Occupation

by Jeff L. Dawson

  The hours passed quickly. Kirilli was still not sure what do with the body. He could hear the sounds of singing and laughter from the tavern next door through the planked wooden walls. The Germans were apparently enjoying themselves this cold evening. Svetlana awoke from her sleep.

  "Kirilli, it is time. I shall see if the captain is waiting."

  He looked back at her and asked, "How do you know he will show?"

  "My dear Kirilli, have no fear. The captain has been promised a treat no man can resist. Trust me, he will appear."

  Kirilli knew of her exploits and actions as a high priced Madam. He had listened to the stories that had circulated for centuries of her persuasive charms and encounters. Apparently she had not forgotten all she practiced so long ago.

  "All right, go and see if he is there. I shall prepare for what has to be done."

  With that, she stepped out of the storage room into the cold dark evening looking for her prey. She stood outside for five minutes, watched a few soldiers enter the Hofbrau and heard the words she strained for.

  "Heil Hitler, Herr Captain." The response was cold and unemotional.

  "Heil Hitler." It was the voice of Captain Brown. He stepped out into the cold night air and lit a cigarette. He looked neither left nor right. His head forward and erect.

  She stayed in the shadows and quietly called out, "Herr Captain, woe gets?"

  Without turning his head he responded coldly, "Fraulein, how good of you to come. I hope you are prepared to pay the price of the evening (his right hand resting on the latch to the black pistol holster). He slowly moved his thumb over the leather undoing the latch. He then moved his hand inside the overcoat looking for something. She could just make out the small bulge near the left breast-pocket. Her charms had worked. He had the correct weapon.

  "Fraulein, if there are any tricks, you will regret the day you were born." She moved a few meters closer.

  "Herr Captain, I promise, no tricks - just like before, but we can do more after your mission is completed."

  Captain Brown turned and looked into her eyes as her words trailed off. His look changed instantly. Her eyes transfixed his, He was falling into her spell again.

  "Herr Captain, you must do exactly as I say. The man's name is Kirilli, he is a vampire. He plans on killing you this evening. You must not hesitate. You must act swiftly and with great accuracy. You will only get one chance and then my dear, you will taste the pleasures you so desire.”

  His words betrayed his impeccable military training, "Jawohl Fraulein, I shall not fail." Knowing he was in the trance, she leaned up and brushed her lips against his and guided his right hand onto her left breast. The touch ignited all the human sensations so long forgotten and neglected. That would all soon change.

  “Follow me, Herr Captain." She escorted him into the room. Kirilli was not to be seen. Good, everything is going as planned.

  As instructed, the captain took her arm and pulled her into the partially lit room.

  "Whore. Remove your coat immediately." Svetlana quickly unbuttoned the old, worn coat, letting it fall to the floor.

  “Now Fraulein, you will get a taste of a true master. It is time for the Third Reich to start spreading its seed and repopulating this area with pure Aryan blood. Remove your dress immediately."

  Svetlana hesitated. She knew Kirilli was watching somewhere. She could feel and hear his heartbeat. She detected it was accelerating; he was starting to change.

  "Herr Captain, we have plenty of time for that, there is no need to....."

  Captain Brown raised his left hand high and struck her face hard. The sight of a man striking a woman, whether human or vampire was unacceptable for a man of Kirilli's background. His blood moved faster through his veins forcing the change. His teeth started shifting with a small crackling sound, making room for the expanding incisors. His jawbones were shifting and splitting as his cheekbones raised and his brow lowered. Blood started seeping from each fingernail as they took on the shape and form of precisely five centimeter long knives. His anger was rising, but he wasn't ready. Not yet. Patience, Wait, wait for her signal.

  "Herr Captain, it is almost time," she spoke in a muttered tone as blood trickled out of her mouth.

  "Woman, do not deny the demands of the Reich. I command you to strip for me or I will be forced to do it myself, and I will not be gentle." His left arm was rising again. She was actually wincing from the blow to come but the pain would be worth it. Kirilli would soon be dead.

