by RL Edinger
Chloe and Roxanne ducked as they saw a darkened figure rush into the room.
“Who are you?” Chloe demanded.
“Chloe?” the figure asked. “Is that you?”
“Dad!” Chloe screeched with excitement. She burst out crying.
Andrew shone the light and found a light switch. He flipped the light on, blinding each of them momentarily. Andrew rushed over to his daughter and Roxanne. He loosened them from the ropes. Chloe threw her arms around her dad and smothered him with kisses. Roxanne hugged them both tightly for fear of letting go.
“Who did this to you?” Andrew demanded amongst the shower of affection.
“We never saw who it was,” Roxanne said.
Andrew helped them to their feet. They were both a bit unsteady at first, but soon were ready to go. Andrew led the way to where the teenagers were.
“I need you to call the authorities,” Andrew explained. “You never saw me, okay?”
“Why?” Chloe asked.
“Sheriff Delsmann must still believe I have amnesia,” Andrew further explained. “It’s the only way I have the freedom to work on the case. We’ll head back to the chapel,” Andrew ordered. “Once there, you can call for help.” The three of them walked down the passageway. A few minutes later they were in the room beneath the altar.
“Stay here,” Andrew ordered. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear.” He climbed up the steps to the altar.
Talia peered around the pulpit. The hooded figure stood there staring back at her.
“I told you the next time we met it would be the end for you,” she said.
“You are responsible for the deaths of law enforcement officers!” Talia shouted.
“Your interference will not be tolerated,” she answered drawing the swords from the sheaths. “It is time for you to die.”
“You’re Night Blade, aren’t you?” Talia said.
“I am,” Night Blade replied. Night Blade ascended the steps leading to the pulpit and altar. Talia heard Night Blade boot steps come closer. She had no where to run. Talia rose to her knees.
“They will come looking for us,” Talia said, with a look of final defiance.
“No one will find you.” Night Blade raised both swords.
Talia closed her eyes. But instead of feeling the steel blades strike her down, there was a loud crashing sound and Night Blade cried out in pain. Talia opened her eyes to see Night Blade sprawled face down on the steps. Andrew was standing over Night Blade. But before Talia could speak, Night Blade jumped up and attacked with a vicious spin kick. Andrew dropped down and spun his legs; hitting Night Blade’s other leg. Night Blade crashed to the floor again. Night Blade recovered and stood. Andrew made a lunge attack with a flurry of kicks and punches, driving Night Blade down the steps and towards the pews. For every move there after from the Night Blade, Andrew responded with retribution. Night Blade was bent over, trying to recover. Night Blade now stood and faced Andrew.
“This is none of your concern.”
“You’ve killed innocent people.”
“They honor the unspeakable creatures of lore.”
“They’re not vampires!” Andrew shouted angrily. “And you’re not a slayer.”
“But I am!” Night Blade drew a long bladed knife.
Andrew heard a voice cry out from behind him. He turned to look. Seeing the advantage, Night Blade attacked!
Talia watched them fight and cheered inside for Andrew. The man she hated had now turned out to be her hero. She stood and watched as Andrew and Night Blade talked. Talia gasped as Night Blade pulled a knife. She rushed over and grabbed one of the swords.
“Andrew!” Talia shouted, throwing him the sword.
Andrew saw the sword fly through the air towards him. He managed to grab hold of the handle. Andrew turned in time to see Night Blade rush at him with the knife. He in turn charged at Night Blade. With each lunge of Night Blade’s knife, Andrew blocked with a master’s proficiency. The clashing of metal resounded through out the chapel.
Chloe and Roxanne emerged from behind the altar. They gasped at the sight of Andrew battling a hooded figure. Chloe was about to rush to her dad’s defense, but Roxanne held her back. Instead, using Andrew’s phone, they called for help.
