The Damascus Chronicles

by Dominic R. Daniels

  Back in the car, Danny had overheard Serena on the phone and was curious about whom she spoken with. “What did you mean when you said fledgling back there, is that some kind of code?”

  Michael gave Danny a harsh look. “She means this,” said Michael as his face began to contort , in order to show Fredricks his true nature. “What in hell!” Danny screamed in fear and he nearly sideswiped into a pole. Michael grabbed the wheel to prevent them from crashing.

  “Danny! We’re not going to hurt you,” yelled Michael.

  “Could someone please tell me what is going on?” screamed Danny.

  “What does it look like?” said Serena.

  “You’re both, you’re fucking vampires?” Danny asked, not sure of what he had seen.

  “Um, yeah! It’s a long story, could we please not kill each other driving now! I’ll tell you the whole story,” said Michael.

  A few minutes into the tale, Danny was flabbergasted. “Wait! Let me get this straight; you’re telling me vampires exist and you’re working for some global Coven organization besides the mafia, and you want my help! Exactly when the fuck were you going to tell me all of this?”

  “Well, we didn’t think it would come to this,” sighed Serena.

  “Fuck it, let’s go get your kid, but you’re going to owe me big for this one, very fucking big,” said Danny.

  “Thanks for understanding; you know we wouldn’t harm you; you’re a friend,” said Serena.

  “Wrong missy! I’m Michael’s friend! I’m only doing this to pay him back for a favor. No matter what the devil he’s become, he’s still my friend, but I’m going to need a damn strong drink in the morning. Why do I get myself into this kind of shit!” said Danny.

  Michael and Serena couldn’t help but laugh at Danny’s comments. Just then a car approached them from behind and started shooting. “Shit, we’ve been followed,” said Danny.

  “Scarfo!” Michael yelled.

  “Don’t worry I’ll handle them,” said Serena, noticing the police shotgun and a box of shells tucked under the back seat. Locking and loading the rifle quickly, she smashed open the back window of the car and fired away, unloading shells one by one in blasts of hellfire. The attackers fired back and machine gun bullets pierced parts of the car.

  “Oh shit!” screamed Danny as he tried to shake them. Michael grabbed a grenade from his ammo bag. “You got to be kidding me!” said Danny as he saw Michael pull the pin with his teeth and toss the grenade out the car window. It hit the ground, and attacking car was blown straight off the ground and flipped over, exploding in a ball of fire, killing the attackers. “Definitely should have stayed drunk today,” said Danny as he increased his speed up to 100 miles per hour.

  “Slow down man! There’s no one behind us now,” said Michael.

  “Cool,” Danny breathed, slowing down as they approached the old airfield. They parked the car quietly to avoid attention. Michael loaded his Uzi and M-9, and Serena took the shotgun and reloaded the weapon, putting her compact pistol in her left bootleg. Danny took out his 45-caliber weapon and loaded it, hearing the smooth cocking action of the pistol clip. They were ready to go in with a bang. Inside, the hanger was dark and only moonlight shone through the old thick windows. The place was neglected and filled with dust and swarms of rats. The trio snuck around with guns loaded, pacing slowly around the room. Suddenly a man turned on a light switch. Fifty men stood in the room, from the rafters to the ground, machine guns cocked and ready to shoot. Sally was nowhere in sight. It was a trap. The trio raised their hands in the air. Phillips’ henchmen chained them to large stake poles stuck in the ground. One of Phillips’ henchmen wheeled in a massive time bomb that was encased in a metal enclosure and screwed tight into a steel ground mount. One of the men set the timer on the bomb that would soon blow the place to kingdom come. “Hah, hah, ha, ha,” laughed a large man walking out of the shadows. He revealed himself to the captives he had in his power.

  “Franco Scarfo, I should have known, you dirty son of a bitch!” said Michael.

  “What a lovely group of freaks, a two-timing cop, a foolish thief, and a wannabe hero hit man,” mocked Franco Scarfo. He didn’t notice that Serena sat quiet with her eyes closed. She was contacting Darius and the others for help.

