Bill got up and walked over to Rainer’s body. He looked out across the city, there were hours left of the night. The gunfire in the distance had stopped, though he had no idea why.
“That fighting on the street, what was it?”
“My friends from the Brotherhood, saw the Bishop for what he was and came to help.”
“They loyal?”
“Absolutely!”
“The shooting has stopped, think they won?”
Bill looked at Harriet with a grin.
“Absolutely!”
Marshall grabbed Rainer’s body with his good arm and hauled him onto his shoulder in a fireman’s lift. He looked down at Harriet who was still lying on the rooftop.
“You ok?”
“Yeah, I heal quicker than you remember?”
Bill smiled at her, she was starting to accept that she was a Vampire, as much as she was. She was nothing like a Vampire, she didn’t act like one or think like one. He wondered if she had become something different, something uniquely good in the world.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” said Bill.
“Hell, yeah!”
The two walked on back to the lift, Rainer slung over Bill’s shoulder. They walked through the carnage that Bill had left in his wake, countless bodies and bloodshed. The upper floors of the luxurious tower building were in ruins from the carnage. They reached the lift, the same one Bill had used on the way up, he could recognise it from the smashed mirror.
“What are we expecting to find when we reach the bottom?” asked Harriet.
“Honestly, I don’t know. We have done the morally correct thing, we have helped the city in the long run, but they may not thank us for it yet.”
“So we’re still fugitives?”
“Yes.”
“I can live with that.”
The lift pinged as it reached the lower floor, the doors open revealing guns pointed at them. It was Tommy and Mason.
“Bill, you okay?”
“Yes, this is Harriet.”
“Jesus, that Rainer you got there?” asked Tommy.
“One and the same, how’d the fight go?”
“The Kingston soldiers turned tail once they ran out of ammo, didn’t come as well prepared as us. The police are on the street and they are asking questions. We have a truck parked outside waiting for you, I suggest you get out of the city, we’ll clean this up.”
“Thank you, all of you, I am glad to see my faith was worth something.”
“Anytime, Bill,” said Mason.
“What will you do with Rainer?” asked Tommy.
“I have something in mind, got any zip ties?”
Tommy pulled out several from his vest and handed them to Bill, they were standard equipment for detaining hostiles. Marshall shambled on down the corridor with Rainer still over his shoulder. They reached the blown out wall and door that he had blasted through on the way in. John stood guard at the exit by a Ford F150.
“Bill, glad you made it!”
Marshall nodded in return. He opened the tailgate of the bed of the truck and threw down Rainer onto the bare metal. Within seconds, he had bound the incapacitated body of Karl Rainer so he couldn’t move when he regained consciousness.
“Bill, you get the hell out of here, you leave this to us, we’ll handle it,” said Tommy.
Bill slammed the tailgate shut as John passed him the keys. He looked to his three friends who were eagerly awaiting his orders. It was in this moment that he truly understood that they were loyal to him to the very end. It was a touching moment for him, almost bringing him to tears.
“Thank you, all of you. I thought we were alone in this.”
“We signed up to fight evil, Bill, no matter what name or face it wears,” said Tommy.
Marshall climbed into the driver’s seat, Harriet in through the passenger side. He fired up the engine as Tommy looked in from the side window. He nodded to his best friend as he slipped the transmission into gear and drove the vehicle onwards.
* * *
Marshall’s truck rolled up outside Wilson’s home. The lights went on in the house as he turned off the engine. The old man stepped out to see who had rolled up to his home. He recognised Bill the second he stepped out from the truck.
“Bill! How you doing?” he shouted.
“I’m getting along, listen, I am sorry to call so late, but I need a favour, sorry to have to ask.”
“No, its fine, what is it?”
“Harriet stepped out from the truck.”
“This is Harriet, a... friend of mine. She needs shelter, just until tomorrow evening.”
“Of course, she is most welcome.”
“Wilson, there is something you should know, she sleeps during the day, you get my meaning?” whispered Bill.
The old man was shocked, it was the last thing he expected to hear from Bill, who hated Vampires so fervently.
“Please, trust me, she’s a good person, saved many lives, she maybe a Vampire in body, but she is human at heart,” Bill said quietly.
“Okay, come on in, girl.”
