Occupation

by Jeff L. Dawson

  "Ivan, enough! I choose not to kill you today, but if you do not relent, I shall be forced to reduce the Romanov clan by one."

  Ivan licked his loose enamel vein of life and succumbed to Josie’s warning. There would be another time, another day when this could be finished. Today was not the day.

  Kirilli was remembering that day. He had only been a child, but the memory was etched in his mind like stone. He hoped this would not be a repeat of those days. Nikoli had always said it was just lore, and no self-respecting Romanov would ever have so easily backed down and given into the whims of a Boirarsky.

  But this was different. This meeting wasn't about how the clans would share the spoils of the town’s people. This was about their very survival and the survival of the villagers. The Germans were methodically reducing the food supply at an alarming rate. If it continued, there would be nothing to harvest. The clans would be forced to move, but where? Uprooting and moving on because a group of humans known as Nazi's who currently occupied Poland was not an option. They would need to unite and attack this common enemy.

  Kirilli had sent Dmitri to Tarnow to deliver the message that both sides must sit down and meet. Nikoli reluctantly agreed to the meeting. He was more curious to see what Kirilli had in mind and what he might be able to use to his advantage. He and Svetlana had been grooming the Germans (or so they thought) for some type of peaceful co-existence. It would take some time before they realized that the Germans would use them as long as they served a purpose. Once their usefulness had expired, the clan would be next. This was unacceptable. He looked at the note, paused for a moment thinking of the consequences of not accepting the invitation, laid the paper on the oak table, and moved his eyes up to Dmitri's. “Tell Kirilli we shall be there.” Dmitri obediently acknowledged Nikoli's reply and exited the room.

  Two days later the Romanov clan arrived at the home of Sasha and Kirilli, Bezpieczenstwo. This wasn't a home; it was a castle that had been restored to its full beauty and luster. The freshly painted ornamental black fence that spanned between each granite column, the palace yard of well-kept and cleaned cobblestones, the shrubbery and landscaping which gave no hint of the slightest weed attempting to take root. It was all too much for Nikoli. We are vampires, not landscape architects or gardeners. We are vampires. Yet, he couldn't help but admire how the outside would never suggest what this castle harbored behind the beautiful red roses or the properly trimmed vines that covered the massive stone fascia of the structure.

  He led his clan into the cavernous home where the Boirarskys resided. He resented everything about this clan and what they stood for, their opulence, the decadence, the appearance of being normal to outsiders. What was there about being normal? They were vampires. They were not kings or statesmen. They would never hold seats in parliament or be financiers. They were vampires and should act like it.

  Kirilli was seated behind a thick sturdy oak table. The table had been built from wood cut and hon from the Belovezh forest. The high back chair he sat in was from the same forest. One could still smell the axeman hand on the furniture. The fragrance was rich and deep, as if the wood was still growing after being felled so many years ago. Kirilli stood and asked each to take a seat. He had thought about intertwining the clans for this meeting, but then thought better of it. Let us see how the meeting goes before we start co-mingling with each other.

  Nikoli motioned for his followers to take a seat. Of course, Svetlana would be sitting to his right as Sasha was seated to Kirilli's right. One by one they sat, Nicole, Natashia, Dina, Stephan, Yakov and Taras. Across from them respectively were Darya, Eva, Zoya, Dmitri, Roman and Sergei. Once Svetlana took her place, only then did Nikoli sit. The seating arrangement resembled a chess board more than a diplomatic meeting - Queen to King, Knight to Knight, Rook to Rook and Bishop to Bishop. The table was set.

  Nikoli couldn't help but notice the thirty foot wall behind Kirilli, framing his body with game heads from either the previous owners or from the Boirarsky clan itself. If the seating was deliberately arranged to be intimidating, it failed. Instead of game or small animals, his would have been filled with the human sacrifices he had hunted and taken down through the ages. We are vampires not game hunters. We hunt humans for sport and survival.

  “Kirilli," the words came slowly out of Nikoli's tightly squeezed lips. “I want to congratulate you on the fine hunts."

