The Eville Protection Plan

by Holand Peterson

  Chapter 20- Swanky

  “Wow. This is really, really nice.” Alex had stepped out of the tunnel and walked into the final waiting area for his train. The central hub of Andresholl Station had been stunningly beautiful, but this new chamber far surpassed it, even if it were miniscule in comparison and barely larger than a baseball field. Clusters of quartz and other gems protruded from all surfaces like ornamental flowers and shrubs. An underground river passed from one side of the chamber to the other, a handsome stone bridge built to allow passage across. The food and goods vendors were noticeably of a higher class than what had been available in the main section, and complementing the ambiance was a piano set in a far corner, a relaxing melody spilling out peacefully as the river gurgled and clapped in harmony. Barely a hundred travelers were seen, providing a space free of congestion and chaos, nearly all of them appearing important or wealthy. “I take it we’re in first class?”

  “Only the bestest for Fabio and friends.” The goblin smiled and patted Alex on the chest. “Come, come! Relax. Drink. Eat. Fabio’s treating.” His long, pointy finger jutted toward a café positioned right next to the river.

  “Thank heavens!” Serene huffed, dropping the heavy luggage on the ground. “I swear I shall faint from acute exhaustion if I don’t acquire sustenance immediately.”

  The group was seated right away, while a hunchback valet placed Fabio’s luggage in a storage area distanced from the tables. Alex couldn’t read most of the menu, and rather than taking a wild stab at something which might induce immediate vomiting or worse, asked Moody to order for him. Hearing Serene order for herself proved to be an awkward moment. The inventor attempted to deepen her voice so that it better matched her male disguise, but the end result sounded more like she were possessed by an equally hungry and evil spirit, possibly a eunuch. The waiter seemed entirely unfazed, however, and after reflecting on all of the absurd things he had come across in his time in Serene’s employ, Alex figured the waiter likely interacted with even weirder people on a daily basis.

  For a time, Alex couldn’t help but look over his shoulder now and then, or suspiciously glare at anyone in a fine suit or possessing unusually pale skin. Of course, virtually everyone happened to be well dressed, not to mention more than a few of them being vampires, so just about anybody could be Cosa Nosferatu for all he knew. But as time wore on and the food arrived, thoughts of immediate danger grew fewer and fewer in his mind. Following the delicious meal, a copy of The Daily Doom, the Eville newspaper, was requested for Serene. The inventor was eager to catch up on the latest from back home. The others sipped espresso and engaged in small talk, killing time until they were allowed to board their train.

  “Ah, your beauties make Fabio’s heart jump like dryad babies in the springs.” Fabio poured on the charm as an attractive woman with dark hair refilled his espresso. “If not for busy, Fabio steal you away to places of lustings, raining kisses of loves.” The woman blushed, a smile on her lips, and having completed her duty headed for another table.

  “You are one seriously shameless little guy,” Alex laughed. “What about your beloved hunchy-flower here?”

  “Fabio’s heart like Andresholl Station: big to hold lovings of all the beautiful womens.” Fabio made “kissy lips” to Moody, who in turn gave him the finger. “Alice-boy no love the womens?”

  “Sure. I was in a relationship until fairly recently, actually.”

  “Oh?” Fabio leaned forward with great interest. “Tell Fabio of this womens.”

  “Yeah she … uh, well, she dumped me. For some other guy. One of those good-looking-with-a-bright-future types.”

  “Alice-boy, his heart is breaking?”

  “Oh, for a bit. It wasn’t … I mean, it was really for the best. It didn’t take me too long to get over her. She was … well, looking back she was kind of a hag, really.”

  “Fabio cursing the bitches breaking Alice-boy’s heart! No worries. Fabio find you womans. Good womans. Fabio know many beauties womens.”

  “Yeah, ‘Alice-boy’ here really wants to hook up with one of your hot goblin friends.” Moody spoke up, sticking her tongue out.

  “Alice-boy liking the goblin womens, eh?” The goblin grinned and raised his eyebrows.

  “Shut up, you brat.” Alex batted his hand at Moody. “Definitely not. I mean, nothing against your … people, but that’s not what I’m looking for. I’d prefer somebody decidedly human.”

