Exsanguination

  He sighed. “I really didn’t think she’d react quite this badly.”

  In the morning room, Phillip poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to her. She was boiling inside.

  He took a deep breath. “I’m not even going to try to excuse what Joe did. It was wrong and now he definitely knows it. Vanessa, he’s like me; he’s a kid and sometimes we young people do things without thinking them all the way through. I know that you see this as being exposed but it exposes a part of you that people need to know about. Humans, to say nothing of lycans, fear you and know what you’re capable of.”

  “And that’s exactly how I like it, Phillip,” she said firmly.

  Phillip shook his head. “Fear, my darling, inevitably leads to hate. I’d venture to say there’s a large portion of England’s population that hates you for what you’ve done.”

  “I couldn’t care less, Phillip.”

  “You should. If not for yourself, for the rest of us. We don’t want to be hated. We want the humans to realize that we are not their enemy.”

  She sat down on the sofa and he joined her. She looked at him. “What do you want me to do?”

  “For starters, I want you to take a few minutes and calm yourself. Joe knows that he screwed up royally but, even you must admit that it was with the best of intentions. Let him know that, in the future, nothing goes to the papers without your express approval.”

  Vanessa sighed.

  “Lastly, forgive him.”

  She stared at her drink and then looked at him with a slight smile. “You’re pretty smart for a kid.”

  Phillip chuckled and stood up. “And never forget one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  He began tilting from one side to the other and back, singing. “Always look on the bright side of life . . .”

  She began to laugh, having seen, thanks to Nikki, the movie. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around him, causing her to tilt back and forth. “You’re a funny and wonderful man. Do you know that?”

  “Yup,” he imitated her popping ‘p’ sound.

  “Alright, let’s go back through.”

  She informed Joe of her new policy regarding news stories and half-heartedly apologized for flying off the handle.

  XXVIII

  It was Thursday evening – the day before the full moon. Joe turned on a radio and adjusted the tuning. Everyone was in the morning room.

  A voice came over the speakers. “We’re devoting tonight’s call-in segment to people who have read and want to respond to the article recently printed in The Times regarding the Countess of Ashburn.”

  Vanessa gave Joe a dirty look.

  “Just listen,” he responded to her.

  “We have Mike on line one. What’s up, Mike?”

  “I don’t care what she did in the war. She bombed Parliament and should be hanged for treason!”

  Vanessa tilted her head and, with raised eyebrows, looked at Phillip with a slight smile.

  “Line two. Edward.”

  “Me dad used to tell me about how he got pulled from the rubble by a beautiful woman right in the middle of bombs falling. It were before I was born and he said she were as strong as ten ox. It must have been the Countess. If she’s listenin’ I want to thank her. Without what she did, I’d a never been born.”

  The callers were complimentary in four out of five cases and, after half an hour, Vanessa handed her phone to Joe.

  “Call them.”

  The call got pushed to the front of the line.

  “Folks, we have the angel herself on the phone. Hello, Countess.”

  Joe turned the radio down and motioned to Vanessa to put her phone on speaker.

  “I want to clarify something – to add something to this narrative, as it were.”

  “We are all ears, My Lady.”

  “I was not alone.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I was only one of hundreds of us out there at that time, helping where we could. Your people never knew we were not human but help we did.”

  “You mean other vampires were assisting during that time?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean. Virtually all of them are alive this day and they deserve as much credit if not more with regard to saving lives. That’s all I have to say,” she disconnected the call and Joe picked up the remote for the radio.

  Vanessa waved her hand and frowned. “Enough, Joe.”

  “Can I make a suggestion, Vanessa?” John spoke.

  “Of course!”

  “Let’s take an hour out and clean the weapons we’ve used. The last thing we want is a malfunctioning firearm tomorrow night. I can walk everyone through the tear-down, cleaning, and reassembly process.”

  Vanessa looked around the room and nodded. “Get to it.”