  Kirilli was engrossed in his own thoughts and didn't register the meaning of the comment. "Nikoli?"

  Nikoli's eyes wandered over the various mounts above Kirilli's head. Kirilli took a quick look back not noticing or bothering with the details of the mounts. "Those? They provide the perfect background for the villagers who occasionally stop by for a visit. They, for some reason, are very impressed with the collection of the local game and the skill required to obtain such wonderful prizes."

  Nikoli was unimpressed with the reason. He wanted to get down to business.

  "Why have you called us here?”

  Agitated with Nikoli's direct question, Kirilli took a deep breath and began. “I will dispense with the pleasantries. We have a very dark and ominous past. None of us wants to relive what transpired over the ages. Six months ago, Sasha and I were at the rail station..."

  Nikoli felt his patience was being tested. "Yes, yes, Svetlana and I were also there. What is the importance of this? There are always trains at the depot. It is harvest time." The abruptness of Nikoli's statement was offensive.

  "Did you see what was being loaded onto the trains? It wasn't wheat. It was human cargo. Did you catch the acrid smell in the air, Nikoli? Did you have any idea what has been taking place since the Germans have occupied our country? Are you blind to your own eyes?"

  Nikoli took Kirilli's statements as a challenge.

  "Kirilli, you are wasting our time. I knew this trip would be a waste of good hunting time." Nikoli started to stand up.

  "You idiot!" yelled Kirilli as he rose from his chair. "Sit down and hold your tongue until I have finished!" All of the members sat in silence as the two men prepared to square off against each other. Sasha realized her husband needed to convey a message of urgency to all in the room. What it was, she didn't know. But if someone didn't intervene immediately a battle would surely ensue between the two leaders. Nikoli was baiting Kirilli and it was working.

  "Dear husband, Nikoli needs to digest the events for a moment. Please, let him process them before proceeding." Sasha's comments were well timed. Kirilli had lost his composure for a moment. He looked at Nikoli and noticed a smile in his dark green eyes. A small smile quivered at the corner of his mouth. Nikoli was indeed goading him. He sat back down in the massive oak chair and regrouped.

  "Nikoli, the Germans are shipping our food supply west." The words came out slowly and succinctly. There was no emotion in them, just the cold hard facts. As the first words died down and stopped echoing in the hall, he continued. "They are going to unwittingly starve us if we don't do something."

  Nikoli listened to the words with pale interest. He too, had noticed that prey had been harder to find. He had thought maybe it was because of a bumper crop of wheat or that the local sawmills were working overtime. He dismissed the thoughts under the premise that the people would return, and the supply would be ample for all. But over the last six months, he too had noticed the decline in the population and no one was returning from the fields or the mills. The only inhabitants appeared to be the German SS.

  Kirilli waited for Nikoli to process the information. He looked at Stephan. “Stephan, I know you are in charge of the clan hunts. What have Yakov and Taras told you of the surrounding area’s population?"

  Stephan did not like being challenged but since he was always vying to rule the clan, this could be an opportunity to flex his muscle. "Kirilli, we have noticed a drop in the harvest. All of the young and very old are no longer around. Those of able body have also begun to disappear. I have the impression that now the only ones left are middle aged women
and men to perform the minor tasks delegated by the Germans."

  Nikoli was irritated with Stephan's answer. He was rivaling him once again for the leadership role. But to do it in front of Kirilli and his clan was flirting with death! He thought he had driven home the idea that he, Nikoli, was the master and Stephan would do as he was told. The last time Stephan got out of line challenging him for leadership, Nikoli responded with a quick, well placed blow to his right cheek, partially breaking one of the feeding teeth. The damage was enough that Stephan had not been able to properly feed for a month. He had felt pain and suffering he had never known before. The injury had healed. Yet, when Stephan opened his mouth, one could still notice that one of the incisors was chipped.

  Nikoli spoke without looking, "Stephan, that is enough, silence!"

  Stephan knew he had overstepped the boundaries, but some risks were worth it. For now, he would abide and take his place. There would be other opportunities. "Yes, Nikoli."