  “Darius come. We are here,” said Serena in her mind. Darius heard Serena and sensed their location. He then alerted the others to prepare for the attack. “Scarlet, Marianna, to the abandoned airfield, our cousin is being held there with her fledgling,” said Darius.

  “We’ll be shocking and rocking,” said Scarlet eagerly. Scarlet was the youngest of the entire Zoratus coven. A French vampire, she had beautifully long golden hair and the face of an angel; she had piercings in her ears and she was dressed to fight in her Goth leather clothes. “Let’s go,” said Marianna seriously, and they teleported to the spot.

  Breaking through the windows, the vampires attacked the guards; Franco’s men fired on Darius, Scarlet and Marianna, but as the bullets hit the vampires’ undead flesh, their wounds healed instantly. Michael was hit in the crossfire in the neck and felt a sharp pain, but no blood appeared. “What the hell!” Franco screamed as he ducked to hide from the arrows Darius was shooting into the room that were killing many of the guards. Marianna circled her attackers with a series of zips and spins, unsheathing her sword and decapitating her victims with ease, as if slicing through a vat of warm butter. Fountains of blood flowed from her victims. Scarlet jumped from side to side of the hanger, throwing daggers into the attacker’s chests, legs, and heads, impaling them quickly.

  Michael managed to break free and unchain Serena and Danny. Franco Scarfo ran from the scene and took off in his car; the bomb was set to go off in 30 seconds. The vampires and Danny managed to get through the back door by kicking it down and jumping to the ground for safety, just as the old airplane hanger exploded. In slow motion, burning debris fell to the ground.

  After getting back safely to the car, everyone managed to catch their breath, lucky to be alive. “Are you all right?” asked Darius.

  “We’re okay. Just some cuts and bruises; are you each okay?” asked Danny.

  “We’re fine,” said Marianna.

  “Thank you all for your help,” said Michael.

  “Not a problem, you’re one of us,” said Scarlet.

  “In the meantime, we had better form a new plan of action. We still haven’t found the girl,” said Serena.

  “We didn’t find anyone at the warehouse or the old studio,” said Darius.

  “I know a hacker who can help us, if we can get to her before Phillips can,” said Michael.

  “Very well. We will continue to search by air,” said Darius. The others agreed as they flew off into the night. Danny was amazed by this new experience; “Holy Shit! Damn!”

  The three sped off in Danny’s car, into the early hours of the morning, to find Michael’s contact.

  Chapter 43: Kat

  The trio sped off to the Luna district, the hot dance club area of town. Michael’s hacker lived above the Razor Blade Club in a small loft. She was the best there was and could crack through anything.

  Heading into the Razor Blade Club, the trio noticed flashing electric razor lights, the pulsing sounds of techno and hard-hitting house music, and a scene filled with all sorts of musical misfits dancing to the exotic beat; joy riders, goths, ravers, punks, dreamers, humans and vampires alike, all in the same depraved mix.

  They climbed up the stairs and heard hard rock music playing from Kat’s room; she was Michael’s hacker.

  “Charming place, what a freak show,” said Danny, annoyed by the sounds of the music.

  “Hey, I resent that remark,” said Michael. “Just kidding,” joked Danny.

  Michael knocked on Kat’s door; she heard him and turned down the music, peering through the porthole. Unlocking her door, she let Michael and his companions in her loft. Kat’s pad was filled with technological bliss, computer system after computer syst
em, VR stabilizers, and best of all, a hacker’s dream, a multi super mainframe that could access any coding in the world in the twinkling of an eye. “Michael, to what pleasure do I owe this honor? What do you need from me this time? A hydra x virus, a government system crash, or just a little hex key coding?” asked Kat.

  “Cute, kid. No, I got a real ringer for you this time. I need to crack into the city’s main frame computer system to look up an old friend,” said Michael.

  “For the man that saved my life, anything. What are friends for? But please give me a challenge, come on,” said Kat.

  “Nothing fancy, just do it,” said Michael.

  “All right hottie,” teased Kat, hacking into her computer.

  “Thanks kid. This is my girl Serena and this is Danny,” said Michael.