Andrew could sense Night Blade’s frustration at his ability to anticipate the next move. For with each thrust of Night Blade’s knife, Andrew met it with his own. Night Blade turned and bounded in the air landing, with both feet balancing on the back of a pew. Andrew did the same, taking the pew to the right. Their battle continued as they balanced like tight rope walkers. Blades of sharp steel clanged each time they met. Andrew unexpectedly jumped up and with a roundhouse kick, sent Night Blade flying down between the pews with a loud crash. Andrew descended upon Night Blade with the point of the sword, narrowly missing as they rolled beneath the pews. Andrew followed along as Night Blade crawled toward the back of the chapel, safe beneath the sanctuary of the wooden pews. From the last pew, Night Blade emerged and made a dash for the door, but Andrew sprung from the last pew in a mid-air, somersault landing in front of the doorway. Andrew twirled about and blocked Night Blade’s escape. Andrew could hear Night Blade’s labor breaths. Andrew tossed the blade aside and took up his stance. Night Blade did the same.
“No more weapons,” Andrew announced. “Just you and me this time, okay?”
“Agreed,” Night Blade replied with a low bow.
Chloe and Roxanne came to Talia’s aid. The strain must have finally gotten to her and she suddenly passed out.
Night Blade lunged at Andrew with a savage combination of kicks and punches. Andrew was ready and blocked each and every one, with his own. Night Blade dropped to all fours and immediately balancing on her hands, delivered a double roundhouse kick, but Andrew instead jumped up and with both feet slammed into Night Blade’s back. Night Blade let out a loud cry as Andrew drove her to the floor. Andrew flipped over and without delay, delivered a spin and snap kick combo, hitting Night Blade in the side of the face. Night Blade’s head snapped back as blood expelled from her mouth. Andrew stood back ready. Night Blade arms were weak and she struggled to stand. She looked at Andrew and spat blood on the floor. No one had been able to anticipate their every move. The man that stood before them was unlike anyone they had battled before. Night Blade bowed gracious at first and within a spilt second rushed forth to the stairs leading to the balcony. Andrew, momentarily caught off guard, followed. Just as Andrew got to the top of the stairs, he looked up to see Night Blade grab a choir chair and smash through the large stain glass window. It depicted Jesus being held in the arms of his mother right after he had been taken down from the cross. But now shards of that beautiful window flew out in all directions. Night Blade didn’t make a sound and she jumped out the window! Andrew bolted up to the window and he looked down below. Night Blade had miraculous survived by safely landing in the unpacked snow below. When Night Blade saw Andrew looking down, she gave Andrew a quick salute and took off into the darkness. Andrew simply shook his head. He turned around and walked over to one of the cushioned choir chairs. Andrew sat down to catch his breath. His muscles ached and he stretched them out. Next time Night Blade wouldn’t get away.
Andrew left the balcony and went back down the stairs. He walked along the main aisle and up to the pulpit area. Talia was awake now. All three women immediately swarmed over Andrew, and smothered him with hugs and kisses.
Talia left them and placed a call for help. She went to check on her fallen men.
Andrew watched as Talia checked on each of her deputies. By the expression on her face, he could tell that they were all dead.
Chloe was relieved that her dad was alive. She could not believe what had all just happened. It all seemed so surreal.
Talia rejoined them and sat down on the steps. The rest followed suit.
The sanctuary was silent now. The peacefulness wrapped around them like a comfortably, warm blanket. It felt good.
Chapt
er 9
Andrew woke early. It was still dark and the sun was not up yet. Andrew quietly slipped on his robe and tip toed out of the bedroom. Megan was sound asleep and didn’t move at all. He crept downstairs and to the kitchen. Andrew made himself a cup of tea and sat down at the breakfast nook. As he sat there drinking his tea, Andrew mulled over all of the past events. First, he started with all of the things that were factual and based on reality. Wyatt was the prime suspect in the brutal murders of the Higgins family. Sheriff Delsmann was attacked that same night. The remaining families of the Ravenclaw coven have gone into hiding. Andrew himself was attacked a few nights later. He believed that it was a member of the Knights of VanHelsing; possible Night Blade or one of the others. Why he or she attacked him is still a mystery at this point. Recently, Sheriff Delsmann and her team of deputies were attacked. They all died at the scene. The teenagers that Andrew found in the catacombs were all recovering nicely, and so were Chloe and Roxanne. The teenagers were from two of the clans in the Ravenclaw coven; the Moore’s and the Hancock’s. They had snuck out without their parents knowing about it. Once the families realized that they were gone, Vlad Ravenclaw notified the authorities. Andrew, with the support of both the Sheriffs department and the Bayport police had setup to interview the teenagers and Vlad Ravenclaw at the safe house in a few days. In the mean time, Andrew needed to find an expert on vampire covens, and also the Knights of VanHelsing.