  Nikoli had heard the words Kirilli spoke. They made sense, but what action should be taken? "Kirilli, I shall assume your presumptions are correct. What do you offer for us to turn the tide?"

  This would be the hard part. How would he delicately propose his plan and gain the confidences of Nikoli? He would have no reason to accept this proposal. The Romanov were always more interested in what they would gain in any situation. But what Kirilli was going to lay out was something unimaginable - a melding of the clans. Over the years, he had heard his father and mother discuss such an action with the Romanov, but it always ended the same, a stalemate. The thought of bonding with Ivan and his clan was too repulsive to imagine. But times had changed, and never had each clan been faced with a common enemy which threatened their very existence. He would have to stress that the Germans were drying up the food supply and without a united front, not one, but both clans could easily be starved to death.

  Kirilli cleared his throat. He contemplated using diplomacy but realized Nikoli would not be impressed with eloquent speaking techniques. So he coldly responded, "Nikoli, we must band our clans together and fight the Germans. Together we stand a chance. Alone, we shall surely perish." The words bounced around the great hall. Sasha stared at her husband in utter disbelief and awe. The others were in silent shock. Svetlana displayed a look of bewilderment and shock. The rest of the Romanov were stoic. If the words had taken Nikoli by shock, he didn't show it. He was like a rock letting the ringing of the words die away.

  Svetlana spoke first. “Are you mad? What would possess you....." her voice started getting louder and shrill, “to even contemplate such a ridiculous union." Her voice got even louder and she half rose from her seat in indignation. “Have you any idea what you are proposing? Have you not been feeding enough or has your mind lost all of its ability to ......"

  Nikoli cut her off before she could finish her verbal thrashing of Kirilli.

  “My dear, dear Kirilli. What an interesting proposition. I don't share your opinion that our very existence hangs in the balance, but I am intrigued. If I agreed to the idea, what is it in for us?"

  Kirilli was glad he hadn't used diplomacy. The discussion would have endlessly droned on with each side vying for the best position. He had chosen correctly in stating only the basic ideals to Nikoli. He wasn't a buffoon, but his upbringing had never exposed him to a more sophisticated form of resolving issues.

  "Survival of the clans," replied Kirilli. "If we band together and fight the common enemy, we can ensure ourselves a fighting chance, and with luck, preserve our way of life."

  Nikoli contemplated the current words. Svetlana jumped in again without thinking. She was a beauty in her day as a human, but even then, she hadn't been known for holding any thoughts of substance.

  "You are mad, simply mad. Do you really think we would agree to such a foolish alliance? You offer us nothing other than survival." Her voice broke as she started laughing at the thought of the alliance. “Nikoli, we have wasted...."

  "Silence, my dear," Nikoli uttered in a very stern tone; the same one he used with Stephan earlier. She obediently stopped talking. The wrath of Nikoli was not worth her ill-advised or poorly thought out words.

  "Kirilli," Nikoli said as he pondered the dilemma. He let silence hang in the air before he continued.

  "How do you propose we unite to fight the Germans?"

  Kirilli was pleased Nikoli was taking his statements seriously. Now would be the time to outline how to fight the Germans, but the time was not right to explain how the clans would permanently unite. He would save his final thoughts on how the union would be ratified, for last. He feared Sasha and Svetlana would do more than just object; they would vehemently be opposed to such a notion.

  "Nikoli, I have put a lot of time and effort into the idea. I shall outline the thoughts I have compiled and then would like your appraisal of the situation. This is not a foolproof plan; however, I feel it will give us a fighting chance."

  "Enough talk Kirilli, lay out the plans so we may consider any alternatives."

  Kirilli started explaining his strategy. He had visited Krakow many times during the evening hours making notes and studying the habits of the new conquerors. At night, there were only a handful of guards watching the vehicles and supplies. The guards usually numbered around twenty or so, depending on how much traffic was moving in town or if some high ranking officer from Berlin was making a visit. He heard them talking about how they despised guard duty, and they would be better employed as front line troops where the executions and deportations were moving at a brisk pace. They couldn’t make career advancements here – well behind the fighting troops. All they were doing was attending to “mopping up operations.” Mop up assignment was basically a vote of no confidence, where the troops went into the conquered lands like this and cleansed it of all races the Reich had deemed sub-human or ethnically corrupt.

