by Zara Novak
“Kat it’s going to be okay.” Ansel reached a hand out and put it around Kat’s. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for your sister’s disappearance. Is there any chance she might be staying with a guy friend?”
“Possibly.” Kat said quietly. “She would have spoken with someone in the sorority thought. It just doesn’t make sense… it’s not like Ruth.” Kat glanced over at Ansel.
“Do you think this has anything to do with the Red Circle?” Kat asked. “Maybe one of those men could have got her?”
Ansel shook his head. “Unlikely. As far as I’m aware they only sent two men, and they were after me.”
“But they saw my face on the camera right? There’s a good chance they found out who I am and took her as a hostage?”
“I don’t think so.” Ansel said after a moment’s pause. “The Red Circle like to stay away from the presence of humanity as much as possible. That’s why the club shooting was so bizarre to me. It was desperate, it was irrational. That’s what makes me think I’m on the right track. If we find this witch, we can start putting an end to this nonsense.”
Kat nodded her head silently. “I just hope she’s alright. Ruth can hold her own, but she’s always had a mean streak in her. If anyone tried anything, she’d fight back.”
“Exactly.” Ansel said. “And someone would have seen something. She seems like the type of girl to kick up a fuss. What is your cognizance telling you?”
“My cognizance?” Kat nodded, closed her eyes and focused on something inside of her, trying to use her power once more.
Ansel kept his eyes on the road, glancing over at Kat as she concentrated. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and sighed.
“Anything?”
“Kind of,” Kat said, “Maybe - I don’t know. The visions I had from cognizance… they were so vivid. It was like being there. I did get a sense of something then, but it was vague, it was different.”
“Well what did it feel like?” Ansel asked.
“Just… different. I think she’s okay. But… it didn’t feel like Ruth at all. Well it did, but… more magnified. Like she’s changed somehow. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“That’s okay.” Ansel said. “As long as you feel that’s she okay, that counts for something right?”
“I guess so.” Kat said and smiled gently. “Thanks Ansel, I feel a little better now.”
“It’s okay.” He said. “For what it’s worth, I have a feeling that she’s okay too. I mean, look at you. You’re on that missing report, and you’re fine.”
Kat’s smile widened. “I’m more than fine. This last couple of days with you has been weird, and my sleeping schedule is definitely more than fucked… but I’ve never had this much fun in my life.”
Ansel glanced over at Kat as she watched trees move past slowly on the distant horizon. She turned around and looked at Ansel.
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Kat asked.
“Fire away.”
“I’ve done a lot of research about vampires, and everything I’ve ever read suggests that vampires get stronger with age, and that new vampires can’t overpower or disobey their makers. How did you manage to get revenge on your coven?”
Ansel sat in silence for a moment while he thought the question over. “It’s something I’ve been wondering myself. First of all, for clarification, you’re right that vampires get stronger with age. You’re only half right about a vampire being able to disobey their maker however.”
“How so?”
“Young vampires feel a very strong inclination to follow the word of their makers. It’s almost like their word is hypnotic. After the first few weeks though, you break out of it as your vampiric mind gets stronger. That’s what happened with me, and that’s when I started getting out of control.”
“Out of control?”
“Yeah…” Ansel paused. “You saw the things I did Kat, I’m not proud of it. This is the creature that I am. I’m trying to control it now, but back then - the urge to give into violent tendencies was too overpowering. I was a man on a mission, I wanted to take as much as I possibly could. Blood, girls, sex, violence. I had a wild few months.”
“And then this man, this Cairo Inai, he was the one that signed your death warrant? He told your family to destroy you?”
“That’s right.” Ansel nodded. “Not for my outlandish behavior, that’s mostly expected of new vampires. The only one who receives flack for that is the makers. If you’re going to turn someone, it’s your responsibility to keep them under control.”
“So why you?”
“If there’s one thing you have to understand about The Red Circle, it is that they are elite in some senses of the word. Not all vampires are equal, some are born with additional powers…”
“Additional powers?” Kat asked. “Like what?”