Andrew got up and refilled his cup with more Earl Grey tea. He sat back down at the breakfast nook table. Andrew took a sip of tea, drinking in its aroma and relaxing liquids. Andrew contacted his friend at the Bayport Herald. She told Andrew about a feature story that the paper had done last year on author, Kara Sadler. This Kara Sadler had presented information from her book at a conference sponsored by the police department, local churches, and the healthcare community. The book she had written was titled Vampire Chronicles. The book was about the subculture of vampirism and its affects on adults and teenagers. Andrew finished his tea. He got up and put the dishes in the sink. Andrew left the kitchen to go back up stairs.
Andrew walked down the hall. He stopped and opened the door to his office. Andrew slipped inside closing the door behind him. He sat down at his desk and turned on the computer. First, Andrew went on Google and did a search for Kara Sadler. He had over a thousand hits. Andrew thought for a second and went to the ‘free people search’. He keyed in her name. It came up with four Kara Sadler’s. There were one in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Illinois and Ohio. His friend at the paper had mentioned Kara Sadler was from somewhere in Illinois. He wrote down the address and phone number. Andrew logged off there and went to the Chicago Police department home page. Andrew recalled that Talia was a detective in the Chicago police department prior to becoming Sheriff. He copied down the phone number. Andrew picked up the phone and pressed the number. He waited for a minute or two and when the operator answered, Andrew said, “Detective Flannery, please.” Andrew listened further, and repeated, “He gets off at 12 a.m.” Andrew was about to hang up when the operator asked him a question. “Andrew Knight,” Andrew replied. “We go back a ways.” Andrew listened further, and said, “Yeah I know about Riley’s. Just tell him that Andrew will meet him there at midnight, tonight.” Andrew hung up the phone. He shut down the computer and went back to bed.
Father Michael rose when his alarm went off. He got out of bed and dressed for his usual early morning walk. Father Michael went downstairs of the rectory and grabbed the keys. He was out the door in a matter of minutes and on his way down Marshall Street.
Father Michael loved the early morning sounds and sweet smells wafting through the air. As he walked along, the aroma from Hartman’s Bakery filled his nostrils. It made his mouth water. He could smell fresh coffee being brewed for another day at the Chat Room Café.
As he was passing by Washington Park, Father Michael stopped abruptly as a hooded figure sprung from the bushes.
“Hello Father Michael.” Night Blade greeted him with a bow.
“What do you want?” Father Michael asked.
“We want you to stop looking for Wyatt,” a second voice came from behind. Father Michael spun around to face them. “He didn’t kill the Higgins’,” Star Blade said.
“We need to talk to him,” Father Michael answered.
“We already have,” a third voice announced.
“And you must be Moon Blade,” Father Michael turned to his right. He saw the third hooded figure. Moon Blade bowed with arms extended.
“His mother has hired a private investigator to find him,” Father Michael answered.
“We know,” Moon Blade answered. “It’s Andrew Knight.”
“Then you know that he will find him,” Father Michael said, proudly.
“We want you to call him off.” Moon Blade took a few steps closer. “Before someone gets hurt, or before Knight gets hurt.”
“Why did you hurt those teenagers?” Father Michael changed subjects.
“They and the others do unspeakable things. Just like those centuries before them, so they have to be punished,” Star Blade spoke first. “They drink human blood and practice unholy rituals.”
“So we have fought against this plague for centuries,” Moon Blade spoke next. “And will continue to do so.”
