Exsanguination

  “I am,” he responded firmly and she turned to Mildred.

  “And you’re fine with this, Mildred?”

  Still biting her knuckle, she scrunched her eyes shut and nodded several times quite quickly.

  “Very well, then.”

  “You want a syringe?” Phillip asked.

  Vanessa shook her head. “No. if you have no objection, I’m going to do this . . . what’s the expression? Oh yes. Old school.”

  She looked at John and nodded toward the sofa. “Lay down there, John.”

  As she moved her body on top of his and positioned his head, he spoke. “This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but only for an instant,” she whispered in his ear and sank her fangs in. John grunted. His body and mind became completely enveloped in the subsequent pleasure of the experience.

  Phillip moved to his mother and whispered.

  “What he’s experiencing is not sexual, mom.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she responded almost coldly as she watched him writhe in exquisite delight.

  “What you see is deceiving.”

  After about fifteen minutes, John’s eyelids began to flicker and Vanessa pulled back. She bit her own wrist and pressed it to his mouth. He quickly grabbed her hand and forearm and began sucking. A moment later, she disengaged.

  “Do you remember where you stayed when you were here before?”

  He nodded, feeling unable to speak.

  Vanessa turned to Nikki. “Go up there with them. Make sure your father doesn’t overdo it. No more than four ounces – slowly.”

  Nikki nodded. She wasn’t enthused about monitoring what her father would be doing to her mother but she figured she’d be the least objectionable person in her mother’s eyes.

  Half an hour later, Nikki and John returned downstairs.

  “Where’s mom?” Phillip was slightly alarmed.

  John chuckled. “She wanted to lie around for a while. I think she really enjoyed what I did.”

  Phillip nodded and smiled. “Welcome to our little club.”

  John moved to the tray on the small table at the side and picked up a decanter. He looked at Vanessa. “May I?”

  “Of course,” she nodded.

  “Phillip, Nikki, now I completely understand and I think your mother may as well.”

  “Do you want to fill your father in on what he can and can’t do or shall I?” Vanessa asked.

  “You go ahead,” Nikki smiled.

  After Vanessa had gone through all the cautions and explained the benefits, Phillip grinned at her.

  “Will you do me a favour?”

  “Sure,” she returned his smile.

  “Show my dad your wushu thing with the katanas?”

  “Oh, Phillip,” she sighed and hesitated. “Alright.”

  Picking up the two katanas where they laid at her feet, she lightly vaulted the back of the loveseat and went into a thirty-second demonstration, jumping, spinning, and flipping in the air. She landed, as before, on one knee, bent over, with the swords pointing out to either side.

  “Good God in heaven!” John exclaimed.

  Nikki jumped up. “Shush!”

  The room went quiet as she cocked her head first one way then the other.

  “Someone’s on the grounds,” her brows contracted.

  Vanessa stood. “Stay here,” she said softly as she sheathed her katanas and made her way to the front doors. Some fifty feet out stood a man, a very large man. He stared at her. Finally, he spoke.

  “I would like to discuss the situation with you . . . peacefully.”

  “An odd word for a lycan to use,” she smiled slightly and approached him. “That said, I won’t harm you.”

  He nodded slowly as she reached him.

  “Let’s walk a while,” Vanessa began moving away from the front of the house.

  “You’ve killed many of us.”

  “You initiated hostilities when three of your number attacked us.”

  “Have you ever known a foolish vampire?” he asked.

  Vanessa chuckled. “I’ve known many and I take your meaning.”

  “We’ve been hunted in the countryside. We don’t wish to be hunted here.”

  “Understandable,” she frowned. “I may be able to offer you an arrangement.”

  “What kind of arrangement.”

  “I recently received some concessions from the police to the effect that they would look the other way if we, the vampires, worked outside of the law.”

  “Lucky you,” his lip curled slightly.

  She sighed. “Not long ago, I began watching movies and find myself troubled. I know that the depictions are fictional and yet . . .”

  “What?”

  Vanessa stopped and turned to him.

  “They’re happy with the idea of us hunting and killing your kind.”

  “And that’s a problem for you?”

  “Quite frankly it is. I neither love nor trust the humans or the lycans. I think, given the chance, the humans would hunt us when the opportunity presented itself. I think that they’d look seriously at that option when we’ve successfully wiped out your kind. I don’t believe they’d be successful in a war with us but I’m sure we’d take casualties.”

  “And this arrangement?”

  “Give me a few days to spread the word among my people that we are at peace with the lycans – that we have an armistice. We will not attack lycans.”

  He moved backwards slightly, looking amazed.

  “I would ask you to do the same with your people.”

  His look of shock turned to one of suspicion. “Why should I trust you?”

  “That’s fair. If you don’t, we will make you extinct and then the humans will begin an all-out assault on us in an attempt to kill every last vampire. We both lose.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then extended his hand. She took it, smiled and nodded.

  “I understand that, historically, lycans have only fed once per month – during the full moon.”

  “That’s true but we’re developing a taste for humans.”

  “Can you control your people? Have them return to their monthly feeding habits? No more massacres?”

  “That won’t be easy but I will make it plain that our survival may well depend on it.”