“I don’t know.” Ansel said. “I haven’t really met any of them. My coven were strong supporters of the Red Circle, but none of the vampires in my former family were actual members. They just wanted to be. The Circle is made up of vampires with exceptional powers, or vampires that were exceptional in their former life…”
“When they were human?”
“Exactly.” Ansel nodded. “Lawyers, doctors, physicians, mathematicians, geniuses, artists… the guiding philosophy of the Circle is that vampirism is a gift, and that it should be bestowed upon only the highest members of society.”
“But isn’t that playing god?” Kat asked.
“It’s the very reason I’m starting this war in this first place.” Ansel took a deep breath and let the air out from his lungs. “But - I digress. You wanted to know how I acted revenge on a group of vampires who were centuries my senior?”
Kat nodded quietly.
“I have a theory, but you’re going to think I’m crazy.”
Kat laughed, catching Ansel off guard.
“What’s funny?”
“Everything that’s happened over the past couple of days Ansel, you’re going to have to feed me something extra bizarre for me to find it crazy. Try me big boy.”
“Okay.” Ansel took a deep breath. “The night I escaped, my maker had come into my cell. She was bored, and I could tell she was in the mood to beat the shit out of something. It had become routine for her. Try and break my body, try and break my spirit. I knew she hated me because I just wouldn’t surrender.
“I’d heard them torturing someone else in the cells, which wasn’t entirely unusual, my coven were a twisted bunch - and they indulged in torture regularly. That night it was different however, I could feel the hate in the air as it emanated from the lungs of that mysterious woman.
“My maker was distracted by the dreadful sound, and in that moment, I can’t explain it - I found my chance. A strength rose in me and I broke my chains from the wall. Once I had broken free that was all I needed, I killed my maker then and there.”
“And after that one?” Kat asked after a moment’s pause. “How did you kill the rest?”
Ansel clenched his jaw as the memory of the night relived itself in his mind. “After I killed my maker, I stood over her, euphoric, terrified, driven insane with rage. Something happened in that moment as I watched her body burn into ash. I felt her life spirit enter my body, and I felt myself becoming stronger.”
“Stronger?” Kat asked.
“Yes.” Ansel continued. “It was like I’d absorbed her speed and strength. Almost straight after, another vampire from our coven, a 400 year old called Malaki, a very strong vampire - he burst into the cell and set upon me. Normally Malaki would have made very short work of me, but with my new found strength… I overpowered him. It wasn’t easy but I got the upper hand, and when I did, I staked him just as I had my maker.
“I stood there shaking in triumph, and I felt his strength enter my body too. That was when I realized that something within me had changed, and with each enemy I destroyed, I was becoming something greater. I set out into the castle, and I began to
hunt the members of my coven down one by one. Which each one the fight became easier. I carried on until I was done. And now… I’m here.”
“And the vampires that attacked us in the club.” Kat asked. “Was that the same with them too?”
Ansel nodded. “The one I killed. His life force didn’t feel as strong. But yes, even with him I felt slightly stronger. Every conquest I feel my power growing. It scares me, but it entices me too. To what end will my power grow?”
Kat stared at Ansel in awe, then she threw a question his way that blind sided him. “What if they ask you to join?” Kat asked.
“Who?” Ansel said, glancing sideways at Kat. “The Circle?”
“Yes.” Kat nodded. “If they discovered your power…”
“They were going to kill me.” Ansel said. “They would never-”
“When they thought you were ordinary they were going to kill you. That was before this… are you really going to sit there and tell me that you’re just an ordinary vampire after all that? I think the Circle would jump at the chance to recruit you, once they realize what you are.”
The suggestion stirred a myriad of emotion in Ansel’s stomach, but ultimately, it didn’t change how he felt.
