by Zara Novak
They met in a crash of fists and fury. Ansel’s surprise attack had taken Vincent off guard and the vampire went crashing into the ground with Ansel on top of him. Ansel grabbed the vampire by the collar of his shirt and slammed his head hard into the dance floor, punching a small crater into the sticky laminate.
He looked up just in time to see that the vampire with long white hair had thrown his gun to the side and was coming at Ansel with both hands outstretched.
His fist smashed into Ansel’s jaw. Ansel flew back through the air and crashed into the bar behind him in and explosion of sound, glass and splintering wood. A moment later, the pale haired vampire had jumped over the bar and was on top of Ansel holding a long and silver stake. His eyes flared and he drove it down quickly at Ansel’s heart.
“The Circle sends it’s regards!”
Ansel’s eyes bulged as he felt the stake press into his chest for the briefest second. He thrust his right foot up and into the rib cage of the vampire.
Hines flew up into the air like a cannonball and flipped over backwards. The silver stake had slipped from his hand and was spinning down through the air toward Ansel. Ansel jumped to his feet, grabbed the stake and put the vampire in his sights.
“Tell them I send my regards back.” Ansel threw the stake into the path of the falling vampire. The silver point whistled through the air and a second later it sank into it’s targets chest.
The vampire screamed and burst into a ball of fire and flame. The stake rattled to the ground a moment later, followed by a curtain of smoke and ash.
Slow applause clacked through the momentary quiet. Ansel glanced over to his left and saw Vincent back on his feet, pointing a gun at Ansel.
“Very good Mr. Draco.” Vincent said, slightly out of breath. “I have to admit I never much liked Hines anyway. He was never much of a fighter. I always thought he was more suited for intellectual pursuits.”
“You can try and chase me with that gun again if you want.” Ansel said calmly. “You’re only going to end up like your friend there.” He nodded at the ash falling around Vincent. “Tell me what is it you want.”
“I want nothing Mr. Draco. I’m simply carrying out the orders of the Circle. You broke the law and now you pay the price.”
“How did you find me?”
“The Circle has a lot of money. We offer it up. Vampires talk. We had information from a valuable source that you were here.”
“Well you’ll have to tell the Circle to step up their game. Is this the best that you have? I’ve fought humans with more moxxy.”
Vincent smiled dryly and straightened the gun out at Ansel. “I assure you of one thing Mr. Draco, you can kill Hines, you can kill me, but you can’t kill the Circle. They’ll keep sending vampires until you’re dead. That’s how the system works. That’s how it’s always worked.”
“Well I’m here to change things.” Ansel growled.
“Funny.” Vincent said. “I probably can’t kill you, but I bet I can get to that door and shoot down your pretty little girlfriend before you stop me. Would you care to wager a bet?”
Ansel’s eyes flicked over to the door at the far end of the room. Vincent was closer and had the upper edge.
“You dare touch her…” Ansel growled and clenched his fists.
“You know what…” Vincent turned his head and flashed a cold smile. “I think I might.”
“No!” Ansel reached out a hand and screamed as he watched Vincent jump from off the floor to the far end of the room. Ansel wrapped his hands around the counter covered in broken glass and flung himself forward with all of his might. He hurtled through the air toward the vampire with his arms out stretched, ready to send him crashing into the wall behind.
Vincent got their first and kicked the door off it’s hinges with one swift kick. He walked through the doorway gun first and disappeared out of sigh momentarily.
Ansel landed across the floor on his body and scrambled to his feet to see Vincent standing perfectly still in the door.
What the…?
The vampire dropped his gun, stumbled back through the doorway and turned around to look at Ansel. He looked slowly down at the long piece of jagged wood embedded in his chest and fell to the floor in a pile of flames and ash.
Ansel gawped through the cloud of ash at the wide eyed and pale skinned girl standing there frozen in the doorway.
Kat looked up from the mountain of ash and bones to Ansel. “Did I get him?”