  “Fabio knowing many, many womens. What womans is Alice-boy looking for?”

  “Shoot … I don’t know.”

  “He says that a lot,” Moody added. “Little man can’t figure anything out on his own. He’ll end up a cranky old bachelor spending all his time drinking with Marco in the basement.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Look who’s talking. I do know one thing, Moody: she’s nothing at all like you.”

  “You can no have hunchy-flower.”

  “Don’t worry buddy, she’s all yours.” Alex laughed and tapped Moody’s shoulder with his knuckles. “Seriously, though,” Alex continued, his mood shifting to thoughtfulness, pondering his future, dreading the possibility of a life alone, “I really wish I could meet that one person who really … ”

  Alex never got to finish his thought. At that moment Serene let out a shrill gasp that turned everyone’s blood at the table cold. Alex jumped back in his seat and knocked the table with his knees, Fabio dropped his cup of espresso and even Moody’s eyes went wide as saucers.

  “Wha-what is it?” Alex asked, trembling, turning his head this way and that, expecting to see a scene of horror so terrible that it would scar him for life.

  “I’m so overcome with emotion.” Serene grasped at her heart and gazed back down at her copy of The Daily Doom. “Should I speak of it … I don’t know if I could refrain from tears.”

  The others exchanged nervous glances with one another, and Fabio’s floppy ears sagged as he sunk back in his chair. Finally, Moody reached across the table and slowly lifted the newspaper. As the hunchback’s eyes scanned the opened page, Alex rubbed his hands nervously. What horrible news had transpired? He dreaded the thought of discovering what lay on the printed page, while at the same time he agonized over the suspense of not knowing.

  “Serene?” Moody barked. “What the hell is wrong with you, woman?”

  “Hush, you. I want to savor this moment, to be able to look back upon it in the last of my days and relive it in every finite detail.”

  “Damn it, you crazy harpy! You just about gave us all a freaking heart attack. Stupid woman.”

  “I don’t understand,” Alex said nervously. “What’s going on?”

  “Multiple disturbing reports have come in,” Moody started reading with great irritation in her voice, “near the small community of Winston Flats. Several local farmers’ crops have been ravaged overnight, and ranchers are reporting devastating losses to their livestock. Left in the wake of this horrific destruction is a thick green slime and nothing but the bare bones of prize cattle and sheep. A ranch hand who claims to have witnessed this scene of carnage described the attacker as “a gelatinous demon spawned from the diabolical bowels of hell.”

  “I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so proud.” Serene wiped away a tear trickling under her eye.

  “You think it’s that … blob monster thing that you created?” Alex asked. “The one that supposedly ate up the CN agents and the goblin mercenaries?”

  “I know it is. I can feel it in my bones. A mother senses these things, instinctively. My creation’s still alive and well. Living free and content. I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Fabio, no more espresso for this nut,” Moody ordered, pushing Serene’s half empty cup toward the goblin.

  “Fabio is agreeing,” the goblin said, taking the cup in hand and pulling it close to his chest.

  “Ah jeez,” Alex sighed. “My heart can’t handle any more caffeine either.” He pushed his cup away and gave the inventor a filthy look. “Thanks for s
tressing us all out, Serene. Jeez. And what about those poor farmers and ranchers losing their livelihood? I don’t suppose you feel the slightest twinge of guilt?”

  “Pish posh, dear boy. This is but another example of the unstoppable circle of life. Nature, as it has always done, is taking its course. I wonder if it’s male or female. I suppose it could be asexual. A damnable shame we had so little time together.”

  “Are we through here?” Moody asked, pointing at the empty dishes on the table. “I can’t stand another minute of this.”

  “Yes. Yes. Fabio is ready to be leavings.”

  The goblin left an appropriate amount of “souls,” the UEL currency, on the table, and the group headed off toward the area they would be boarding their train. Along the far end of the chamber people had already begun to gather, lining up along a wide recess in the ground. Before following the others, Serene carefully folded up her Daily Doom and took it to be cherished for the rest of her days.