  “Okay, let’s see what we can do. Who are we looking for exactly?” asked Kat.

  “Ex-government agent records of one Rodney Clarence Phillips, last known place of access any military organizations and places he may try to escape to,” said Michael.

  “Sounds like you have it in for this guy,” Kat commented.

  “Yeah, well I think you would too kid. That asshole nearly killed us all,” said Danny. “Damn! Anyway, I’m cross referencing the data with the city’s system and the CIA’s mainframe,” said Kat.

  “Nice thing that your dad gave you access to the system,” said Michael.

  “Say what, how does a teenager get the equipment to access top-secret government information?” asked Serena.

  “Simple. I worked with my father and Mike as a data engineer, back when we where in Turkey, and Mike saved my life from the Prime minister’s assassins who tried to kill me. After I found out he was alive, we kept in touch and I do him a favor now and then,” said Kat.

  “What are you, a genius?” asked Danny.

  “Yup, 190 IQ will do that for you,” said Kat playfully. She typed away, punching codes into her computer. “Bingo! Last known organizations that this guy was linked to,” Kat started.

  Danny noticed something on the back of Michael’s neck. Walking over, he yanked on the needle and pulled it out.

  “What the, ow!” yelled Michael.

  “What the hell is that, Danny?” asked Serena. Danny inspected the small needle dart. “Looks like a transmitter, but that would mean?” said Danny.

  Suddenly, a helicopter rose up to the open window. Serena sensed danger. She created a whirlwind of energy around them all as the gunner from the chopper opened fire, blasting firebombs through the window. ”The force is too strong, I can’t hold it,” said Serena, resisting the heat. Fire was her weakness. A man in the chopper fired mini-grenades and the room exploded in flames. Michael teleported them away from the burning loft. The people inside the club below screamed in panic as the place collapsed, killing them all.

  Chapter 44: The Abbey

  In less than a second Michael had transported them all to safety. With no hospital in sight, he stole a truck and drove them to Saint Mark’s Cathedral. He had served as an altar boy there on summer retreats, and he remembered that the cathedral had a hospital wing for its monastery. Serena had been badly burned from the fire. Danny was fine, due to Serena’s aid. Kat had suffered the most. She had deep cuts from broken glass and was losing lots of blood.

  It was four in the morning and rain had begun to pour as a thunderstorm came over the city. Guarding the vast doors of the gothic sanctuary were huge stone gargoyles, guardian angels and crucifixes. Michael pounded on the heavy iron doors, hoping that someone inside would answer. Inside the cathedral many men of God were kneeling in silent prayer as they meditated on Christ, chanting in Latin. One of the monks heard the nose outside and ran to unlock the doors of the church. He was a young handsome man with short brown hair, blue eyes, dressed in a humble robe. Michael fell to the ground with his wounded friends as the doors opened.

  “Oh Lord!” said the man.

  “Help us,” Michael pleaded as he fell to the ground, weak from not feeding.

  Michael woke in a strange room, along with Serena and Kat. The young man who had opened the doors of the church sat near Kat. He had bandaged her wounds and brought her food and water. Danny was nowhere in sight. Serena’s burns were also bandaged and Michael saw the cup that Serena was drinking from; Michael could smell blood in the cup, blood that was not human. It was pig’s blood. Michael also took a drink from Serena’s cup, but it tasted horrible. There was something strange about this monk. How could he have known what Serena truly was?

  The young monk came over to see Michael as he sat up on his cot. “You and your friends are feeling better.”

  “Thank you for your help,” said Michael.

  “Your young female friend is doing better. Father Paul and I managed to stop the bleeding and we have called the nuns to bring her to the hospital wing for a few days. I am Brother Dominus Sullivan.” Dominus was a very handsome man, about thirty years old in appearance; he had a short nose and a lean muscular, body.

  “Is the priest here?” asked Serena, who had stood up, though she was still weak.

  “He will be back here in half an hour. He has gone to say the morning mass,” said Dominus. “Where is my friend Danny?” asked Michael.

  “He left to find someone who needed your help,” said Dominus.