“No.” He said sharply. “They still must be destroyed, and I will accomplish that using my new power. Whatever I am, that doesn’t dictate that I have a right to play god with the lives of others. We are not gods, we are just humans, cursed with the powers of darkness.”
Kat nodded at the sentiment quietly and fixed her eyes on the road ahead. “There’s a diner up here.” She said. “Let’s pull over for five minutes - I think I need a bathroom break.”
20. Edmund
Edmund had been on the road for a couple of hours. His bike roared into the black of the night. His hands were gripped tight around the handles and the throttle. He savored the thunder of the engine. He lived for the feeling of the road beneath his wheels. He was headed in the direction of the witch’s hut. His plan was to track Ansel Draco to the hut and cut him off. Witches were unpredictable enough as it was, and Edmund didn’t like the idea of being so close to one, but it seemed he didn’t have much of a choice.
He also hadn’t had a choice leaving Ruth in the house too. He supposed he could have locked her up, but he had good faith that the girl wouldn’t be getting in to too much trouble. If she did, he would be the one that had to clean things up.
County lines whizzed by in a blur as Edmund drove into night. He had been on the bike for a few hours now, and the toll of riding was starting to have it’s effect on him. A sign approached in the darkness. Lazy Armadillo: Bar & Diner, next 5 miles.
That will be a good stop.
He didn’t see any harm in taking a quick break to freshen up. He reasoned he was probably making good time. The note Hurst had given to him, had three pieces of information on it. The witches name, her location, and the date she’d be available. It was nearly time.
Glancing in the mirror, Edmund caught sight of the black Mercedes Benz on the horizon, the same one that had been tailing him for the last 20 miles.
“These motherfuckers.” He grumbled under his breath. “No tact at all.”
The Lazy Armadillo arrived five minutes later, appearing out of the darkness as some dim and crumbling relic from the 70s. It wasn’t the most ideal location to pull over, but a black spot in the bottom right corner of the neon Armadillo sign had peaked his interest.
Edmund pulled his bike into the dark parking lot and killed the engine. He remained sat forward as he heard the black Mercedes Benz pull into a spot in the far corner of the parking lot.
“Unbelievable.”
Edmund stood, walked past the entrance and went around the back of the diner into an alley filled with big metal dustbins. He squeezed between two of the bins, crouched down and stopped his breathing completely.
A second later the sound of muted footsteps came around the corner. To a human observer, there would have been nothing but silence. To Edmund this was almost the case too, but there was no mistaking the absolute deathly quiet of a walking vampire.
He was being hunted.
A phone sang somewhere to his right, breaking his stalker’s silence.
“Fuck!” The voice said.
Edmund waited silently as heard the vampire speak on a phone.
“Yes sir. No, we have him in our sights. We’ve followed him to a small diner on the side of the I-29. We’re keeping an eye on it. Okay.”
The phone call ended as quickly as it began. Edmund took his chance and jumped out of his hiding spot, into the path of the unsuspecting vampire.
In one leap, he flew through the air, caught his stalker by the head and slammed him into the brick wall on the other side of the alleyway. The vampire crumbled to the floor, and stared up at Edmund in shock.
“Stop! Stop! I’m Red Circle!” The vampire pulled a wallet out and opened it to a page that showed his badge.
Edmund snatched the wallet out of the vampire’s hand and inspected the metallic Red Circle staring back at him. He read the name, huffed and threw the wallet onto the chest of the vampire.
“Igo Kasper. Who are you and why the fuck are you following me?”
Igo rose to his feet shakily, keeping his hands held firmly against the wall behind him. Edmund could see the vampire was scared of him. Igo was tall and thin, with a hook nose and black hair that was slicked back on his greasy head. He had a white streak down the center of his hair, and a scar running across his left eye and down his cheek. The coloration in his left eye was disfigured from the scar. His right pupil was red, the other was permanently black. He wore the same official suit that all agents of the Red Circle wore. Edmund eyed the small badge on the vampire’s blazer.