  Vanessa nodded. “As I said, give me a few days to disseminate this to everyone under me.”

  “They will follow your order?”

  “I am the oldest and the strongest of our kind. I won’t be defied.”

  “I’m glad I came.”

  “As am I,” Vanessa smiled. “What’s your name?”

  “I am Ulric.”

  “And I, Vanessa. It’s good we talked.”

  “It is. Do you have a mobile?”

  She nodded and turned to walk back to the house. She was about ten feet away when he called out.

  “And the humans? We can feed?”

  “Bon appetite,” she called back without turning.

  She wondered on her way back if she’d done the right thing and, after thinking for a bit she smiled. Entering the drawing room, she poured herself a drink.

  “So, who was it?” Nikki asked.

  “His name is Ulric and he’s the leader of the lycans.”

  Jaws dropped and Phillip looked at her. “And not a drop of blood on you!”

  Vanessa laughed softly. “We had a very productive conversation. We have détente – a truce.”

  “What!”

  She sipped and nodded. “I’ve realized the direction things were taking. We eliminate the lycans to the delight of the humans and then the humans turn on us. It’s not a pretty picture.”

  “Wow,” Nikki whispered.

  “If Ulric can control his brood, we may be successful in this pact. There will still be human deaths but a lot fewer than would occur without this agreement.”

  XXIII

  The blueprints and maps arrived, hand carried by Jack.

 
“Here they are,” he laid them on the dining room table.

  Vanessa nodded. “Excellent. Tell me, how is your commissioner doing?”

  Jack chuckled. “He wants your head on a plate. He was fit to be tied after your last visit.”

  “I imagine he was,” she smiled. “So, tell me something, Jack. I want an opinion actually.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If we successfully eliminate the lycan threat, what happens then?”

  “I don’t understand,” he frowned.

  “It’s my opinion that we will become the new threat. I believe that your people will try to eliminate my people.”

  Jack shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s going to happen. You don’t go around killing and gutting people in the same way that lycans do.”

  “That may be true but think about it, Jack. We have powers and abilities that humans can’t imagine. Combine that with our feeding habits and it’s going to make a lot of people nervous. In such situations, masses or mobs of humans are rarely thinking, rational creatures. While the power structure may not take direct action initially, the common people may try to take action. Killing what you fear is a common thread throughout history.”

  “I think you’re potentially over-reacting.”

  “Possibly but I don’t believe I am. If all hell breaks loose, may I make a suggestion?”

  “What’s that?” he sighed.

  “Retire, Jack. Retire and move to the country. I can count the humans I like on one hand and you are one of them. I wouldn’t wish to see you become a casualty.”

  “Thanks,” he chuckled. “I need to get back downtown.”

  “So we are going to hunt lycans?” Nikki asked after Jack had left.

  Vanessa shook her head. “No, we’re going to make it look like we’re hunting lycans.”

  Nikki’s eyebrows went up.

  “I keep my word. As long as the lycans restrict their feeding to once a month at the full moon, we will not kill them.”

  “And I was so looking forward to . . .”

  “Murder, mayhem, and blood?”

  Late the following afternoon, in a lab in central London, a technician took his findings to his boss.

  “I think you’d better look at this, chief.”

  “Ah! You have some results?”

  “Kind of,” the technician frowned. “This is what I have of the analysis run on the lycan. He’s about sixty percent human and forty percent wolf.”

  “Normally I would laugh you out of my office and then fire you but, seeing what we have, I’m not completely surprised.”

  “Well, you may as well start laughing. The other two samples? One taken from the dead lycan’s throat and the other from the glass obtained at the bar . . . no human DNA at all.”

  “Animal?”

  The technician shook his head slowly. “I wasn’t able to analyse it. It’s nothing we’d recognize at all. Not human and not animal. Hell, it isn’t even vegetable! We’re dealing with something that probably doesn’t even come from this planet. I ran the tests five times and they all come out the same. To tell the truth, it doesn’t even look entirely like DNA.”

  His boss eyed him as if he was insane. “You’re trying to tell me that these . . . vampires are space aliens or something?” he scoffed.

  The technician shook his head. “Originally, who knows? But I don’t think these people are. I can give you a theory that might help. I’ve thought about this a great deal.”

  “Fire away,” he sat back in his chair.

  “I think that, when a vampire turns a human into one of his kind, some sort of replacement DNA destroys the original human DNA and takes over. Where the original DNA comes from is anyone’s guess,” he shrugged. “Maybe from space or it could be some sort of evolutionary process outside of the norm. A mutation of sorts.”

  He wagged his finger at the technician. “You keep this under your hat, Roberts, while I figure out what to tell the commissioner.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  An hour later, in the commissioner’s office, the head of the lab was trying to explain the results of the tests to the man behind the desk.

  “Alright, so how do we kill them?”

  “Kill them? What are you talking about?”

  “They’re a threat, Collins. A threat to human beings. We can’t have these creatures running around England drinking people’s blood!”

  “With respect, sir. There have been no reports of incidents as far as records go back. There was one occurrence and that was it.”