  “It appears that moonrise is at eight tomorrow night,” Owen volunteered.

  Vanessa nodded and took out her phone

  “Jack, is there any possibility of getting the underground shut down early tomorrow night?”

  Pause.

  She nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you shortly.”

  Jack came to the door about half an hour later. In the drawing room, Vanessa handed him a drink.

  “You’re looking good, Jack. Not tired . . . no more bags under your eyes.”

  “Must be the blood,” he smiled slightly and she nodded.

  “I need a favour of you tomorrow night.”

  He sipped. “What’s that?”

  “I need you to shut down the underground early. Eight o’clock.”

  Jack sighed. “I can’t do that, Vanessa. It’s more than a little bit beyond my authority.”

  “Jack, lycans aren’t particularly stupid and they will see the tube as a perfect feeding ground. It’s . . .” she glanced at Phillip, “what did you call it, darling?”

  “It’s like shooting fish in a barrel,” he grimaced.

  “Apparently it’s something they do a lot in America but you get the general idea. A lycan pulls an emergency cord or some such and they’ve got their prey trapped. Dozens in every car with no way of escaping. It could be a bloodbath, Jack.”

  “I don’t think the powers that be will go for it,” he frowned.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me, Jack!” her lip curled.

  He shook his head. “Despite everything that’s happened, I don’t think they will.”

  Vanessa frowned. “Well, I’m not going to ask newly turned vampires to patrol the underground cars. They don’t have the experience and the only weapons we can sensibly use are blades. Firearms in such a closed environment would be madness.”

  “I can make a couple of calls but I don’t have high hopes of success,” he took out his mobile.

  As he discussed the situation with various officials, Vanessa felt that he wasn’t making much progress. Finally, he put his phone back in his pocket and shook his head.

  “They’re hoping that there aren’t many lycans and that the ones that do exist won’t go into the underground.”

  “There are some really foolish people running this city, Jack.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Alright,” she sighed, “I need some guidance here. A lycan gets into a train car and attacks. I’m in the next car and come through, dispatching the lycan. We have one dead and three bitten. What do you want me to do with the ones who were bitten? I’m certainly not going to kill them although it would be the most merciful and sensible course of action. The PR for the vampire community would be awful and I won’t tolerate that. What do I do, Jack?”

  DCI Fuller poured himself another drink and groaned. “Ambulances, I guess. Then they’ll have to be isolated and, when the next full moon occurs, heavily restrained.”

  “Some may realize what they’re in for and flee; you do realize that, Jack? There’s going to be mayhem and chaos.”

  “So you’re saying this problem may not be going away anytime soon.”

  “Exactly. Those we don’t
kill, after the first moon, may be able to change at will. I don’t know for sure. They may decide to multiply their numbers by biting as many humans as possible. It’s a matter of self-preservation.”

  “In much the same way that vampires increased their numbers for their own protection, eh?”

  Vanessa nodded.

  “What about what’s his name . . . Ulric? Could he help?”

  “Ulric’s lycans aren’t going to go around killing off other lycans. I don’t see them doing that.”

  “Christ,” Jack muttered, “this city is going to be a mess!” he stared at her. “What if one was bitten and then given one of your injections?”

  “Ooooh no, Jack. That would either kill the person or possibly create a monster you don’t want to deal with. Imagine a lycan, innately ferocious, with my abilities.”

  “Yeah, don’t want to go there.”

  “Is there any way your people can restrict the number of passengers getting onto a train?”

  “Possibly. We may be able to get out a warning of sorts to the general population.”

  Phillip spoke up. “Buses may be a problem as well.”

  “Hadn’t thought of that,” Jack sighed. “What I can do is have ambulances standing by, ready to move in.”

  “Not prevention but that will help with casualties,” Vanessa replied.

  “Look at the bright side. This may all come to nothing. There may only be a few lycans to deal with tomorrow night,” he grinned weakly.