Harriet turned to face Bill, she was sad, despite the success they had achieved.
“Will you come back for me?” she asked.
“Of course, I just have one last thing to do. I’ll be back after sunrise.”
Harriet nodded, she turned and walked up towards Wilson. He helped her in and shut the door behind her.
“Thank you for everything. Truly, I couldn’t have done it without you,” said Bill.
“Then stay with us, this is over.”
“Not quite, there is one last thing I must do, I’ll be back at first light, you hear?”
“Sure, I look forward to it.”
Marshall climbed back into the truck and hit the ignition. The shiny Ford rolled out down the farm track, the metallic and modern SUV being in stark contrast to everything around it. Marshall drove on back down the road. The sparse country tracks were lonely, but they were a pleasing sight to Bill. He drove on down a highway that was familiar to him, until he reached a point that was still familiar with him.
The truck left the road, heading down a dusty patch that was not a track at all. He pulled up at a place painfully known to him. It was the crucifix he was left to die on, still standing tall in the scrub. The headlights of the truck cast long shadows on the imposing sight. Bill cut the engine and got out, looking at the cross before him, stains of his own blood still in evidence.
Marshall walked back around to the bed of the truck. He released the catches and dropped the tailgate, pulling Rainer’s body to the opening. The Vampire Lord’s eyes were open, he was completely lucid, the effects of the silver bullet having long worn off. He breathed heavily, a look of dread in his eyes.
Bill pulled out his mateba, swinging out the cylinder he emptied the spent casings. His left arm was still in pain, barely able to do anything at all. He slung the revolver under his left armpit and pulled a speed loader from his belt, placing it between his teeth. Rainer watched on in disgust, he knew his time was up, but his hatred ran deep.
Marshall lifted up the revolver to his mouth and slipped the loader into the cylinder. Taking the grip, he placed the gun pack between his armpit and with his good arm, twisted off the loader and dropped it to the ground. He took the gun back in hand and flicked it in his hand, locking the cylinder back in place.
Looking down at the Vampire Lord, Bill felt an uncomfortable satisfaction with himself, he had done everything he had set out to do, but none of that would bring his family back. He lifted the gun and placed it against Rainer’s head, and quickly pulled the trigger.
* * *
It was hours before Karl Rainer awoke once again. He looked around, trying to make sense of the location. He saw his hands bound with rope and looking down he could see he was suspended off the ground, his feet were also bound. It suddenly dawned on Rainer that he was strung up on a cross, the same cross he had left Marshall to die on. He looked up to see Marshall was in front of
him sitting on the bonnet of his truck.
“What the hell are you doing, Bill? You have just declared war on the Vampire Lords of the world!”
Bill did not respond, he sat back against the windscreen, revelling in the situation. The first rays of light were appearing on the horizon, the fear in Rainer’s voice was clear.
“Marshall! I’ll give you all that I have!”
He looked at the Vampire with disgust.
“You are about to give me all that matters,” said Marshall.
“Ahhh!” shouted Rainer.
The Vampire Lord screamed out, not for any reason other than he had no other response to the realisation that he was just minutes until his demise. Bill remained sitting on the bonnet, enjoying the sight of the sun rising. In a world of where creatures of the night stalked the living, both physically and in their dreams, the sun was always a welcoming sight. The rays were rapidly advancing and steam was already perspiring from Rainer.
“Bill! This will be the last thing you ever do!”
“I hope you enjoy Hell, Rainer, because it will be the last place you ever see!”
The rays of sunlight began to hit the crucified body of Rainer. Smoke rose from him as he writhed in pain. He screamed out as the beams of light struck him, his body burning at the sight of it. Marshall watched his enemy die. He did not smile, he did not enjoy it, but it was a moment of perfection where he felt the satisfaction of doing God’s work. His family could finally rest in peace, now knowing that the beasts who murdered them would be in Hell.
Rainer burst into flames before him, but it was no surprise to Bill. He had always known the effects of sunlight on the creatures, though never seen it firsthand. He stood watching his victim burn, screaming in agony. Marshall had long been in the service of God, working to keep humanity from the evil in the world. He no longer had a master, but it didn’t matter. Kingston was corrupted.
He now stood alone, ready to fight for what was right!
Judge of the Damned (Vampire Storm, Book 1) Page 19