Exsanguination

  Nikki looked at Vanessa and then spoke in a low soft voice – almost a whisper. “One Queen to rule them all, one Queen to find them, one Queen to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

  Vanessa’s jaw dropped slightly. “Oooo . . . I do rather like that!”

  Nikki held up a hand. “Not mine. It’s paraphrased from Tolkien.”

  “Nonetheless,” Vanessa smiled. “In any event, since we’ll be dressing for dinner, I suggest we start.”

  An hour later, everyone was ready and sipping wine in the drawing room. The intercom at the gate buzzed. Vanessa hooked an arm through Phillip’s and turned to the others. “Please, wait here, we’ll be right back.”

  XXXI

  Moments later the long, black limousine pulled up at the front of the house as Vanessa and Phillip stood on the steps. Two men stepped out and one moved to the rearmost door and opened it. Phillip frowned slightly. It was a girl of about eleven years of age who looked a lot like Wednesday Addams. As they entered the foyer, Vanessa smiled at the girl.

  “Sigrid, we’re honoured you’ve come.”

  “I’m delighted to be here. It’s been far too long, Vanessa,” she said in a little girl’s voice but with the manner of a grown woman. She smiled and bowed slightly. There were overtones of a Germanic accent. “I hope you don’t mind but I’ve brought my snacks with me. I always like to be prepared. This,” she gestured to a swarthy, handsome looking fellow, “is Alessandro and this is Knut,” she nodded toward a six-foot tall Nordic-looking man.

  “We’re very honoured to meet you.”

  Phillip was stunned by the encounter. He had expected a large, portly German. So much for preconceptions, he thought.

  “You always did have a penchant for tall, robust men, Sigrid,” Vanessa grinned.

  “Most times, larger means a bit more blood,” she returned the smile.

  “This is Phillip,” Vanessa indicated him.

  Being unsure as to how to deal with the situation, he readily took her hand, bowed, and kissed it.

  Sigrid smiled widely. “It is my pleasure, Phillip.”

  The three walked to the drawing room with the tall men bringing up the rear.

  “Nikki, Phillip’s sister, thinks we should have titles. She feels the lack of them makes things confusing.”

  “I’m one step ahead. I’ve already done that,” Sigrid chuckled. “You’re dining with the Vampire Empress of Europe this evening.”

  “Well then, Nikki didn’t miss the mark. I’ll join you in that ego inflating exercise,” Vanessa smiled.

  Phillip filled a glass with wine and handed it to Sigrid, wondering at the odd incongruity of the situation.

  “Thank you, Phillip. You’re very kind.”

  Mildred immediately strode up to them. “What are you thinking? Giving wine to a child!” she reached out but Phillip instantly caught his mother’s wrist.

  Sigrid’s expression was one of ‘who the hell is this?’.

  “Phillip, will you please speak with your mother?” the annoyance was evident in Vanessa’s voice.

  He took her aside and began explaining the situation to her. As he did so, the astonishment progressively increased on Mildred’s face and then it turned to distress. After a few moments, they returned and Mildred addressed Sigrid.

  “I’m terribly sorry. I’m very new at this whole vampire thing.”

  Sigrid smiled slightly and waved her hand. “That’s fine. I understand.”

  At least, Phillip thought, she didn’t ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up.

  Moments later, Antoine arrived. He immediately walked up to Sigrid.

  “Oh, Sigrid, my darling, it has been ages! I have missed you so much!” his face reflected grief.

  “Antoine!” she grinned. “Still collecting boys?”

  “Now I have but one and I’m improving his blood. He is becoming more and more of a virgin! It is terribly hard on him but very rewarding for me.”

  She took his arm and patted his hand. “You must tell me all about it.”

  Phillip found it amazing. The timbre of her voice and her appearance said ‘child’ but her words and manner said ‘adult’ and ‘power’. Once again, the whole vampire thing left him almost speechless. It was a completely different world and he was part of it. He looked at Vanessa.

  “She’s so tiny!”

  She laughed softly. “I rarely quote Shakespeare but, as he said: ‘Though she be but little, she is fierce!’

