The Cactus Killer (The Inglewood Chronicles)

by Jeremy Croston

  “A few years later, somewhere in the middle of my thirty-forth year. I was chosen to be a consort to a great and powerful lady vampire.” Like any great story teller, he paused for dramatic purposes.

  We were all hanging on his every word now. For some reason the tawdry history of vampires was rather fun to listen to. “Who turned you then? Don’t keep us hanging here.”

  “I guess to give you a clue; you could say I am Elizabeth’s older brother.” We all quickly turned out heads to her.

  “Wait, I thought Jonathan was your only ‘brother?’”

  She sighed, “No Cristof here is part of my dysfunctional family too. My mother turned him so she could have another boy toy.”

  “Oh for crying out loud! I had better never hear you complain about werewolf packs ever again!”

  Chapter 34

  It was very quiet in the house. Dad, Argent, and Cristof had put together a base plan and had given tasks out to everyone. Pastor Browne asked for a few minutes of my time as the meeting came to an end.

  “This is all still a lot for me to handle Victor, but I will do anything you need of me. Warren was my friend, but this is not the same man I considered a confidant.”

  The pain in his face was heartbreaking. “I’m sorry you were dragged into this. It was never my intention to crush your world.”

  “It is okay my son, God does not put obstacles in front of us we cannot handle. I will be fine and do my part.” He gave me a pat on the back and left with Billy.

  With jobs in hand, everyone followed suit and bailed on me. That left me alone with a currently irritated Liz. Granted, before said plan was put together, everyone had heckled her pretty good about everything. I mean seriously, it’s not my fault vampires are a bag of crazy.

  I tried to break the ice, “Come now, just how long are you going to stay mad at me?”

  “Considering I can live forever if I watch myself carefully, I can be mad for a very long time.” You could almost feel little daggers on every word.

  “Hey now, I thought we were a team and everything?”

  “I am not sure how one has managed to make it this far in life by being so clueless.”

  I gave her my best smile, “It’s a skill I guess. Besides, everyone was piling on you too. You should be mad at them.”

  “If everyone else jumped off a skyscraper, would you go too?”

  “Probably, I would assume they had a good reason to do so.”

  She just stared at me in disbelief. You would think by now I would keep my mouth shut, but I can’t help it. It’s a condition.

  “Great, I hired a lemming. Go run over the edge with the rest of them.”

  “Hey now!”

  Before any more insults could be lobbed, I heard a knock on the door. I hadn’t picked up any sounds or smells before this, so I took it as a sign this was Gregory. Liz went over to the door and slowly opened it. Sure enough, I heard a squeal and into the living room came what appeared to be a nineteen or twenty year old kid with a head full of shaggy hair and his clothing looked like it had seen better days. My first thought was Kurt Cobain had walked into my home.

  He walked right up to me and stuck his hand out. “You must be Vic! Hey there, I’m Gregory! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  His enthusiasm only added the impression I was dealing with someone younger than me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Gregory.”

  “Man, am I glad to be back on solid ground. Flying isn’t my thing really, but anything to help a friend.”

  Liz came back over and soon we were all sitting around the living room. They spent a few minutes talking about different things that had happened since the last time they saw each other. I acted interested, but it was all the boring gossipy type stuff. It also didn’t help I had no idea who or what they were talking about.

  I’m pretty sure I was spacing out when Liz started calling my name. “Vic, are you paying attention over there?”

  “Huh, what? Oh, you’re talking to me?”

  “I was trying to, you were not listening. Now I was just explaining to Gregory everything we know about our friend Warren Tucker, the infamous Cactus Killer.”

  “Oh and where did we leave off?”

  Gregory was chuckling at our interactions together. I guess most people were amused at how Liz and I operated. “I asked you to kindly explain to him about Austin and what you observed right after he passed away.”

  Immediately at the mention of Tucker’s son, all funny business left the room. “It was weird, man. Liz did what she had to do and it couldn’t have been seconds later I’m getting a call from Tucker himself.”

  Gregory inched up to the edge of the chair he was sitting in. “What did he say to you?”

  “It’s like he knew right away we had just killed him. He told me to enjoy the small victory, that his was right around the corner. After he hung up on me, that’s when I heard the popping sound.”

  “What do you mean popping sound?”

  “You know the sound when you shake a soda up and all the little bubbles start forming and popping?” He shook his head yes. “Well, it started like that and quickly progressed louder and louder until the body blew up.”

  “He blew his own son up?”

  It was still so hard to comprehend, “Yes, he did. Said mixing the blood at the right levels can cause it to become unstable once the person dies. He sent his own son to his death, like a suicide bomber.”

  “I don’t even know what to say. We aren’t dealing with someone in their right mind, are we?”

  “No we are not,Gregory. As Vic and I found out very early, this is a man who is willing to do anything to reach his goals. This is why I think whoever the mysterious Hammer of Jehovah is, this is why he chose this man. He would kill us or die trying.”

