by Eldon Murphy
It appeared, however, that Imastious wasn't going to threaten him with death--at least not over what he'd done to the pyromancer.
Examining the younger vampire with cold eyes, Imastious sighed in resignation. "I examined your work on Scorch. While I don't for a second believe you pursued that course of action out of anything other than rage that he'd killed a human, I've decided it is useful for other vampires to look at you with more than a normal amount of respect and fear."
Relief nearly made Geoffrey's knees sag, but he forced himself to pay attention to what Imastious said next. "To that end, I made a quick trip to Scorch's residence, and strengthened the construct you built inside his mind. What you created was potent and inventive, but wouldn't have lasted more than a week or so. It will now last for a month, possibly two."
Geoffrey felt a brief pulse of satisfaction to know that anytime Scorch derived sadistic enjoyment from something over the next month that he'd be overcome by an intense bout of pain and sickness. His relief didn't stop Geoffrey from understanding Imastious' other message.
Geoffrey had proven stronger than Scorch, but Imastious was more powerful still. What Geoffrey could do, Imastious could better by a factor of eight. Still, once word got out that Scorch hadn't recovered after a few days, people would start granting Geoffrey the kind of respect that would ensure no further violations of the truce, and that respect would only grow with each day that Scorch's punishment remained in effect.
Imastious studied Geoffrey for several seconds until he seemed to be satisfied that the message he'd delivered had indeed been understood and then pointed at a folder on the table before Geoffrey. Inside was a stack of photos displaying all of the carnage and destruction that they'd both come to associate with a werewolf attack.
"Another Elder?"
Geoffrey thought for a moment that Imastious was going to take exception to the casual way in which he'd just referred to the assassination, but the older vampire settled for letting his piercing gaze rest on his minion for several seconds. "Yes, it was. In this case Eculdes, along with a respectable number of his servants."
Geoffrey almost thought he detected a trace of fear in Imastious' voice, but he knew better than to let that thought make its way to his face. "Did they manage to kill any of their attackers?"
Imastious pointed to one of the pictures. "That man isn't a known vampire, and he was left relatively intact, so my suspicion is that he represents the first werewolf to be killed in an attack on an Elder."
Imastious recaptured Geoffrey's gaze. "I don't think you understand the worry these attacks are generating. There is extreme alarm at the highest levels of vampire society. Eculdes was surrounded by no less than eight men that we've identified so far, and he may have taken one of them with him."
Imastious gestured at the heavy concrete bunker walls surrounding them. "Most of the Elders are currently hiding below ground trying to avoid being killed. Every vampire knows there is a chance he'll be assassinated by a rival, but the Elders are unaccustomed to death befalling their number in such a sudden, seemingly unstoppable manner. They are getting to the point where they will do almost anything to guarantee their safety."
Geoffrey nodded, still unsure what this had to do with him. All he could come up with was that his efforts hadn't been good enough and Imastious was going to threaten to kill him after all.
"You personally have been involved in killing three of these creatures. You probably are unaware of this fact, but those three, and the one that Eculdes may have accounted for, represent the only confirmed kills I'm aware of in the entire city."
It seemed impossible. There were supposedly dozens of patrols out in the city and Geoffrey couldn't believe that none of them had encountered a werewolf.
Imastious lifted a sheaf of papers from the table next to him and tossed it to Geoffrey. "That isn't to say that nobody has come up against the beasts. That is a list of the patrols that have been out this last week, and the results of their efforts. As you'll see, one patrol claims to have encountered a werewolf. They apparently had it on the ropes when it bowled one of them over and escaped. Some of them have wounds which would tend to confirm that they at least ran into a werewolf. Two of their number were killed in the battle. Three other patrols of varying sizes have been destroyed and their members were found dead with wounds consistent with those inflicted by werewolves."
Geoffrey was surprised to see Imastious rise and begin pacing. "You, on the other hand, especially after what you did to Scorch, are starting to look like some kind of miracle worker. You've touched the werewolves' minds and seem to have come away with an understanding of them that, while admittedly limited, is vastly superior to what anyone else can boast of at this point. As a result, the other Elders are starting to press for you to become our general in this little war. Obviously the presumption is that I can command you to give this effort your very best, and you'll do so in the name of self-interest."
Imastious' eyes came to rest on Geoffrey and he could feel the intensity of the Elder's gaze. "We both know that isn't necessarily the case. You have motivations and taboos which most of them don't begin to understand. Consequently, I'd like to offer you something that will motivate you to give this conflict your full attention."
Geoffrey's heart skipped a beat.
"If you are able to wage a successful campaign, I will grant you your freedom. I will also provide you with suitable resources with which to set yourself up as an Elder in this city, or continue your life elsewhere. I give you my word on it."
**
The negotiation process had taken several hours, and even after addressing every point Geoffrey could think of, he still felt as though there were hidden loopholes he hadn't covered, but he'd left with a spring in his step that hadn't been there a short time previously.