  After several minutes of waiting, the ground began to tremble and a high-pitched whine became audible. The noise grew closer and the tremble more violent, bringing with them the powerful hum of an electric engine. Brakes kicked in with a hiss, and a series of metallic cylinders, like colossal bullets, roared into view. The train’s large, cylindrical compartments possessed no windows and each was linked by a sort of rubber accordion, large enough to allow passage between cars. The train did not travel on rails, but instead coasted on a blue electric field which lifted it but a few inches from the ground. After coming to a full stop, the train sat for a time, the electric field popping and sizzling. Finally, several doors swung outward, ramps stretching out to greet the passengers, and the smiling faces of stewards and stewardesses prepared to take boarding passes.

  Alex looked around at the people gathering their baggage, fumbling for their boarding documents. All eyes were on the train, none of them acting suspiciously, and there still were no indications of CN activity. He looked at Moody and smiled.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I can’t believe it. We’re actually boarding. And everything went so smooth, so easy. It’s a nice change.”

  “Yes it is, little man. Yes it is.”

  Chapter 21- Not So Easy

  “Terminating communication now!” Hammett rolled onto his back just in time to see a CN agent bearing down upon him. The vampire carried no weapon in hand, but rather a syringe filled with a clear liquid. They did not mean to kill the Cyclops, not yet. He was to be drugged, hauled away to a safe location and coerced into revealing Necrosia’s location.

  The Cyclops caught the vampire’s wrist just in time, preventing the needle from penetrating the skin on his neck. The vampire pressed down hard, using his limbs to pin his target to the ledge. The Cyclops squirmed and pushed back fiercely, his free hand clawing at his enemy’s face. Like two wrestlers on the mat, they grunted and strained, and the inspector’s sweat trickled down their bodies making it ever harder to keep a firm grasp. As strong as the Cyclops was, the vampire possessed the advantage, and gradually the needle sought its way closer and closer to the inspector’s neck. Hammett growled, summoning all his might to push back. The enemy leaned forward with his full weight and, to his horror, Hammett felt the prick of the needle breaking skin. With nothing left to lose, the Cyclops pulled the enemy’s attacking hand downward. The sudden change in force caught the vampire off guard, plunging him forward headfirst. The attacker crashed into the Cyclops, snapping the needle in the process. With his large, bald crown, Hammett smashed his foe’s face, rolled over and scrambled to his knees. With a grimace the detective pulled the broken needle out of his neck and tossed it aside before lunging at the CN assailant.

  Raphael Vega glared at the vampire standing on the other side of the information booth. The CN agent’s face was emotionless, cold. Vega hastily glanced behind and saw the second vampire closing in. The enemy across from the Spaniard now moved to circle around the information booth. Vega backed away in the opposite direction until he could see both vampires in his field of vision. The CN agents joined and pushed toward their target, each taking a side of the information booth. Vega glanced behind his back once more and then began to back away. The Spaniard’s eyes looked from side to side, searching for a place to go, for a way to shake off his attackers. He didn’t want to break out into a full-on dash if it could be avoided. Many security guards roamed the station, who could be alerted to the situation, and one had been spotted nearby. But the last thing he needed was to involve the local authorities. Assuming these guards were not in league with the enemy, which was altogether possible, alerting them would almost assuredly escalate the situation. Security would jump out without discretion, shouting and waving their weapons. The Cosa Nosferatu agents would be forced to retaliate. Innocent bystanders could be injured or worse, and the outbreak of panic would be a certainty. The station would devolve into chaos. All trains would be cancelled. Snotwaddle’s formula would expire before a local investigation could be completed, returning the fugitives to their original appearances. Necrosia’s group might be lost in the pandemonium, even taken by the enemy. Like a series of dominos crashing down one upon the other, Vega saw a chain of events leading to the complete failure of their plan to get Necrosia to safety. No, he had to do everything in his power to deal with the CN agents without drawing attention, without causing a scene.