  I’m not sure how much Liz had told him over the phone, but by his reaction, I’m guessing she left out quite a bit. “And to top it all off, we know of at least one unknown elder who is actually working for him?”

  “It’s this samurai guy named Fortuna. I think, at least more recently anyway, that he is the one who commits the murders on Tucker’s behalf. He is nothing like I’ve ever seen. He put a hurting on the two of us.”

  “He is strong enough that we have enlisted Cristof to face him when the time comes. Apparently, he had been hoping for some action when he came down here and had his wife put Hrunting in a delivery box.”

  I guess Cristof’s reputation was the same no matter the territory based on Gregory’s amused expression. “Well, I hope this time an entire region isn’t burnt to the ground. This guy must be serious business if you are letting him get out there again.”

  “Trust me, if I had any other choice, I would have used it. Fortuna is old and strong. I think Cristof is the only one who can match him.”

  Again, I found myself in the dark. “Guys, can someone please tell me why it is dangerous to let Cristof have a go at this guy? The man can’t be that bad.”

  Liz and Gregory looked at each other and came to an unspoken agreement. Gregory took the lead on this one. “Cristof’s father was the legendary Beowulf.”

  “I know this, we already went over his whole family history and how he ended up joining the funny farm.”

  Liz got that look in her eyes and Gregory took that as a sign to move on quickly. “Well, I do not know how much you know about Beowulf, but he was a legendary warrior with the ability to go berserk on command.”

  “English please for the werewolf in the room.”

  “The ability to go berserk is a skill not many possess. The warrior’s strength, speed, and agility all increase to levels that surpass even a vampire’s.”

  “And your point here is?”

  “Vic, think about it, if a human who can use that can go beyond what a vampire does, think about what a vampire can do if he or she can use that skill.”

  Oh, it hit me. “Well that sounds like a good thing to me. That should give us good odds against Fortuna then.”
>
  Before they even said anything I felt my bubble about to be burst. “There is a downside to that much power. One loses their mind in the rage. There are no friends or foes. There is only devastation.”

  “So you’re telling me if he goes berserk, he could attack any of us?”

  They both shook their heads yes. “That is how the wild fire started all those years ago Vic. Cristof went berserk and attacked me. As a last resort, I was able to start a fire in the forest to separate the two of us, but it was a dry year and it went crazy.”

  My head hurt. “Don’t you people ever come with good news? Why in the world do you always have to complicate things?”

  “Well is it not better to know now than in the course of the confrontation?”

  Liz had a point I guess. But how could we let him fight then? “I guess it will be up to me to figure out a way to use this in our favor, huh?”

  “If anyone can, it will be you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence boss lady. Now, Gregory, are you old enough to drink? I know a great bar that is still open. I could use a cold one.”

  Liz started laughing, but Gregory looked so depressed. “I just turned one thousand two years ago!” Poor guy, we both were laughing now. “I told you I looked older with a beard Elizabeth!”

  Chapter 35

  “You vampires give new meaning to the term emo. Don’t you guys believe in good news from time to time?” The three of us were at a bar called the Tooth and Nail. Not a bad little dive on my side of town and because most wolves prefer the newer bars on the north side, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

  Gregory and Liz tried their hardest to think of a comeback, but silence was all they could muster. Hey, I was just telling the truth here. Even on the best of days, their good news always came with a but. Of course, I had no one to really blame but myself, as I signed up to work for the loony tunes.

  “Alright, I can see you two are pouting now. I’ll stop ragging on you, but think positive from now on. Leave the negativity to the movie screen vampires.”

  “Do not compare us to those horrid Hollywood imitations! We are much more interesting and fun to be around than those pathetic excuses! Plus, we do not sparkle.” It was always fun to rile Liz up. If you knew where to stop that is.

  “Okay, okay, you’re not that bad. But can you promise me that Gregory isn’t part of your extended family either?”

  He picked up on my reference, “No, I was a born vampire. My young looks are just genetics I guess. And before you ask, my parents died when an angry mob of humans stormed our villa. I was not there at the time or else I’d be charred remains too.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope I wasn’t prying.”

  “It’s okay. They had lived long and full lives. I’m sure they could have fought back and slaughtered the humans, but they chose to die peacefully. I can only guess, but I think they were ready and did not want to become the monsters they were accused of being.”

  That was pretty heavy. I wish Warren Tucker was here so he could have listened to the story. I doubt it would change his mind, but it just proved how wrong he was. I took a drink of my beer while I was thinking.

  “Hey cowboy, I see smoke. Is everything okay in there?”

  “Just thinking, you know? This story just adds to how wrong the conception is about all of us. Is wanting to be left alone to live our lives peacefully so wrong? I just get the idea that someone is always going to want to fight us for that right.”

  “When you have lived as long as Gregory and I have, you know that someone will always be against something. Warren Tucker is just the latest in a long line of people who will never understand or accept. You have been lucky up until recently.”

  I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  “Out here, in the middle of nowhere, your pack is pretty much left alone. But in other parts of the world, even this country; werewolves are hunted by those who have discovered the secret.”