  The change was complete. Kirilli started moving towards his victim, the man who was inflicting so much pain and robbing them of their food source. He did not notice the small table to his left as he approached Captain Brown. He bumped it, knocking over some metal plates. The noise stopped the captain’s arm in mid-stroke. He turned to identify the disturbance. He barely made out a large shadow moving towards him in the shadows. Kirilli's red eyes broke through the darkness. They resembled those of a wolf. The captain's mind wasn't thinking fast enough. He was caught in Svetlana's trance and charms. The image was getting larger. Instinctively he reached for his gun.

  Svetlana cried out, "No you f......"

  It was too late. Kirilli lunged out of the darkness flashing his steely white fangs. Saliva dripped from them as a lubricant that helped to pierce the skin cleanly and smoothly. The captain remembered too late why he had brought the wooden dagger with him. In his state of shock, he fumbled for the weapon but too late. Kirilli's teeth plunged deep into the jugular vein and immediately started sucking the life blood of the Aryan race deep into his body. It was over in minutes. The captain lay lifeless and bloodless on the floor. The taste of fresh blood invigorated Kirilli. It had been a long time since he had not had to share a kill.

  He turned towards Svetlana. His words were harsh and guttural as he addressed her, “I know what to do with the body. I shall dispose of it approximately fifty meters into the woods, tear it to shreds giving the impression he had wandered too far from safety and stumbled upon a pack of hungry wolves. Get yourself together, we must cover our tracks.”

  Kirilli picked up the body without changing first. He would need the extra strength to carry the heavy German out into the forest. He lifted the departed captain and threw the body on his shoulder like a rag doll. Svetlana knew he was strong, as were most who made the change, but the way he handled the man who had to have weighed more than 100 kilos was effortless. Kirilli departed rapidly from the building. She picked up her coat and wrapped it around her body. The slap and the touch of the German's hands and lips resonated through her. Emotions long ago suppressed were resurfacing. She would need to taste more but not tonight. She had failed. Master Race indeed.

  Kirilli re-entered the room. "Svetlana, lower the light from the lamps while I harness the horse. We must leave immediately."

  She could hear the cracking of bones across the empty hall as his human form returned. She also detected the sound of a normal heart beat. He took one more look around the room to make sure there was no sign of the disturbance. Satisfied the area was clean, he extinguished the lanterns. The smell of burnt kerosene wafted and hung in the air.

  They boarded the carriage and headed for the safe confines of Bezpieczenstwo. Not a word was spoken between them on the return journey. But a question was moving in Svetlana's mind. Why does Kirilli keep patting his left breast pocket?

  Chapter 10

  Melding the Clans

  January 1941

  It was agreed. Dmitri and Nicole would consummate the unification of the clans. The arguments had been long and heated. Svetlana could not bear the thought of a Boirarsky desecrating the very flower of her clan. She should be saved for one of their own. Dmitri had no right to deflower the heir apparent to the crown. The only thing a Boirarsky is good for is feeding, not breeding. They were the scourge of the earth. If only Captain Brown would have been quicker with his stake. As it was, he withered under the sight of those steely fangs flashing in his face. She had tried to warn
him that the change would be unimaginable. Don't hesitate; strike Kirilli as he comes towards you. He did not heed her words and now was rotting in the forest. Fool!

  Despite Svetlana’s strong objections, Nikoli could see no other way to fight the Germans. If the Germans succeeded with their relocation plans, the entire food supply of Southern Poland would disappear. They would have to move, but to where? The Germans were unstoppable. France and the Lowlands had fallen. The Germans were massing on the Russian frontier. All of the Balkans were under their rule. There was no place to go. They had to band together and fight the dreaded SS units on their own terms. If this meant sacrificing young Nicole to unite both groups against a common foe, then it was a small price to pay. Both clans had to feed. No food, no life. Together they could take on the likes of SS Major Maximilian Ernst, General Reinhardt Heidrick, Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler or even the one who brought all the pain to this countryside, Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Der Fuehrer. With skill and luck they would be able to purge them from their homeland.