  Vega quickened his pace, working steadily toward the far end of the station. If nothing else, the farther he could draw the vampires away from Necrosia’s location, the better. They were gaining on him now, closing the gap bit by bit. One of the CN agents trotted forward, placing himself parallel to Vega’s left, and then began drawing closer to the Spaniard. Vega glanced to his rear once more, noticing the agent behind him had not altered his pace. As the vampire to the left glided closer to Vega, pushing him steadily toward the far right of the station, it suddenly occurred to the inspector that he was being forced, corralled to a place of their choosing. He could see now that they wished to guide him through a maintenance door ahead, a dark, isolated area much to their liking. Passing through that door would ensure that he’d never come out alive.

  Enough of this. Vega came to a sudden halt and spun around to face his pursuers. The two CN agents stopped dead in their tracks, surprised and confused looks on their faces. Calmly, Vega strode toward them, undaunted. One of the agents took a step back. Vega stopped at a bench just out of their arms’ reach, looking each squarely in the eyes. The Spaniard then sat down in the center of the bench and, with a calm wave of his hands, motioned for the vampires to take a seat next to him.

  Hammett’s neck stung where he had pulled out the needle, but thankfully he felt no other ill effects—his enemy didn’t have time to inject the serum. His two large, black hands gripped the vampire’s coat lapels and with a heavy shove tossed the foe into the wall. His enemy quickly recovered, however, ducking under Hammett’s follow-up swing. Two hard blows reverberated in the Cyclops left kidney, and with a gasp he stumbled back a step. Again the two locked together, grunting, gasping for air, pulling and shoving to make the opponent lose balance. They teetered back and forth, coming precariously close to tumbling off the ledge and down onto the oblivious crowds far below. Another shove and Hammett lost his balance, his body leaning backward to plummet. The vampire’s face went awash with alarm and pulled the Cyclops forward with a jerk. The inspector rolled like a tumbleweed, his body flipping back into the dim maintenance tunnel. The CN agent followed, closing the panel behind him. Hammett could feel his enemy’s strength swell in the darkness. The sounds of the crowds were silenced, and now the only noises to be heard were his own labored breathing and the chuckle of the figure looming above him. Hammett leapt to his feet, barreling toward his attacker. The vampire’s body dispersed into a black mist, and with nothing to make contact with, the Cyclops rammed into the tunnel wall. Hammett’s hard head dented an electronic panel and he fell to the ground disoriented. The CN agent wrapped his icy ha
nds around the exhausted Cyclops’ neck and lifted him off the ground and against the tunnel wall. The vampire sneered at his victim, and with one hand still firmly around his prey’s neck, pulled out yet another syringe. He placed the syringe’s cap in his mouth, pulled it off, and then spat it into the Cyclops’ face. With a victorious smile the vampire held the needle in front of his victim tauntingly. Suddenly, a bright burst of sparks erupted from the electronic panel, and for but an instant the vampire turned his attention away from Hammett. Then there was one short, sharp pop. The CN agent furrowed his brows and looked down at his chest to see a singular, quarter-sized hole, sparking and glowing like embers in a dying fire. The syringe clattered on the hard floor and Hammett’s foe crumpled forward, both crashing onto the ground with a thud.

  “Sons … of … harpies,” Hammett coughed between gasps of air. A thin sliver of smoke rose from the barrel of his side arm. With the tip of his shoe Hammett turned the vampire onto his back to be sure. “Cold as a gorgon’s tit. Damned goblin licker.”

  The inspector waited a few moments, resting on his knee, catching his breath, eye peeled and ears open. No signs of activity coming from any direction. Cautiously he rose to his feet and reopened the panel to the light on the ledge. Popping his head out slightly, Hammett gazed down at the crowd. No signs of alarm or panic, no curious eyes gazing at his location. Not a soul had seemingly noticed the battle or heard his weapon’s discharge. He wiped the small glob of congealed blood off his neck, took a deep breath and closed the panel once more. For the time being, the enemy threat had been eliminated.

  Hammett was correct: the maintenance tunnel harbored no more Cosa Nosferatu. But that did not mean he wasn’t being watched with cold, calculating eyes at that very moment. Nor did the sharp-eyed Cyclops, as he continued down the tunnel, notice the small, black dart wedged into the electronic panel that had so conveniently distracted his enemy.