  I’d never even thought about it. Again, I was wrapped up in what problems were in my life, not the bigger picture. “This isn’t an isolated problem then?”

  “Werewolves and vampires being killed is not, no. Now a madman who turns into a serial killer and creates his own private army using our blood is a different story.”

  “I thought you were joking with me, Elizabeth, when you called and told me what was happening. To be honest, I am still trying to wrap my head around everything.”

  The bartender came over and topped us all off. “So you never had anything this crazy in the northwest, Gregory?”

  “I get my fair share of hunters who discover us and want to eliminate us. They are never very successful really. The worst is when I get a group of rogue vampires who want to live like the old ones did. Putting them either back in their place or down for good is always a tough situation.”

  I was intrigued now, “What was the worst problem you ever had?”

  “That’s easy. Back in 1959 when Alaska became a state, Cristof sent me up there to see what sort of vampire activity was going on.”

  “I’m guessing things didn’t go well?”

  He started laughing, “Well? I ran into a group of Russian vampires who had captured a wendigo and were using it to slaughter all sorts of Eskimo villages. The blasted thing nearly ate me before I was able to kill it.”

  I needed to start traveling, as again I had no idea what anyone was talking about. “What is a wendigo?”

  “Think of it as a cross between a werewolf and Bigfoot. They have the personality of a great white shark; they are either sleeping or looking for their next meal. I have three vampires up there who are dedicated to keeping them in their own territory in the far north reaches of the Arctic Circle.”

  That sounded like a job that no one in their right mind would sign up for. The bartender came back over one more time and told us that this was last call, so we finished our beers and headed out.

  “Beautiful night out here isn’t it?” Gregory had fallen back and was texting someone and Liz was beside me.

  “Yes it is.” I couldn’t tell if she was cold or if vampires could even get cold, but I took my jacket off and put it on her. “Thank you, that is very sweet of you.”

  “So you forgive me for my antics earlier?”

  “Of course I do. I just had to make you sweat it out for a little while.”

  Women, go figure. “So are there any other members of your family I should know about?”

  “Jonathan is the only one I truly consider to be a brother. Cristof was already out of the picture and working with Roderick by the time I was born. I would not get to know him until much later.”

  “No offense, but it seems like your parents, especially your mom, went around turning people just for fun.”

  There was no rage in her eyes, just the look of someone who had to come to terms with a lot early on. “My mother considered herself to be above the world as a whole. If she wanted something, she went out and got it. My father was so obsessed with his goals and turning humans into cows that he ignored most of her transgressions.”

  “That must have been a fun environment to grow up in.”

  “I learned a lot from them. I learned not how to treat my loved ones for starters and that I wanted to do the right things when I could. I may have messed up from time to time but I hope my legacy is better than worse.”

  I smiled, for I had judged her once harshly, but she was a better person than I was. “Until recently, I wanted my legacy to be Victor Inglewood, great sheriff and drinker of fine beers.”

  “Well now, it can be Victor Inglewood, great inspector and boyfriend of a fine vampire.” Her face was so serious, but it was pretty funny. I started laughing and soon she gave up all pretenses of being serious and joined in.

  When we made it to my house, Reno gave us all the hairy eyeball as we walked by. It was rather late and I was wondering where Gregory was going to go. “Do you have a room or anything set up?”

&n
bsp; He looked rather sheepish, “No, I was hoping for the time I was here, I could crash with you?”

  “Well the old tale about you guys only being able to enter a house when invited is a load of crap. You are all a bunch of freeloaders!”

  “I will take that as assurance I can stay!”

  “Of course you can, Gregory. You can take the room I was using and I will just move into Vic’s room.”

  “Perfect! It’s been a few days since my last nap, so if you two don’t mind, I am ready to call it a morning.” And sure enough, within fifteen minutes, all of Liz’s bags were in my room and Gregory had the guest bedroom she was using to himself.

  Liz led me into my room, essentially putting me to bed too. “I am quite well rested, but you should sleep. You never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”

  “I’m okay for a little while longer…”

  Her blue eyes looked directly into me, “No, I think you need to sleep.”

  I didn’t even finish my sentence. My eyes felt heavy and soon it was off to bed. She did it to me again!

  I popped awake and was going to give her a piece of my mind, but I was all by myself. I looked over at the clock and saw it read twelve-fifteen. Defeated, I followed the smells of coffee and bacon downstairs.

  “Good morning sunshine! For someone who said he was not that tired, you did sleep an awfully long time!” Her eagerness and sunny disposition was like salt in the wound.

  “You did your vampire trick to me again!”

  “I do not know what you are talking about. I simply made a suggestion and you ran with it. To imply anything else would hurt my feelings. Now why do you not get yourself some coffee and freshly made bacon!”

  Dad was spot on all those years ago when he told me women were always right, even when they were wrong. I poured my coffee and reluctantly took a few pieces of bacon too.

  “Well, while you were sleeping, I talked to your father and he has a brilliant plan in how we should deal with Warren Tucker.”