  Unless a VIP Officer was here for an inspection, the guards had a lackadaisical attitude towards their duties. Kirilli proposed that once a week they would take two guards and turn them into vampires. Actually, they would not be completely turned, but rather incorporated into the group as mindless servants to attend to their new masters. Once a month they would go to other surrounding towns, ambushing lone couriers or small outposts held by the vile Germans. Some would be completely drained while others would be brought into the fold for future use against their own. They would have to rotate the areas they attacked to avoid detection. Too many soldiers missing in one locale could raise unwanted suspicions, which could cause the Germans to start investigating matters. One thing Kirilli had noticed in his observations, was that when the Germans needed to investigate a problem, they did it with ice-cold efficiency. Even with the clans united, they would be only sixteen against hundreds, perhaps thousands. The numbers were not in their favor.

  Nikoli took a moment to consider the outline but realized this was only a small pin-prick of the whole plan.

  "Kirilli, even if I agree with this preposterous proposal, what good are we accomplishing? Will not the Germans keep replenishing the troops? What is to be gained other than a short term food supply?"

  Kirilli had anticipated this response. "Nikoli, that is only the beginning. First we need to swell our ranks with the filthy vermin from Berlin. We also need to restock our food source. Once the first two tasks have been achieved to an acceptable level, we shall begin feasting on the officers who strut around like roosters in a hen house. We shall infiltrate their ranks and take as many as possible without raising an alarm. We shall slowly take Krakow back. We want the Germans to think twice about controlling the area. If all goes well, we shall take the fight to Berlin. According to the papers I have read in town, a Herr Himmler, who purports to be the Reichsfuehrer, has claimed to be an authoritarian of the occult. I propose we introduce him to the real world of occultism; he will tremble as he meets it face to face!”

  Nikoli raised both eyebrows as Kirilli's words died out in the hall. Take the fight to the heart of t
he pestilence, an interesting idea indeed. All this time he thought Kirilli had long forgotten the art of deception and battle. The plan needed modifications, but the outline presented would provide an ample food supply. The training he had perfected through the years would now be used against a true adversary.

  "Kirilli, I underestimated your resolve. You still know how to fight. The plan needs some more thought and discussion, but the premise is sound. I would like to go over your notes in more detail in private. If need be, I shall send Yakov and Taras to Krakow to obtain more information. They are very good at being discrete and carrying out any missions with great efficiency, of course, with your permission."

  “What are you saying?” shrieked Svetlana. “You can't be serious? The Romanov uniting with the Boirarskys is absolute madness! I shall never let this......" With a swift left back-hand, Nikoli silenced his wife’s outburst. The room was dead silent. Kirilli hoped he hadn't lost the clan. They needed the Romanov in order to survive. Nikoli must remain staunch and in control. Nikoli quickly turned to his left and stared at Stephan.

  “Is there a problem, Stephan? Do you disagree with my actions? Is there something you would like to add to the discussion?"

  Stephan took a long hard look at Svetlana. Black, thick blood was pooling out of her mouth. Her senses were only slowly beginning to return. He had felt Nikoli's wrath of late; he was in no position to tempt fate again.

  “No Nikoli, there is nothing to add. She shouldn't have spoken out of turn." Nikoli flashed his infamous grin showing all of his perfectly polished teeth.

  "Very good Stephan, very good." He looked down at his wife and slowly helped her back in the chair. "My dear wife, when will you learn your place?"

  The only word she could utter was, "Bastard."

  Nikoli let out a loud unnerving laugh that even disturbed Kirilli. The plan was almost complete. But there was still one missing piece. He had hoped Nikoli would have noticed it and asked the question, but Svetlana's impudence had derailed Nikoli's thought process. The question still remained, how to join the clans with an ironclad contract.