  “I don’t give a damn. We’re going to meet this thing head on. Figure out how to kill them!”

  He shook his head slowly, sighed, and walked from the commissioner’s office. Once outside, he dialled a number on his mobile. There was an answer on the other end.

  “This is Collins,” he said hurriedly.

  As Vanessa was rolling up blueprints her mobile rang and she answered the call.

  “Hello, Collins. How are you?”

  As she listened, her face became darker and darker.

  “Stall him for as long as you can and, if anything new comes up, notify me.”

  Phillip and the rest of the group looked worried. “What was that?”

  Vanessa related the conversation she had with Collins, expressing her gratitude at having one of her own on the inside of the lab.

  “It’s on, then?” Nikki tilted her head.

  She nodded and picked her mobile back up. “Antoine?”

  There was a pause.

  “Pull the trigger. Humans are setting up to hunt us. Target the police.”

  She dialled another number.

  “Jack, Vanessa. It’s time for you to retire, my friend. Your commissioner is planning on trying to wipe us out.”

  There was another pause.

  “Don’t argue with me Jack!” she disconnected the call and dialled again.

  “Ulric? The authorities are planning to wipe us out. Feel free to put out the word and create as much carnage as your people can. One caution – just target the authorities, not the civilians. Do not harm vampires. They’re not the threat. You leave us alone and we return the favour.”

  “What now?” Phillip asked.

  “It’s time to leave. Start packing up weapons. Get your mother downstairs, there is a tunnel there that leads to an underground bunker about five hundred yards away. I’ll show you how to access it.”

  Munitions were hauled up from the armoury and dropped on the floor in the foyer.

  “We’ll get them in the vehicles and get out of here quickly.”

  A voice boomed out from a bullhorn. “Come out with your hands up! This is the police!”

  “Looks like we won’t be getting out,” Owen said.

  The loud voice returned. “Come out now with your hands up or we will open fire!”

  Vanessa determinedly walked to the front door and pushed the button to open the gates. Vehicles started rolling in. Returning to the drawing room she picked up a vicious looking short, silver blade.

  As the vehicles ground to a halt a hundred feet from the front door, the man on the bullhorn repeated his demand. Vanessa put her hand on the doorknob and Phillip stopped her.

  “You can’t go out there! You’ll be killed!”

  She smiled and stroked his cheek. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

  Vanessa turned and walked out the door, the ten-inch blade in her right hand. She held it up.

  “I warn you now! Leave my property immediately!” she called out loudly.

  “Put the weapon down and get on the ground!” came the response over the bullhorn.

  She stepped closer and a few shots rang out. Vanessa felt the bullets hit her and she disappeared.

  Faster than the eye could see, she moved through the group of men. Before the first constable’s knees began to buckle, she’d laid open the throat of the next. They went down like dominoes. The ones at the end had begun firing wildly in any direction they though
t she might be, taking down two of their own in the process. The whole battle consumed little more than five seconds. The last one’s throat opened up just as the first one’s face hit the ground. Only one man was left standing, wide-eyed and shaking.

  “Put down your weapon,” she said flatly.

  He threw it to the ground as if it was a poisonous snake. Gunfire rang out from behind one of the cars. Vanessa felt a bullet go through her shoulder. She snarled. The wound healed almost instantly. She disappeared and reappeared at the side of the car. Grabbing the bottom of the frame, she flipped the vehicle over onto the man who was shooting and then walked back to the single survivor.

  “P . . .p . . .please . . .” he begged as he dropped to his knees.

  “Stand up. I’m not going to kill you. You’re going to take a message to your police commissioner. He has decided to enter a war with us. This is a war we will handily win and I will accept nothing less than an unconditional surrender from your Parliament. They have three hours from now to announce that action. Tell him that and tell him I have unleashed the lycans. They now fight as allies with vampires.”

  The constable was nodding repeatedly. She could hear his heart almost pounding out of his chest.

  “Go!” she waved her hand.

  He jumped into a car and took off at breakneck speed.

  Everyone was in the foyer. They had been watching the short-lived battle. The instant Vanessa came in, Phillip grabbed her and hugged her tightly. She kissed his cheek and pulled back. He looked at her and realized that she’d moved so quickly, there wasn’t a spot of blood on her.

  Vanessa turned to Nikki. “There’s a kind of black duffel back in the armoury labelled STX. We need to bring it with us.”

  “I have that whole thing on video,” she brandished her camera and disappeared and returned with the bag in under a minute.

  “The underground bunker isn’t going to withstand what they may bring into play next, so we’re all going. Let’s load up the vehicles.”

  As they were loading up, the lid from a wooden crate broke off and Phillip looked down, recognizing the contents from movies he’d seen.

  “Holy shit! RPGs?”

  He looked up at Vanessa. “Where do you get this shit?”

  She nodded. “No time to explain. I have connections in unlikely places.”

  It took almost half an hour to load the two vehicles. They dodged bodies and turned left out of the gates. Vanessa drove the Range Rover in front and Phillip followed up with the Escalade. As they navigated their way toward central London, police cars were coming the other way, lights and sirens going. Nikki watched out the back window of the Cadillac.