  “Never took you for an optimist, Jack. For what it may be worth, if you want some of your people patrolling the underground, I have a couple dozen silver blades you’re welcome to.”

  Jack stood up. “I’ll accept your kind offer.”

  “Volunteers only, Jack. Don’t go drafting your people.”

  He nodded.

  Vanessa took out her mobile.

  “Antoine? I want the oldest here at my home tomorrow night at seven-thirty. Can you manage that?”

  Pause.

  “Good. I’ll see you then.”

  The following evening at the agreed upon time, Antoine arrived, accompanied by over fifty others. Everyone gathered in the ballroom and Vanessa addressed them.

  “We’ll work in teams in the underground. No lone vampires. It’s simply too risky. Phillip is with me. Antoine?”

  He nodded.

  “You’re with Nikki.”

  “Oh! I get to protect the cutie!”

  Nikki’s lip curled and she fingered the gun on her right thigh.

  Vanessa looked at her. “Are you sure you’re not going to massacre civilians?”

  “I’ve gotten really good and I won’t have them on full auto.”

  Vanessa sighed and nodded.

  “Pair up, everyone and let’s head for the city. We meet back here at midnight. The underground will be cleared by then.”

  An hour later, Vanessa and Phillip were sitting side by side in a train car. It was crowded.

  “Must be rush hour,” Phillip nodded.

  “What’s that?”

  “Everyone getting off work and heading home or elsewhere.”

  “Good God! You mean people do this sort of thing every day? Packed in like fish in a can?”

  “If it’s anything like New York, then, yes. Five, sometimes six days a week.”

  Vanessa shook her head. “What a horrid way to live!”

  “Compared with us?” he grinned. “I would agree. There was a time, in New York, when this was the life I had to look forward to.”

  She grinned at him. “Well then, aren’t you the lucky one?”

  “Beyond my wildest dreams,” he smiled back at her and she squeezed his arm.

  They changed trains several times and, at about nine-thirty, they heard screams from a couple of cars to their rear. Rushing to the door, they made their way into the next car only to be faced by panicked riders heading the other way. The horrified screams continued as they forced their way through the crowd, shoving people this way and that. Phillip was in the lead by a few feet as they entered the car that contained the lycan. He saw it. Damn! he thought. This was a big one! He drew the gladius that he carried and roared at it, his teeth extending from both top and bottom. As Vanessa came up beside him, he shoved her hard with his shoulder, sending her off to the side to hit the wall of the car.

  It was unexpected and, before she could recover, he attacked. The lycan backhanded him, sending him into the side doors of the car. His sword went clattering on the floor as he grunted, the wind knocked out of him for a split second. Then he dove for its throat, sinking his teeth in deeply and pulling backwards. The lycan shrieked and shredded the back of Phillip’s jacket as his attacker tossed the meat in his mouth to the side and sank his teeth into the lycan a second time, ripping down to the creature’s spine. Its legs buckled and Phillip went in for a third bite. It collapsed, dead. He turned to look at Vanessa, his face and chest covered in blood. She stood, arms folded across her chest, giving him a hard look.

  “Just what the hell did you think you were doing? Knocking me out of the way? You could have been killed!”

  “And if I hadn’t done it, you could have been killed. If that was to happen, I’d rather be dead.”

  Vanessa’s look softened and she smiled slightly, shaking her head. “My gallant knight.”

  Phillip looked around and found the mechanism to throw the train into an emergency status. It braked hard, grinding to a halt just outside of the next station.

  Vanessa dialled 999 and crews of police and medical people began arriving some fifteen minutes later. Constables guided people off the train and through the last hundred feet of tunnel after each person was examined for bite marks.

  “I heard it was you,” Jack’s voice came from behind them. “Good work, Vanessa.”

  Vanessa shook her head. “Not me, Jack,” she gestured toward Phillip who was trying to get some of the blood off of his face. “My hero. He ripped out its throat with his teeth.”