“I’d say so.” Ansel said in shock. “Just how in the hell did you know-”
Kat raised a finger to her head and tapped at her temple. “As soon as you threw me back here I started freaking out. I heard the clatter of the gun fire and then I heard all sorts of racket. It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn’t in fact dead. Did you put me back here?
Ansel nodded. “I can dodge bullets,” He looked down at the light grazes of blood across his clothes. “Just about anyway - But you can’t. My first instinct was to get you out of harm’s way and to safety. I would have tried to communicate that to you, but we’d have died in the time it would have taken me to do so.”
Kat seemed to stare at Ansel with a renewed sense of wonder and a renewed sense of fear. “I had no idea vampires could move that fast.” She said.
“Our powers are no joke,” Ansel agreed. “That’s why humans tend to struggle so much when it comes to killing us, that’s what makes this,” Ansel pointed at the pile of ash on the ground that had been Vincent only seconds before, “More than a little confusing. How the hell did you take him on?”
“As soon as I realized I wasn’t dead, I opened my eyes and figured you must have placed me back here. I was in two minds about running back into the club to help you, but I was frozen with indecision. I knew that I’d be no match for a vampire, but I wanted to help. I stood there torn, not sure what do to with myself.”
Kat brushed a hand through her hair and continued. “That’s when I got another one of those flashes. I saw the dark skinned vampire kick the door open and come through the door towards me. He had a gun, but in the vision he had his hand on my neck. He grip was so tight, I swear I could feel it crushing my trachea…”
Kat drifted off and then brought herself back. “I waited by the door and sure enough… the door came flying off it’s hinges not even thirty seconds later. He came toward me with his hand outstretched and I waited until he was close enough.”
“But the stake,” Ansel looked down at the splintered wood among the pile of ash, “Where did you get it?”
“Broken chair in the office,” Kat beamed, “I grabbed one of the splintered legs off the floor when I had my vision. Who would have thought that having a big booty would end up saving my ass?” she laughed. “I’m just lucky he didn’t fire at me.”
“His gun jammed. He couldn’t shoot. Your cognizance…” Ansel whispered in wonder as he listened to Kat speak. “I can’t believe it. Have you ever had this before?”
Kat shook her head. “No. It only started happening after the telepathy back there…” Kat yanked a thumb in the direction of the office. “They’re after you because you killed your coven aren’t they?”
“They are.” Ansel nodded. “I knew that they’d send someone like this, but I didn’t anticipate it would be so soon. An attack so public… it’s unheard of for the Red Circle. They usually like to keep things subtle. They must be panicking.”
He looked around the room at the chaos of the aftermath and sighed. “I don’t think they anticipated that I would win.”
Ansel crouched down and pulled a tiny red badge from the ashes. He held the insignia, a circle with a line running through it, up to the light and studied it. A small black dot was at the end of the line. He held the badge up to his face and talked into the camera.
“Cairo Inai. Are you there? Whoever you are, I want you to know that I’m coming for you. You’ve seen what I can do now, and you know who I am. Rue the day that you decided to get in my way. Rue t
he day that you signed the order for my death.” Ansel crushed the badge in his hand and dropped it to the floor.
“Wait.” Kat turned her head. “There was a camera in that thing?! But it was so small!”
“Vampires are light years ahead of humanity Kat. The Circle has access to technology and weapons that would make a science fiction writer cry.”
“They sound dangerous.”
“You have no idea.”
Sirens blared in the distance. Ansel turned his head in their direction and glanced back at Kat. “Looks like the police have finally shown up. We better get moving.”
Ansel jumped forward and scooped Kat into his arms in one sub second movement. He jogged down the bare corridor at normal speed, so not to rattle her bones too much.
“Christ Ansel!” Kat shouted in surprise. “Give me a little warning next time will you?!”
“Sorry babe.” Ansel laughed. “You know your way around here right? Where’s the exit?”