  Vanessa held out her left hand to Sigrid and she gasped. “So it’s true? You are getting married?”

  “To the most wonderful man I’ve ever met,” she responded as Phillip walked up beside her.

  Sigrid looked at her sceptically. “What about . . .?”

  Vanessa wagged her finger back and forth. “No, no, no, you don’t go there. He is the best.”

  She smiled, nodded, and looked about the room. “And where is this Nikki I’ve heard about?”

  “Did I hear my name?” Nikki popped in next to Phillip. Her death dealer outfit gone, she was wearing a slinky, black evening gown for the occasion.

  Sigrid smiled. “I want you to know that, while you had an idea for titles, I did as well. You must convince Vanessa to take one.”

  Nikki nodded. “The Vampire Queen of Britain.”

  “Luscious!” the diminutive woman exclaimed.

  “Do that paraphrase for Sigrid, Nikki.”

  “Well, it’s not mine. I just changed the words slightly. One Queen . . .” she repeated the lines.

  “Oh. That is wonderful. Darkness is where we dwell, isn’t it?” she said in a whisper and a smile and then turned to Vanessa.

  “You must introduce me to everyone, my dear.”

  By the time everyone knew everyone else, Robert announced dinner and they began a procession to the dining room. Vanessa sat at the head of the table with Sigrid on her left and Phillip on her right. He was impressed by the table setting. There was nothing casual about it. The dinnerware gleamed black and the finest crystal had been brought out. The first course was served.

  Sigrid gave Vanessa a worried look. “You are about to inherit a problem, my dear.”

  “We’ve become rather adept at dealing with problems, Sigrid. What’s the latest one?”

  “The ferals. They seem to come out of nowhere. We’ve been exterminating them as quickly as we can but more just appear.”

  “I thought they couldn’t turn others,” Vanessa frowned.

  “They can’t, as far as we can tell. They are being created or generated by someone or something. We’ve narrowed it down to an area in the Balkans but beyond that, we can find nothing.”

  “Could it be Romania?” Phillip asked.

  “It’s very possible but we can’t be sure,” Sigrid nodded. “I just want to give you warning that they’re spreading. We can barely keep up with their numbers.”

  “What’s the killing method?”

  “Decapitation or destroying the brain.”

  Vanessa nodded and looked at Phillip. “Like zombies, eh?”

  “Sounds like it.”

  “Well,” she turned back to Sigrid, “we’ve had our hands full with lycans, humans, and zombies.”

  “I’d heard. You blew up your Parliament?” she chuckled.

  “Nikki did that,” Vanessa nodded in Nikki’s direction and then felt the urge to blow Phillip’s horn for him.

  “Phillip killed a large lycan with only his teeth, recently. He shoved me out of the way when it was attacking.”

  Sigrid smiled and nodded. “Very impressive.”

  “It wasn’t really a big deal,” Phillip countered.

  Sigrid’s smile widened as she looked at Vanessa. “Ah, men. So protective and then so self-deprecating.”

  The second course of the meal was laid out.

  “We’ve begun the implementation of your plan. Within a month, I would guess, the majority of the German Parliament will be made up of vampires. Other countries are wo
rking on similar processes.”

  Vanessa nodded. “Britain’s ruling body will likely go the same way within several weeks. Once that happens I want to get the concessions made by the government codified into law. I’ll have all the information sent to you.”

  “Excellent,” Sigrid smiled.

  “So, if I had to guess, you want fresh eyes looking for the source of your ferals?”

  Sigrid nodded gravely. “I know it’s a lot to ask.”

  Vanessa sighed. “I really don’t know what I can do that you can’t, Sigrid. You’re almost as powerful as I am and, until we get this lycan problem sorted, I’ve got to dedicate my time to that.”

  Sigrid appeared to be slightly disappointed.

  Vanessa sighed in resignation. “I’ll need as much information as you have – anything that might help pinpoint the source of the things,” Vanessa said.