He now essentially had carte blanche with regards to waging the conflict with the werewolves. Imastious had committed his talents and resources to make sure that Geoffrey was given sufficient vampires to work with. If Imastious didn't manage to deliver the agreed-upon troops and Geoffrey failed as a result, he'd still been promised his freedom. Assuming he survived.
The difficult part now would be finding a way to defeat the werewolves.
Venice shifted slightly next to him as she adjusted the black, button-up shirt she'd worn out hunting that night.
"The Elders must be incredibly worried for Imastious to make you a deal like that."
Geoffrey nodded. "I suppose so, but I'm no closer to figuring out a strategy tonight than I was last night when we made the deal."
Picking up the folder Imastious had given Geoffrey from the table, Venice sighed. "I don't suppose that this is much help. There is almost too much here to make sense out of it. Any underlying pattern is drowned out by all of the rest of the information."
Leaning back against the sofa, Geoffrey closed his eyes and tried to force his mind to come up with the insights he needed. "Have there been any new developments since this was compiled?"
Venice leaned back and rested her head on Geoffrey's shoulder. If she was surprised that for once he didn't move away, she hid her feelings very well.
The slender vampire turned her head towards Geoffrey and whispered. "I love you."
When Geoffrey opened his mouth to respond, Venice put a finger to his lips. "You don't need to say anything. I know you worry the darkness inside me will keep us apart, but I also know you're starting to love me too. We'll just have to see what happens, and I'm fine with that."
Having said what she needed to say, Venice leaned back against the sofa once again and took a deep breath before continuing. As she started talking, Geoffrey wished for the hundredth time that things were easier. Everything would be so much clearer if Venice always behaved as the villain he'd first thought her to be, or if Melody never questioned what he had to do.
"There have been a few vampires killed recently who were either by themselves in their homes, or were serving as couriers for their mas
ters."
Geoffrey shrugged. "That doesn't bode well for our continued survival, but it's simply the expected progression of what has been happening prior to this."
Venice nodded and then continued. "Indications are that there is a contingent of vampires and Elders who aren't satisfied with waiting while you come up with a plan. They are setting a trap which they hope to use to start thinning out the werewolf population."
It was actually a very good response to the situation. They'd never been able find the enemy, so the conflicts were always at a time and a place of the werewolves' choosing. The one that had attacked Geoffrey had overmatched him and he'd only survived because he'd been very lucky.
Venice had to know that Geoffrey was on to something by the way his body had tensed up, but she remained silent, allowing him to follow whatever chain of thoughts he was pursuing to its conclusion rather than interrupting him.
Geoffrey continued to run through the fights so far. The werewolf that had attacked Alexander's people had overmatched them as well. If Venice and Geoffrey hadn't happened onto the fight when they had, there would have just been one more instance in Imastious' reports of a patrol being wiped out.
That was the pattern that he and Venice had been looking for. Every time the wolves had been beaten it had been because of an unexpected force that had been waiting in the wings to help. Every time there hadn't been some unexpected help, or a great deal of luck, the vampires had lost.
Geoffrey looked over at Venice with a new fire in his eyes. "Tell me about this trap."
"You're not going to like it."
Chapter 29
Venice had been right; Geoffrey didn't like the trap that had been laid at all.
The vampires had placed their trap in one of the nearly-abandoned areas at the edge of the island. That would help ensure that they weren't bothered by humans while waiting for werewolves to stumble into its jaws.
That didn't, however, explain the five people chained together where you'd expect to find the bait. Even when Venice had told Geoffrey that there'd been talk of doing exactly this, he hadn't wanted to believe her. Taking humans and biting them to infect them with the virus was terrible. Gambling so many lives on the slim chance that the fledgling vampires might serve as bait fit with the other kinds of things these people had already done, but it still seemed to Geoffrey as though they'd managed to descend to a new level of evil.
As horrific as their idea of bait was, Geoffrey couldn't do anything about that right now. Instead he forced himself to focus on dealing with the larger issues. He needed to find the jaws to the trap.
Standing next to the bait had the desired effect. A pair of vampires quickly appeared out of the shadows with the obvious intent of forcing Geoffrey to leave. In hindsight, maybe he should have taken Venice's advice and brought some backup, but he hadn't wanted to force a confrontation.
Scorch looked at Geoffrey with hatred in his eyes, but it was the second vampire, an emaciated, dark-haired male, who did the initial speaking.
"Ah, Geoffrey, while we are of course pleased that you would come down and bless our effort with the aura of your legitimacy, we have to ask that you come with us. It's vital that the bait be left unattended so as to not give away the trap."
Bile burned the back of Geoffrey's throat at the barely hidden venom behind the other's tone, but he reminded himself that he had a job to do. "Due to some unexplained oversight, I was not provided the details of your plan, and I've consequently come by to ratify its design. I can't have it resulting in a needless loss of vampires who could otherwise be used to combat the creatures."
Scorch broke in now, all but hissing with rage. "You have no power here, and no right to stick your nose in this. Some of the masters may have fallen in line with the idea of you as some kind of martial hero, but there are enough who don't feel that way for us to carry this out without having to go to you with hat in hands for additional warriors."