“Right at the end of this corridor.” Kat said. “Just keep running and you’ll hit it.”
“No.” Ansel said. “We need something a little higher. They’ll have this place surrounded by now. Running out the back door is just asking for trouble.”
Ansel turned a corner into another corridor and ran down it until he found a set of stairs. He headed up them, ran along another hallway and doubled back after crossing a door marked security.
“What are you doing!” Kat shouted. “I can hear the police downstairs, they’re beginning to sweep the place.”
“I know. Just erasing the evidence first.”
Ansel held his foot to the door and kicked it open on it’s hinges. An overweight security guard stood up from behind a desk full of monitors and held his hands up in terror.
“Don’t shoot!” He said. “I’m just watching the monitors!”
“Where are the tapes?” Ansel said calmly.
The guard pointed to a computer next to him. “It all goes on there!”
Ansel looked past the guard, and at the computer onto which the footage was being recorded. He lifted a foot, thrust it forward and the console exploded in a shower of plastic and sparks.
“Tell anyone about this and you’ll end up as pile of ash - just like those other guys.”
The guard’s eyes bulged at the threat, and he remained frozen with his hands up, nodding quickly with his mouth open.
Ansel backed out of the room and resumed his flight down the corridor. He crossed another set of stairs and headed up them, to find a door that led onto the roof. He kicked the door open again and breathed in relief as he felt the cool air of night on his skin once more.
“So now we’re on the roof.” Kat said as Ansel ran toward the edge. “What now?”
Ansel jumped onto the short wall of brick that bordered the roof and looked down at the parade of police cars on the street below. He moved his eyes up and over the town until they settled on a point halfway up the hill which overlooked Dead Rest.
“This might be a little forward of me Kat, but I think I want to take you back to my place. I know it’s only our first date, but-”
“Woah.” Kat squirmed in Ansel’s arms and held out a hand. “That’s the second time you’ve used that word now. You think this is a date?”
“You don’t?”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s not exactly been my idea of romantic, I mean-”
Ansel smiled into the eyes of the girl and dropped his head down to press his lips against hers. Kat met the kiss with a jolt of surprise, and then she relaxed into it instantly. The world melted away for a second as their lips touched, and then Ansel pulled away.
“Okay.” Kat said breathless. “I guess that was kind of sweet.”
Ansel focused his eyes on the horizon and steadied his feet on the brickwork below. “Hold on tight.” He said. “This is going to be a big jump, and it might be a little scary.”
Kat squeezed her arms around Ansel tight and shut her eyes. She thrust her head into his chest and squeaked. “Don’t you have a car we can use?”
“It’s in the shop, and besides… I prefer to fly.”
Ansel crouched and jumped up into the night with an explosive kick of his legs. The wind rushed over his ears as they soared up into the black, leaving the lights of Dead Rest far below.
8. Edmund
Three heavy knocks came at the door. Edmund rolled over in his bed, groaning as he was stirred from his sleep. He threw the covers back, swung his legs onto the floor and sat up with his head in his hands.
Three knocks came again.
Edmund lifted his head up and grumbled to himself wearily. “This better be fucking good.”
The vampire rose to his feet and walked across the room in four hulking footsteps. He slumbered onto the landing and down the stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he went.
Glancing at the faint border of light by the blind at the front window, he could see that it was still daylight outside. He leaned forward and put an eye to the peephole. Whoever this was disturbing his sleep, better have had a good excuse.
The fish eye image of the sun drenched world burned into Edmund’s eyes and he saw a figure standing under the shade of the porch. Every inch of the man was covered. Long rain jacket, wide brimmed hat, wide glasses with a scarf around the mouth. Gloves on the hands and an umbrella to top it all off. The man held up a wallet and opened it to show a badge for the Red Circle.
Edmund dropped his head onto the door and sighed. “What the fuck do you want?” He shouted through the closed door. “I haven’t done any illegal shit in a really long time.” Edmund paused for a moment and decided to add: “It’s been a couple of weeks at least.”