“Its murder,” Father Michael rebuked. “And that’s a sin against God.”
“We do God’s work,” Night Blade shot back. “And by His will, we punish those who are vampires.” Night Blade moved closer and so did the others. Night Blade drew her swords first. Moon Blade and Star Blade did the same. They raised their swords, crossing them above Father Michael’s head.
“Tell Knight to back off,” Star Blade commanded.
“Or he will get hurt,” Moon Blade added.
“Andrew handled Night Blade quite well,” Father Michael smirked.
“He may have defeated me,” Night Blade got up in Father Michaels face. “But he is no match for the three of us, nor any of our fellow knights. If he pursues this further, Andrew Knight will die!” All sheathed their blades and instantly disappeared.
Father Michael finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was too shaken and immediately returned to the rectory. As soon as Father Michael got inside, he made a call.
Nick walked into Riley’s Blues Club. The place was packed. Nick strode up to the bar, took off his leather jacket and lay in across the stool. He nodded at the pretty girl behind the bar and she nodded back. Nick took out a pack of smokes and lit one up. A few minutes later the girl brought him his drink, a double whiskey on the rocks. It had been a real bad day at work. Most of the morning was spent testifying in court and he had mounds of reports to fill out.
Nick slammed down his drink and ordered another. He lit up another smoke. Nick spun around and scanned the crowd. He liked Riley’s, a blues club, because it was a great place to hang out after work.
Nick finished his second drink and was about to order another when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around on the stool to see Andrew standing there.
“Hey Nick,” Andrew smiled.
“Knight, you son of a b—” Nick hopped off his stool and gave Andrew a bear hug. “How the hell are you?”
“I’m fine,” Andrew grinned. His mood suddenly changed, “We need to talk.”
“What’s up?” Nick ordered them each a drink. “Why are you really here?”
“I’ll explain,” Andrew answered as Nick handed him the glass of scotch.
“Follow me.” Nick led the way. They walked through the main area and finally found a secluded booth near the back.
They slid into the seats across from each other. Nick offered Andrew a smoke, which he took. Nick lit his, then Andrew’s.
“So, why all the mystery s—?” Nick asked as he sipped his drink.
“Do you know a Talia Delsmann?” Andrew took a drink from his glass.
“Yeah, I know her,” Nick answered. “We worked together on the south side. Why?”
>
“She’s the Sheriff for Bayport County now,” Andrew explained. He quickly finished his drink, but it was Nick that finished his thought.
“What about her?” Nick pressed further.
“Were there any cases that stick out in your mind,” Andrew asked. “You know, anything involving vampires?”
“What the hell?” Nick choked on his drink. “Vampires? Are you kidding me?”
“Just answer the question,” Andrew insisted.
“Yeah, there was one case,” Nick recalled. “The department had received a great deal of missing person reports for several months. There were no solid leads. All of them had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. During that time, we were asked to investigate an abandoned house on South Lake Park Avenue in Oakland. The neighbors had been complaining about noises coming from the house.” He paused and flagged down a waitress to order more drinks. She took their order and left. “When we first got to …” Nick stopped when the waitress returned. “We never found those responsible. It was like they were f— ghost, shadows. There were other reports all over Chicago. They even set up a task force, but nothing came out of it. We never found those responsible.”
“Is there more?” Andrew pressed.
“Yeah,” Nick answered. “There’s more to it. You see, one night after work we came to Riley’s for some drinks. It had been a really rough day for us and we needed to unwind.” Nick paused and took a drink. He cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway we got really wasted and that’s when Talia told me her secret.”
“What secret?” Andrew curiously inquired.
“She told me that at one time she was a, s— I can’t even say it now,” Nick cursed. “She told me that she had been a slayer in her past. She told me she was a vampire slayer and member of this secret society. Talia confessed the horrible things they had done. Well, let me tell you I was f— blown away.” Nick swallowed down the last of his drink. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply before continuing. “I told her that partners don’t hold s— like that back. I mean we depend on each other and when you find out something like this, well it f— blows you away. Know what I mean?”