  Sigrid nodded. “We kill between a hundred and two hundred every day and they are being replaced with new ones. That means there’s a steady stream somewhere. I believe the only way we’re going to find out is from the air.”

  “I have a thought, if I may?” Phillip ventured.

  “Hmm?” Vanessa looked at him.

  “Since these things are attacking people, you must have some idea of how many deaths are occurring and in what general area.”

  “It’s possible,” Sigrid frowned.

  “Do you know where most of the killings are taking place?”

  “I’ll make some phone calls,” she responded slowly. “What is your thinking on the matter?”

  “What’s the first thing a baby wants to do after it’s born?”

  “I certainly wouldn’t know,” she gave him a slightly reproachful look.

  Phillip shook his head. “My apologies, Sigrid.”

  “A baby wants to eat,” Mildred said flatly.

  Phillip smiled. “Very good,” he took another sip of wine. “For that reason, I think the source is going to be fairly close to a large city or even inside of it. The food would be plentiful and, if it’s in a fairly primitive country, it might not cause a city-wide panic. Find the greatest concentration of feedings and you’ll likely find the source of the creatures.”

  Sigrid was frowning and slowly nodding. Phillip continued.

  “If the city has a sewer system of any size, the mother or father creature could be down there somewhere. If it’s located in mountainous terrain, there might be a cave system it’s utilizing, Once you determine that it’s a city that’s being hit hard, then it’s just a matter of narrowing down where in the city the greatest casualties are.” he shrugged. “Of course, I’m just speculating.”

  “You’re a smart man, Phillip. I’d never thought of looking at the situation like that.” She glanced at Vanessa. “Lucky woman.”

  Vanessa smiled. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Once you locate him or her, let us know. If we can figure out how to get our firepower over there, we should be able to take the thing out without much difficulty.” He turned his head to Vanessa. “If that’s alright with you, of course.”

  She chuckled and nodded. “I think we could do that.”

  “I heard you killed many policemen. Haven’t they tried to arrest you for that?”

  “Not really, as strange as that seems. The latest information I have is that the government has made some massive payments to the families. The authorities are aware that attempting to arrest any of us is problematic and they probably don’t want to do anything that would provoke another war. That said, there are varying opinions of us throughout the human population. It’s split pretty evenly down the middle, I suppose. It’s either love or it’s hate.”

  “It was a brave thing you did – coming out into the public eye,” Sigrid nodded seriously.

  “Brave?” Vanessa shrugged. “I don’t know how brave it was, but it was definitely necessary.”

  The following evening, Sigrid, Alessandro, and Knut left Smythe House for the airport and the household resumed some sense of normalcy. Two days later they had a visit from Jack.

  “So, what’s being done about the people who are bitten? Euthanasia?” Vanessa regarded him with raised eyebrows.

  “That would just be wrong,” he responded. “We’re holding them in cells until the next full moon to see what may transpire.”

  “Well, we’re gradually whittling down the numbers but it’s slow going,” she frowned.

  Jack nodded. “Maybe we should take a front page ad in the times offering to send them off to the countryside. They can join up with that . . . what was his name? Ulric?”

  “It’s a possibility. I imagine that lycans, in their human form, might consider relocating to the more rural areas, especially since it seems the alternative is extinction.”

  “Meanwhile, several research organizations are working on possible cures for the bitten.”

  “Good luck with that,” Vanessa’s mobile rang and she answered it, holding up a finger.

  “Yes, Sigrid,” Vanessa put the phone on speaker.

  “We’ve determined where they’re coming from. It’s a cave complex just outside of Bucharest.”

  “Good! What’s next?”

  “The authorities have sent in teams but they’ve never returned.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Would you consider . . .?”

  “Only if you have a way of getting some of our munitions over there and back into our hands.”

  “I can do that. I have people in the cargo business. Who will be coming in?”

  “Antoine and myself,” she looked at Phillip who was shaking his head and sighed, “and, of course, Phillip.”

  Nikki waved at her.

  “And Phillip’s sister.”

  “Excellent.”

  “I’ll put together a crate and you’ll need to tell me where to drop it. Send me the coordinates of the cavern entrance. We’ll get the first flight out that we can.”