  The time for the mating had arrived. It had been four long weeks since the initial castle visit, and the details of the new coalition had been hammered out. Kirilli knew he couldn't fully trust Nikoli, and Nikoli knew that somehow he would find a way to dissolve this treacherous treaty, but for now, a deal is a deal and the Germans (not the Boirarskys) were the immediate threat.

  They had also agreed that in order for the mating ritual to be accepted, it would be necessary for all parties to watch the joining. It would have been easy for Nicole or Dmitri to admit to having mated without actually going through with the process. It would also be just as easy for each member to deny such a joining had ever occurred, so that later, the treaty could be broken at any time.

  It was Nikoli who had made the suggestion to Kirilli about an attending audience. His real reason for making such a decision was to teach Svetlana that he was the leader of the Romanov, and his will would be done no matter what the cost.

  Nikoli had also insisted that Nicole must be cycling during the union. A child shared by the clans could possibly provide a long lasting truce instead of a short term treaty. If there were no child, then once the Germans had been expelled, the merger could easily be shelved and all parties revert back to the feud. In that case, no progress would have been made, no clan would have won.

  The thought of a shared child struck Kirilli off balance. Nikoli was showing a side of intrigue he had never guessed resided in a Romanov, yet he recognized the wisdom of a child. The short and long term consequences of a shared child between the Romanov and Boirarskys could secure a lasting peace, much easier than just verbal exchanges or a written agreement.

  Kirilli, Sasha, and Dmitri had taken great pains to prepare a room for the moment. It was the bedroom Gregori had shared with his beautiful wife Ravina. After their untimely deaths during a local hunt, the room had been locked tight. No one was allowed to venture in. For them, it was sacred ground never to be disturbed. Sasha had meekly objected to Kirilli’s' suggestion, but she realized it was the only room in the house large enough to accommodate all the attendees.

  They cleaned away a hundred years of dirt and cobwebs. The majestic canopy bed was stripped down and re-varnished. The legs holding the bed were a massive eight centimeters, straight and solid. The foot of the bed stood two-and-a-half meters long and a meter high. The headboard was ornately decorated with hand carved scenes of the surrounding landscape. It stood two meters high with a red velvet covering, six centimeters thick with goose down. The supports for the top were each three meters tall and the canopy itself was of the finest silk cloth spun from the Far East. The mattresses were taken out and disposed of. Kirilli had purchased new ones, specially made for the occasion. The entire clan pitched in with the cleaning. All of the old candelabras were finely shined to a high gloss. Fresh candles were placed in each holder. The floor was swept clean; the drapes (a dark, deep purple brocade from the Far East) were taken out and beaten until nothing fell to the ground. The windows were immaculately shined. Lastly, the chandelier, an impressive four meters in radius, was lowered and polished. It alone held over one hundred candles. Kirilli wanted the room to resemble daylight. Everyone must be able to watch with no shadows constricting the view as the clans united.

  After a week of labor and toil the job was done. Kirilli took a final look around. Pleased with the efforts, he pulled the heavy wooden door closed, turned the only key and locked it. The next time he unlocked the door, the Romanov would be in attendance and the future of the clans would be determined, enemies or allies.

  It was a cold misty morning as Nikoli harnessed the horse, loaded his group, and headed to Krakow.

  "What a fitting day, my dear wife. Even the sky is mourning for us. This is a small price we pay today for our existence."

  Svetlana was indifferent to his comments. She was still internally furious at the fumbling of Herr SS Captain Brown. Master Race! Fools. All of them are fools! And because he could not perform a simple task, my daughter will suffer the touch of a Boirarsky.

  "Yes dear husband, but more than the sky mourns."

  Nikoli was unimpressed with the response and replied, "My dear Svetlana. I know how your mind works, and if you have any ideas or plans of treachery, I insist you forget about them. I do this for our future, not for Kirilli or the Boirarsky clan. I do it to regain our status. I do it to fight for my clan and I do this for fresh blood. Anyone who interferes with my plan will fall like chaff from wheat. Understood, dear wife?"