Geoffrey opened his mouth to respond, but the second vampire shook his head while fondling the hilt of his weapon. "I really think it would be best if you just left."
A hundred different responses flowed through Geoffrey's mind, but none of them would buy him anything, so he simply backed away, turning and walking quickly once he was out of sight. There wasn't anything he could have done to save them without forcing some kind of violent confrontation.
Geoffrey was no more than a block and a half away when the city lights to the left of him dimmed and flickered. It looked like nearly three blocks had died, which made the situation even more dire than he'd expected. It would take more than just two or three werewolves to drive that kind of blackout. They must have sensed the vampires waiting in ambush, as well as the bait.
Terror clawed at Geoffrey's mind as he realized he might be close enough for them to sense him, but he forced it down and broke into a run.
A host of questions clawed at Geoffrey's mind. Would three blocks be enough? Four blocks? What would happen after they killed the vampires hiding in ambush? Would they stay to rend and celebrate or would they disperse back into the night? Most important of all, what were their chances of finding him before he made it somewhere safe?
Geoffrey considered running to a subway entrance, but discarded the option as he realized that a blackout like what he'd just seen would bring the whole system to a halt. A taxi might be an option if he saw one around this late, but it was a long shot. He'd have to plan as though he'd be escaping entirely on foot.
Five minutes passed as Geoffrey forced himself to push on through exhaustion which was inspired as much by terror as it was by exertion. Just as the vampire began to think that he might be able to slow his pace to something he could sustain longer, he heard a howl behind him and turned to see lights flickering ominously several blocks back.
It had taken less than five minutes for the werewolves to find the vampires, kill them and then pick up his trail.
Geoffrey felt a growing pressure on his left. The lights in that direction were turning unsteady, so he veered to the right and kept running. At this point his best bet was just to hope that he stumbled into one of the other vampire patrols.
The chase continued for two more miles, by which time Geoffrey had a strong suspicion he was being herded. He just didn't know why.
The werewolves hadn't ever demonstrated that kind of intelligence before. It didn't make sense for them to want him in one particular place when they killed him. It was always possible that they were just enjoying the chase, but if it were as simple as that, why would it matter where he went?
Casting about for what lay in the path the werewolves seemed to want him to take, the vampire felt his blood run cold as he realized he was headed almost straight to Melody's. The recurring feeling of being watched hadn't been vampires. That was why the power went out while he was at her apartment. They knew about her.
Frantic with worry for Melody, Geoffrey tried a number of times to escape the werewolves. The last mile to Melody's building was a thing of nightmare as each of the vampire's attempts was frustrated.
The creatures weren't particularly skilled in their efforts to drive Geoffrey before them. Several times it seemed as though one or more of the beasts were going to either abandon the chase, or attack Geoffrey before they got to Melody's, but always at the last second, a werewolf appeared at the appropriate place to keep the vampire from escaping.
Turning onto Melody's block, Geoffrey felt his heart sink. The top few floors were dark; there was only one possible conclusion. There was already one of them up at the top of the building.
Sprinting up the stairs through an eerie, half-alive darkness, the vampire heard a scream just before he burst into the hallway. The door to Melody's apartment, locks and all, was torn off of its hinges by a single, desperation-fueled kick, and then Geoffrey was inside looking at a scene from his nightmares.
The werewolf holding Melody's still, bloodied body turned towards Geoffrey and looked at him with an intelligence he'd never s
een in any of the other creatures he'd fought. Waving the limp body before him like a shield, the werewolf paused to howl its challenge before leaping out the remnants of the window it had used to force its way in. Geoffrey stumbled to the window, but the beast had already disappeared, still carrying its grisly burden, and Geoffrey numbly collapsed to the floor.
Chapter 30
Something inside Geoffrey hurt, but he ignored it as he bowed to Imastious and respectfully waited for the Elder to initiate conversation. The pain wasn't physical. There wasn't anything he could do about it. Nothing except avenge Melody and her mother by killing as many of the beasts as possible.
"Allowing those opposed to your leadership to design that failed trap was a true masterstroke, my child. In a single move you allowed those beasts to eliminate our opposition. All indications are that no fewer than twenty vampires were killed when the werewolves attacked the northern prong of the trap rather than pursuing the bait they'd placed in the center."
Geoffrey knew that he should be worrying about the loss of fighting effectiveness those vampires represented, but he couldn't seem to conjure any sort of feeling right now. He couldn't afford to break down, couldn't afford to let himself feel anything until this was all over.
Imastious seemed to take Geoffrey's lack of emotion as a positive sign and smiled. No doubt he figured it for proof that Geoffrey had started to leave behind his troublesome worries about the right or wrong of things.
"Casualties among those involved in the trap would have been even higher, but apparently after the surviving vampires scattered, five or six of the creatures abandoned the pursuit for some reason."
Geoffrey pulled out a set of diagrams which he hoped adequately described his plan and passed them to Imastious. "Although their plan didn't work, I believe that a trap is the correct method to try and break our opponents."