  Michael noticed a strange tattoo on the young monk’s right hand. It was the same seal Serena had on her neck. “You’re one of us,” said Michael in surprise.

  “What are you talking about, sir?” asked Brother Dominus.

  “The mark on your hand. I’ve seen it before,” said Michael.

  “I have to go,” said Dominus, and he left to room only to run into Father Paul, who was surprised to see Dominus acting in such a peculiar fashion.

  “What is wrong; how are the patients?”

  “Father, the man in black knows what I am; I believe he and the girl know,” said

  Dominus.

  ”It would not be the first time their kind have come. Let me go and see them, son,” said Father Paul calmly.

  He entered the room with Dominus in silence. Father Paul had unique gifts; he was blessed with prophetic wisdom and the gift of insight. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old alter boy, Michael Victor Damascus,” said Father Paul.

  “It’s nice to see you too, Father,” said Michael.

  “I’m surprised. I haven’t seen you since the old days in the service. I heard around town that you took up with unsavory people when you came home. Too bad you didn’t come back here, where your heart should have been,” said Father Paul.

  “What do you mean?” asked Michael.

  “It’s not enough, son, that you became an accessory to the mob, but you endanger these friends of yours with something much worse. Still, I made a promise to the Lord to help all who come here, and I shall,” said Father Paul.

  “I’m sorry that I left the faith, but what could I do? You know what happened,” said Michael. “You just don’t know when to stop, do you?”

  “He is with me now; it’s my fault,” said Serena, regretful for what she had done.

  “I could tell that you were not human the moment I saw that mark on your neck, child,” said Father Paul.

  “How so?” Serena stammered.

  “I know your kind when I see them. The young man who has cared for you these last few days is one of them,” said Father Paul.

  “A vampire?” said Serena.

  “He is my son, and a devout man of God no matter what he was born as. He still serves the church that his true father served at one time,” said Father Paul.

  “What do you mean, his true father?” asked Serena.

  “The man who helped the church fight the war that goes unnoticed, against a dark enemy,” said Father Paul.

  “Reynard Desbode,” Serena breathed.

  “Yes, him and his dark empire,” said Dominus. “What is this society, what war, who are you, and how did you know that Serena needed to drink?” asked M
ichael, confused.

  “I am one of your kind,” explained Dominus. “But how could an immortal choose this?” asked Serena.

  “Let me tell you a story. A long time ago during the first century, after the passing of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine, the persecution of the Church continued as time passed into the Middle Ages and the Christian Crusades. The pope of that time had formed secret military orders of monk warriors to ensure the protection of the Church from persecution and destruction. Those persecutors were Desbode and his legions. Julius Zoratus was in charge of the Church’s warriors, named the Sons of Judah. As a military general for the Church, Julius was loyal to God and to Rome for years. Julius and his armies sought to fight against invaders by any means necessary, to protect the Church and the world. During a great battle of epic proportions, larger enemy forces defeated Julius’ army, because Rome had failed to provide him with enough men. As Julius saw the horror of his comrades being slaughtered by the enemy, he met his nemesis, the Dark General Reynard Desbode, the founder of the Dark Society. Legend says that Reynard Desbode sold his soul to the Devil to become a fallen angel. His pagan society had one sole purpose: to destroy the Christian God and conquer the world as his own. Gloating in their victory by showing extreme hatred and animosity to their captors, the Dark Society’s general placed a terrible curse upon Julius and his men, mocking their Christian loyalty. Julius and his men were transformed into the undead, neither human nor demon. They had a dual nature split between the two, with no hope of being able to go back to being looked upon as servants of God by the Church in Rome. Some say it was a punishment for Julius’s vast vanity and pride. Others say it was a spiritual test of his faith.

  They were taken as prisoners and made to be slaves in chains, working the copper mines for the Dark Society. There they were forced to dig for crystals and copper to power vast technology and weapons. All of the prisoners witnessed inhumane and indescribable acts of torture; they were forced to watch as their own families were slaughtered, crucified, and burned alive in fire pits.” Said Dominus.