  “Vanessa, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this.”

  “Oh, what are old friends for, eh? We’ll talk later.”

  “Bucharest?” Jack asked. “You’re going to Bucharest. Who is going to be running the show here?”

  “Next senior person under Antoine. I’ll put you in touch.”

  XXXII

  The following day, Vanessa filled a crate with what she felt were the bare necessities. They packed Nikki’s guns and magazines, her katanas, several M4s for Phillip and Nikki. A long sword that Antoine brought along was also packed. Knowing that they might be going up against large numbers, she added what she called silver pineapples along with Uzis, Mac11s and a pair of AA-12 fully automatic shotguns. There were a few other odds and ends. John was going to drive them to the airport and Antoine would meet them. Joe and Robert would remain behind at the house to stand guard. Mildred was beside herself with worry that something might happen to her children. Both Phillip and Nikki repeatedly reassured her but it didn’t seem to help much. Two hours later they’d boarded the plane. Vanessa insisted on flying first class despite the expense as she was reasonably sure that Sigrid would cover the cost after the fact.

  “Fortunately, Romania is part of the EU and that makes travel a bit easier,” Vanessa said as they sat down on the plane.

  “I hate flying in aeroplanes,” Antoine grumbled.

  “Drink a lot,” Phillip chuckled.

  “I cannot drink enough to make me not hate it. There is not enough on this plane.”

  Both Phillip and Antoine were wearing suits and Vanessa was wearing a conservative black outfit consisting of black leather pants and a blazer. They had what they’d designated as ‘work clothes’ in a bag in the overhead compartment. Nikki, true to form, wore her favourite outfit which garnered her lot of looks.

  “Sigrid sent me some photographs of what the entrance looks like,” she looked at Phillip. “I want you and Nikki to stay outside the entrance while Antoine and I go in. I’m sure we’ll stir things up enough that some of
the ferals will come running out. When they do, take them down.”

  Phillip shook his head. “I’m not letting you go in there without me.”

  “You’re going to do what I tell you to do,” she looked at him crossly. “Antoine and I are centuries past needing protection. You and your sister are less than six months old and are still vulnerable. My worrying about you could get me killed. Can you please try to understand that?”

  “I still don’t like it,” he grumbled.

  The flight took a bit more than three hours and Vanessa helped pass the time with stories of early Egyptian society. Sigrid had given them the address of a warehouse in the centre of the city where their munitions would be delivered but the package wouldn’t arrive until the following day.

  They took the opportunity to see the sights the city had to offer. While walking down a narrow street on the outskirts, the quiet was broken by a woman’s scream and the four set off on a run. They were soon greeted by the sight of a feral leaning over a woman in the middle of the cobblestone road. She was desperately attempting to fend the thing off. Phillip was on it in the blink of an eye and grabbed the back of its neck, pulling it off the woman. He held onto it as he offered his hand to the terrified but uninjured victim. She stood and ran.

  “Can someone bring me a knife?” he yelled while looking around, the feral twisting around like a worm on a hook. His eyes scanned the few shops that lined that part of the street and he saw terrified faces staring back at him.

  Vanessa yelled out, “Un cutit, te rog!”

  A shop door opened slightly and a man’s arm extended through it, offering a butcher knife. She moved quickly to take it. “Mulțumesc!”

  As Phillip maintained his grip, she approached the feral and drove the blade into its chest. It shrieked but, as she pulled it out, she saw the wound heal almost immediately. Vanessa stared at it for a moment. Its features were a hideous parody of a bat’s face but for the mouth which was large, round and lined with razor-like teeth. Its jaws kept slamming together with a clomping sound.

  “Well, let’s increase the damage, shall we?” she asked of no one in particular as she drove the knife in below its breastbone and used her strength to cut downward to its pelvis. Purple and black organs of unrecognizable types along with what might have passed for blood poured out onto the road as the thing howled in agony. It thrashed and shook for a moment and then went limp. Phillip gratefully dropped it and Vanessa nodded.