why are you here, senorita? This isn’t a place for someone like you. Doña Marta isn’t like the rest of us.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I mumbled.
He pulled me toward him, whispering, “She’s a… a Bruja.”
Over the years, I’d met my fair share of witches and warlocks and the garden-variety people with special abilities. They were all the same to me. Eduardo warned me about them and their perceived power. Against the Prince of Darkness, they were nothing more than charlatans.
I feigned shock. “You’re kidding? Like a real live witch?”
He blushed. “Of course, you knew that already. You’re La Catrina. You know more about that than we do.”
I’d forgotten that they thought I was the grand dame of their morbid celebration. Too many unnecessary distractions were throwing me off course. I had to keep my head in the game or I’d run the risk of never getting justice.
Focus. Focus.
“Will you join us? It’s time to go to the church,” he offered.
I took a step back. “No. No, thank you. I think I’ll find someplace to rest for the night and continue my search tomorrow.”
He gave me a quizzical look. “You can’t go to sleep.”
“What do you mean? I’m a grown woman. I can do whatever I want,” I said.
He shook his head. “No. It’s not that, senorita. It’s…We…” he stammered.
A teenage girl behind him finished his sentence for him. “We stay awake all night.”
Ah, how could I have been so naïve? Of course, they did.
“You’re right. Forgive me,” I offered through clenched teeth. If Diego doesn’t come out of whatever hole he crawled into, I will kill him with my bare hands in front of this large crowd.
“We go now?” a small child asked, offering his hand to me.
“To a church?” I couldn’t hide the horror in my voice. “I don’t think—” He batted long, curly eyelashes at me. “Fine. I’ll go.” I bent down, looked into his big, chocolate brown eyes. “Do you know Diego Salvador?”
He stared straight ahead, no sign of recognition on his face.
“No?” I asked. “Do you understand me?” I wasn’t sure who spoke English and who didn’t around here.
“Sorry. Sorry,” Chuy offered. “He’s my… How do you say? He is my…”
The teenage girl said, “Grandson.”
I don’t know if I liked her, but I sure did appreciate that she spoke English. I could use her.
Chuy took my elbow. “We can walk now.”
I groaned, “Sure.” Why not? I hadn’t stepped foot in a church in years. I was long overdue for a confrontation.
—5—
The moon glowed iridescent in the night sky. How fitting for my plan. Somewhere among the cache of people, the answers to my problems existed
. The old woman’s warnings did nothing to dissuade me. Years ago, I might have heeded her words, but that was long before my change. Long before my declaration of revenge. Now, nothing mattered. I had a mission. I fully intended to accomplish it. I’d fade away into oblivion as soon as the deed was done.
“Now?” The boy took my hand to lead me up the front stairs to the church.
“Sure,” I said, dread enveloping me like a cloak of daggers. “Why not?” My feet wouldn’t move.
“Now?” he urged again, pulling my hand.
I tried to tear my foot from the step, but it was as if it had been glued down. “You go first,” I said, motioning for a young mother to take him away.
“Is something wrong, Madeline?” the boy asked.
I gulped. Perhaps I heard him wrong. How would he know my real name?
“It seems my shoe is stuck. Would you mind giving me a hand?” I asked.
His eyes bored into mine, his voice deepening as he spoke, “Mexico has made you weak. You’re losing your touch.” His words carried no hint of his thick Spanish accent.
Right before my eyes, the small, innocent boy revealed his true identity. His body transformed into the shape of tall, muscular man with the haunting, blue eyes of the vampire slayer.
“It’s you!” I said as I fought to pull away from him.
He sneered, pointing to my feet that were now encased in a block of cement. “You shouldn’t be so trusting. That’s not good for business.”
The last several years of my life played in my mind. Our initial meeting so long ago. He appeared out of nowhere to offer his expertise as I flitted around a bridal shop in search of the perfect gown for my wedding. He was convincing as a harried wedding planner. He said all the right things, knew all the right people and catered to my every whim. I couldn’t have been more thankful to have found someone so obliging of my penchant for the finer things in life. After all, I was set to marry the man of my dreams. The man who had appeared like a star in the sky in my hour of need.
I’d lost my way while on a hunt with a pair of farmhands from my father’s farm. They’d warned me not to wander off because the Prince of Darkness was thought to be living deep in the forest, but I didn’t listen. I was fascinated by the idea of a vampire. And not just any vampire, but the legendary Dracula.
“You shouldn’t be so naïve to believe this is enough to stop me,” I said as I pushed my fear as far down as I could get it. “This is only temporary. You and I both know it.”
Smoke from the thousands of burning candles cleared, revealing dozens of church goers stuck in time. Some in mid-step. Others virtually floating in midair. A quick snap of Diego’s fingers and the world returned to normal… for them.
The crowd buzzed by, oblivious or impervious to the fact that I’d been essentially glued to the stairs by a megalomaniac who took the shape of a small boy to hide in plain sight. How gullible were these people? Was this all par for the course on their beloved holiday?
“I love how you think you can scare me,” he snarled. “Haven’t I already proven that I’m not easily frightened by you or any of your vampire brethren? Didn’t we take care of that problem?” He took a step back, examining me from head to cemented feet. “You haven’t aged a bit. You don’t look a day over 200-hundred-years-old.”
Had I not already had a reason to want him dead, that comment sealed his fate. How dare he!
“You’re still as hideous as I remember,” I said with a smile. “Now, if you’re done with this little game, can we get on to business?”
He smiled and nodded as the droves of people continued their pilgrimage to Santa Maria de Dios church. “Why are you in such a hurry? We have all the time in the world, do we not?”