  Svetlana nodded her head in agreement. Yakov and Stephan overheard the words spoken and said nothing. The last time they had disappointed Nikoli, they had almost died. They would assist Svetlana when the time was right, and now was not the time. The thought of what they would have to witness would be insufferable, but for now it was for the good of the clan. The thought of fresh blood in their veins outweighed any attempt at a power struggle. All in good time Nikoli, all in good time.

  Nikoli guided the wagon onto the muddy road. All were quiet and reserved as they contemplated their own thoughts of the pending melding. The one who had the most to lose, Nicole, showed no signs of apprehension or worry. Svetlana was hoping for Nicole to be aggravated and repulsed at her destiny.

  The trip required eight hours. Svetlana wished to have been traveling in the carriage of Kirilli. It was plush and comfortable, but Nikoli would have none of that. Everything about him was hard. His face took on the look of a poorly cut stone, too hard at the brow, deep chisel cuts in the cheeks, and the chin appeared to have been formed with a sledgehammer.

  Why couldn't she have been taken by the likes of Kirilli? Maybe if she hadn't been heavily entranced with Nikoli’s generosity so many years ago, life could have been different.

  Nikoli guided the carriage through the wrought iron gate and slowly proceeded to the large opulent entrance. Roman stood at the entry to greet them as they arrived. Nikoli brought the carriage to a stop as Roman grabbed the reins.

  “Kirilli is expecting you. I shall take the horse to the stable."

  One by one the Romanov dismounted. Nikoli, Svetlana, Yakov, Stephan, Taras, Natashia, Dina and then Nicole. Nicole, the sacrificial lamb for peace; the girl who was chosen to be defiled. She had spoken not a word since her father had told her of the fate that awaited her. The words he chose were few and hard.

  "A decision has been reached. Nicole, you are to be bred with Dmitri in four weeks." With that he closed her door and walked away. To object would have been pointless. Her mother had taught her that.

  The group walked towards the large wooden door. It slowly opened revealing Sergei. "Follow me please. Kirilli is waiting. Nicole you are to...."

  "Do not speak any words to my daughter! Only I shall give those orders! Understood?" barked Nikoli.

  Sergei took a few steps backwards in silence. Like all of the Boirarskys, he was a good obedient soldier. They never questioned orders; they do as they are told. When this aberration passes it should be e
asy to lay claim to this clan and all they stand for, but for now, we must maintain the cloak of servitude and compliance.

  Sergei led them into the main hall where the initial meeting had taken place. Kirilli was standing in the middle of the table flanked by Sasha to his right. The rest of them stood at attention as if they were an honor guard. Darya, Eva, and Zoya finished out the right, to his left were Roman and Sergei. Where was Dmitri, the trusted one?

  "Good evening, Nikoli, Svetlana. I gather the trip was a pleasant one? Any unscheduled stops on the way?"

  Nikoli quickly replied, "Nothing to mention, with the exception of one patrol. They seem to be a bit upset that one of their own is missing."

  Kirilli smiled as he listened to the response. He had hidden the body well. Maybe by the time they located the captain's body, their plan would be in full force and he would be a forgotten soul in the fold.

  "Where is Dmitri? How can we have a feast when it appears the groom is in hiding?" The sarcasm that spewed with his words sent a shiver up Kirilli's spine.

  "He is preparing himself. Sergei was instructed to guide Nicole to the waiting chamber. Obviously that didn't happen. It is a difficult task these two must undertake, but it is vital to the overall plan. I do not need him thinking of trivial thoughts. He must be focused for the joining. Nicole, would you like to have a few moments alone?"

  Sweet little Nicole said not a word. Her age of seventeen made her prime mating material for both human and vampire. She had the same alluring features as her mother, yet softer and much more pleasing. She wouldn't need her mother's eyes to obtain her goals in life.

  "Father?" is all she said. Nikoli decided it was time to play coy and start playing the part of a coalition partner.

  "Forgive me, Kirilli; I wasn't sure what Sergei’s intentions were. Of course my dear, please excuse yourself."

  Sasha rose from her chair and beckoned for Nicole to follow her. Svetlana also stood in a final attempt to ward off this intrusion.