  “Good man!” Jack slapped Phillip on the back.

  “What’s the tally,” Phillip asked.

  “Won’t know for a while yet but there are three dead and some others may have been bitten.”

  The underground shut down at eleven and by midnight everyone was back in the ballroom at Smythe House.

  “Antoine. Did we lose anyone?”

  “Alfred, I am sad to say.”

  She sighed. “How many lycans killed?”

  “Fourteen not counting yours.”

  Vanessa’s mobile rang.

  “Jack, know anything yet?”

  Pause.

  “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  “Twenty-three bitten and alive,” she announced to the group.

  “They need to kill those,” Antoine nodded.

  “I agree, but they won’t. I’m not sure what they may have planned for them.”

  She looked at the group “In the meantime, patrol the streets and underground whenever you can. I have weapons coming in either Monday or Tuesday. I’ll let Antoine know when they arrive and he can get in touch with you. If any of you want to remain here, there is food, wine, and stronger beverages and you’re all welcome.”

  While most left, Antoine and a few others hung around. Nikki sidled up to Vanessa.

  “Got me one!”

  “Really? Tell me about it,” she smiled.

  “Not a stray bullet anywhere. I hit him with two in the chest and one right here,” she tapped her forehead with a wide grin.

  “Didn’t let him get too close then?”

  “No way. This one was significantly bigger than the ones we dealt with either in the woods or here at the house.”

  Vanessa looked a bit worried. “The one Phillip killed was overly large as well. I hope we’re not looking at some sort of trend.”

  As Nikki and Vanessa chatted, Phillip was conversing with Antoine about twenty feet away. He felt an arm slip through his.

  “Phillip, it’s good to see you again,”
the heavily accented voice purred next to him. He recognized it immediately. She moved around to face him and he smiled nervously. It was Azar.

  “Is it true what I heard?”

  “What’s that?”

  “You killed one of the big ones with no weapon but your teeth!” her eyes were wide, almost hungry. “You are an incredibly brave man, Phillip. I know of no one who would have attempted that,” she smiled, showing her canines.

  Azar seemed to bring back all of the insecurities and unease that he previously felt when dealing with an extremely alluring woman.

  “What did it feel like, to rip out his throat, Phillip? Was it thrilling? Were you in a rage?”

  He took a deep breath. “Yes, those feelings were there but my main concern was protecting Vanessa.”

  Azar made a scoffing sound. “Vanessa? She does not need protection. She is the most powerful of all of us.”

  “That would be true,” Vanessa’s clipped English accent was the antithesis of Azar’s throaty purr.

  “I was just telling Phillip how brave he was to attack the lycan with only his teeth,” Azar smiled and waved lightly with her hand. “I must go now.”

  “Get home safely, Azar,” Vanessa smiled.

  As she walked away, Phillip turned to Vanessa with a grateful look. “Oh, thank you so much.”

  Vanessa laughed lightly. “She really puts you on edge, doesn’t she?”

  “Very much so.”

  “There’s still a little bit of timidity inside you when it comes to beautiful women, isn’t there?”

  Phillip nodded and reddened slightly. “Yes, I guess there is.”

  “But not around me? Maybe you don’t see me as being as beautiful as Azar?” Vanessa’s eyebrows went up.

  “I don’t think that at all!” he stammered. “You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met or seen!” he looked at her in alarm.

  Vanessa laughed and put her arm through his. “I’m giving you a hard time, Phillip. You know me but Azar is an unknown to you. That makes all the difference.”

  “You’re probably right,” he sighed.

  “I’d be happier if she’d stay to her own patch, though.”

  Phillip frowned. “Could she use compulsion on me?”

  Vanessa shrugged. “She could try, I suppose, but I don’t think she’d be successful. You’re a vampire now and it makes you pretty much immune. Had she tried it before I turned you, she might have snatched you up and you would have had some wonderful experiences until she became bored with you. At that point, you’d have become her latest footstool.”