I ignored the nods from citizens as they approached. Now wasn’t the time to be friendly. I was in a bind I hadn’t anticipated. I thought I’d find him before he found me, but I let my guard down. I let myself be distracted by a pudgy man with a seemingly gentle nature. How foolish of me! I knew better. Eduardo had warned me about unwelcome distractions.
When the crowd dispersed, he clapped his hands and belted out a song in fluent Spanish. He stopped suddenly. “You don’t like the song? Don’t you recognize it?”
I shook my head, unimpressed by his antics.
“It’s your favorite song. The one you danced to at your wedding.”
I shook my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Our first dance was to Modern Love by David Bowie. I don’t know what song you sang.”
He laughed a cackling laugh. “Is it time for hearing aids?”
I shot a glare at him. “No, but I believe it’s high-time you get me out of this before I find a reason to encase your whole body in leech covered cement.”
He shook his head, snickering as he moved closer. “Don’t threaten me with impossible threats. You don’t have the power I have. You can’t do what I do.” With a snap of his fingers, the cement blocks disappeared. I teetered on the edge of the stairs, coming dangerously close to tumbling down the entire flight.
He caught me before I rolled off. “Whoa! Don’t ruin my surprise for you. Your death won’t be so easy.” He snickered. “I have something very special in store for you.”
Chills ran down my spine. The last time I’d seen him in action, my heart tore right through my chest. It was the most excruciating experience of my life and the reason why I’d traveled great distances to hunt him down like the vile creature he was. He didn’t deserve to take another breath.
He pulled me to him, lifting me off the ground. “Come with me. Let’s begin our own celebration, shall we?”
No matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn’t cooperate. I squirmed and tried to scream, but nothing happened. My abilities were useless against him. I’d hoped to rip him to shreds and drain his body of its blood, but something had come over me.
Visions of Eduardo clouded my mind as he picked up the pace and carried me past lingering groups of people in the city center.
“We’re almost there, Madeline,” he said as we rounded a corner and headed in the direction of the cemetery.
I reached for his face with my nails, but they wouldn’t break the flesh. “You can’t do this. I’ll kill you, I swear.”
As we approached the open gates, a strong gust of wind toppled us to the ground and the doors slammed with a loud bang behind us.
“Leave her alone!” a woman’s voice boomed from the skies.
Diego jumped up, his hands balled into fists, ready to pounce on the intruder. “Show yourself, woman!”
Doña Marta stepped out from the shadows, followed by several women, all cloaked in the same black garb, veils covering their faces. “You heard me. Get away from her. Get away from her or—”
He smoothed his hand over his shirt. “Or what? You’ll do nothing, old woman.”
She lunged for him, sending him flying against the wrought iron gates with a loud thud.
“Go away. Leave here, evil man. Leave here now,” she started before continuing in Spanish, her words hypnotizing me.
When I opened my eyes again, the sunlight rained down on me. Doña Marta and her cohorts surrounded me, singing a sweet song.
I pushed myself up on my elbows. “What happened?”
She touched her hand to mine. “It’s time for you to go. He is gone.”
I gulped. “Is he dead? What about my husband?”
She looked around. “Diego is gone. Your husband will return when the time is right. That’s all you need to know.”
I pushed myself to my feet, panic taking over. “I have to find him.”
She grabbed my arm. “You need to go home. Rest. Live your life. But…” Her words trailed off.
“But?” I urged.
“Diego will come back. He always does. It’s in your hands now. It’s your job to keep the others safe from people like him,” she said as she motioned for her entourage to leave with her.
“Wait!” I called out. “I came here to kil
l him. I don’t know anything about keeping the others safe. I don’t know anything about this life. I’m no one special.”
She turned, revealing vampire fangs as she smiled. “You’re more special than you know. Go home and rest. We’ve given you the tools. Use them wisely.”
NAMUKASA
A Helsing Hellhounds Mc Story
Eli Constant
[Recording]
“The second time the Nile ran red with blood.
It was 1893. Though, I remember it like it was yesterday.
A film in a theater. The projection begins the moment the lights lower, my eyes close; I’m plunged into darkness, save for the glowing of the path between seats.
The path back to that day…
Shit, sorry. Grown ass man crying over a history I can’t change.
I was but a child then, years before my recruitment into the Helsing Brotherhood at the tender, untested age of sixteen. In many ways, I am still that boy bent over my mother’s prone body, trying to stem the crimson wetness that flowed out of the wounds on her neck and thighs. I can still the feel the brush of her hand against my cheek as she reached up to me to cup my face. I can hear how she whispered that I would always be her ‘blue eyed magic child’. I still often feel like I am frozen there, my knees aching from resting against the ground for so very long. Long after her eyelids no longer fluttered open and closed, I’d stayed by her side.
His face is one that I will never forget, it resides inside my mind. An ever-present daydream, one that is seen vividly even when my eyes are wide open. He was the one who saved me, who avenged my mother. Though he could not avenge all the lives lost. I remember how fierce and wild he looked, with raven black hair flying like wings about his face, full of a soul fire I’d say more fit for a demon rather than the punishing angel he proved to be.
And his eyes… his eyes so like my own. Until they flashed with fire, red hot and furious.
I remember the world flowered that deep maroon of death, like petals opening towards sunlight. I remember her.”
-Kato Nantaba
Recruited into the Brotherhood at age 16
Helsing Hellhounds MC— Egypt Chapter
(Personal account of the Ugandan Vampyre Massacre.