“My name is Cairo Inai, Mr. Volks. I am here on behalf of the Red Circle.”
Edmund shivered at the name.
Inai himself? What the fuck was he doing here?
“If you could please hurry. It’s an urgent matter.”
“It’s always an urgent fucking matter with you pricks…” Edmund mumbled under his breath. “Come back later.” He growled after a moment’s deliberation. “Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“I’m afraid it can’t.” Cairo shouted back. “I have a warrant here from the High Vistor. This paper permits force of entry should I need it.”
Edmund pulled his eye back to the peephole momentarily, to see the signed warrant and pushed away from the door with a roaring sigh. He paced across the cool tile of the hall floor and closed his eyes slowly while holding his head in his hands.
“Give me a minute to get my goggles.” Edmund conceded in a long sigh and then added with another mumble, “All I wanted was some fucking sleep.”
Edmund grabbed a pair of black-out goggles from a box under the stairs. He pulled the tight goggles over his head and grabbed a long black apron from the box too. He threw the apron over his head and returned to the door.
“I’m opening the door in two seconds.” He shouted as he stood waiting. “You have one second to get in before I close it again.”
Edmund threw the door open, just wide enough for the man to duck inside. Light frittered across the dark room briefly, the man wisped in and Edmund slammed the door shut again. He faced the stranger standing in his hallway, watching as the man peeled his layers of protective clothing away.
He was pale, even for a vampire, and extremely skeletal. Edmund took one look at the man and reared his head. He’d seen some ugly vampires in his time, but this motherfucker took the cake.
The visitor’s face was hollow and hauntingly gaunt. The eyes receded too much into the skull, the cheekbones cut through thin slivers of skin in a jagged edge. Dark veins spread out like black tree roots under the skin at the temples. The eyelids were red and tired looking, the skin underneath them was dark and bruised. The lips were thin, tight and chapped. They were so tight Edmund could see the profile of the man’s teeth underneath.
The man removed his outerwear to reveal a stick thin suit that hug
ged his body closely. His arms were slightly too long, dangling at the sides of his legs, and the long skeletal fingers on the end of his malnourished hands reminded Edmund of bony claws.
He looked up at Edmund and met his gaze with a slow and thin-lipped smile. The skin around his eyes didn’t move at all. He looked Edmund up and down. “Bit overdressed aren’t we Mr. Volks? It was only a brief second of sunlight.”
Edmund ripped the goggles and apron off and threw them onto the floor behind him. “I’m a vampire. I don’t like the sun. Fucking sue me.”
A displeased smile spread across Cairo Inai’s face. He looked Edmund up and down again, seemingly just as unhappy now he had removed his gear.
Edmund caught the glimpse and looked down at himself. Compared to the vampire stood opposite him, he was a polar opposite when it came to physique. Edmund was tall and broad - even for a vampire. He came close to 6’ 8” and he had always had a lot of muscle.
He had the physique of an old time body builder. He was tall, broad, and thick, with rippling cords of muscle that were earned from labor. He might have spent many hours maintaining that muscle in the gym, but he had the hands and forearms to prove that he was a man’s man. He lifted heavy shit and he got things done.
His short black hair was thick and wavy. He rarely did much to style it, but often received compliments from women on his ‘perfect bed head’ hair. Accompanying this crop of hair, was a thick black beard that was well groomed.
The 300lb giant stood before the frail visitor in nothing more than a pair of tight boxer shorts. The eyes of the skeletal man dropped to the underwear as if they were an affront. Cairo Inai flashed and unsavory glance at the display.
“Couldn’t we have put some clothes on? You look like an alcoholic lumberjack.” Cairo asked dryly.
Edmund stared at the man in disbelief. “The ladies never seem to complain much when they see this. It’s the middle of the fucking day. This is my house. What the fuck do you want?”