“I’m under orders from the Warden of this region, Cairo Inai. The Circle has tasked you with a job, and you have been placed under our direct supervision, to make sure it is completed to the utmost satisfaction.”
“Oh no.” Edmund shook his head and hissed. “I took this job under the condition that Cairo stepped the fuck back and left me to my own devices. I already hate taking jobs from you pricks. Hunting my own kind to suit your twisted agenda? I’m only in this for the paycheck. You let me do it my way, or I’m out.”
A smirk crossed Igo’s face and he seemed to find a semblance of courage. He pushed himself off the brick wall gingerly and walked cautiously around Edmund. “I’m afraid that’s not an option Mr. Volks. You have entered a contract now with the Circle and you must complete it. Failure to do so will result in your name being placed on the register. The death warrant…”
Edmund turned slowly as he kept his eyes locked on the lanky vampire. Igo had put some cautious distance between himself and Edmund. Edmund could still lash out and kill the creature now if he wanted to, but to do so would sign his own death sentence.
He laughed at the empty threat. “Don’t threaten me with death boy.” Edmund growled and Igo swallowed at something in his throat. “I’m working for your boss, I’m not working for you. If Cairo wants his little lapdogs to follow me around, that’s fine - but hear this.”
Edmund took a step forward, clenching his fists. Igo matched the movement with two nervous steps backwards. “If I catch you or any of your cronies following me again, I won’t hesitate to stake you myself. I’ll catch this guy for you, but I need my space. Make sure Cairo Inai gets that message.”
Suddenly Igo’s voice came from behind Edmund. He glanced back and saw the vampire standing behind him.
“Threats to the Red Circle?” The second Igo whispered.
Edmund looked forward again at the original Igo, confirming that there were in fact two of them now somehow. He glanced back once more but the one behind him had vanished.
“Not very wise.” Igo said with a dark chuckle, and Edmund turned back to face him.
“I don’t know what the fuck you are.” Edmund growled. “But parlor tricks won’t get you very far. If I see you again… I’ll kill
you. And that’s a promise.”
Igo’s smile faltered at the threat and he swallowed. “You’ll mind who you are speaking to Mr. Volks-” Igo began, but was cut off by Edmund.
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll kill you right now. Go.”
Igo stammered on the spot, almost unable to believe that a lowly and regular vampire like Edmund Volks would dare to threaten him.
“Did I stutter?” Edmund growled and lifted his voice to a roar. “Go!”
Igo Kasper fled the alley in terror and Edmund walked after him calm and collected. He rounded into the parking lot at the front again, he saw the dark Mercedes Benz reverse out of it’s spot at full speed, screech across the car park and disappear down the road.
Edmund chuckled to himself and headed into the diner. “Bunch of fucking pussies.”
*
Inside, the diner was just as miserable looking as the outside. Like most diners it was unnecessarily bright. Edmund was sat at the bar. There were only a couple of people in the place. Truckers, traveling salesman. It was late, and it was quiet. Everyone had their own booth, everyone kept to themselves.
A waitress with dark bags under her eyes approached the bar.
“What can I get you darling?”
Edmund remembered the black spot he had seen on the neon sign outside.
“I’m looking for a place where I can refill a 1943 Shelly Stoker Thermos. Do you guys offer such a service here?”
The waitress’s face screwed into a picture of tired confusion. “One of these things again? Hang on I’ll shout Gordo. He’s the one that deals with that shit. I have no idea what all that means honey.”
The waitress turned and shouted into the kitchen. “Gordo get out here, got another one of these nut jobs asking about that thermos!”
She turned back to Edmund. “Gordo will be out in a second. Can I get you some coffee or food in the meanwhile?”
“I’m good,” Edmund said, “But thanks.”
The waitress smiled wearily, picked up her pot of coffee and disappeared to offer endless refills to the other patrons. Edmund turned his attention to a TV which was blaring the news in the corner above the bar. Two minutes later a short and fat man appeared, pale as ice and a little sickly looking.