Blood Reign

by Harvey W. McCarthy

The breath comment wasn't missed by Larry. "He is more human than you think."

  David glanced away. "We've covered this haven't we?"

  "Yes, but…"

  "It is the 'but' that worries me, Larry. The part of him that is the vampire is the part that I can't trust."

  "I have trusted him for years."

  "I have only known him for about a year now and I have seen what vampires can do. That part of him exists and it will always be that part that I can't accept. Remember, it was a vampire that killed Myles," David retorted.

  Larry wanted to respond but he could hear Chris dashing back to the room. The powerfully built man wasn't sweating or out of breath. David gave Larry a very telling glance. Chris' lack of breath or sweat, which would be evident if he was human, simply wasn't there. It wasn't helping Larry's argument that Chris was completely one of them. If Chris had seen David's glance, he didn't say anything. He held out a newspaper to Larry.

  The former university professor took the daily copy of the Denver Post. The sports section was on top. Larry looked up from the newspaper and glanced at Chris. His eyes asked the unasked question.

  "Go to the arts and culture section," Chris said.

  Larry handed the sports page to David who tucked it underneath his right arm. He folded his arms in front of him. His eyes never left the vampire hunter. Larry continued to flip through pages until he found the arts and culture section. He had hoped that David had moved on after learning that Chris was a vampire. Apparently, he had hidden that anger for most of the day. He handed the rest of the newspaper to David who gave him an angry glance. He began glancing over the headlines. He saw the article about the Titanic and his face lost all of its color.

  David noticed the change in his expression. "What is it?"

  Chris took the newspaper from his stunned friend. He unfolded it and held it out for David to read. "This is what it is."

  The headline read:

  RMS Titanic Inc. Unveils New Treasures at Traveling Exhibit

  David shrugged. "I have to admit that is very creepy."

  "Look at the picture," Chris ordered.

  "Who died other than you and left you in charge?" David asked angrily.

  Larry could still hear the anger in his voice from their conversation. "David, do as he says, and look at the picture please."

  Chris, again, ignored David's comment. He pointed directly to a specific part of the picture. David squinted to make out the item in the picture.

  "Is that what I think it is?" David asked.

  "Yes," Larry said.

  "What does it mean?" David asked as Chris turned and left with the newspaper.

  "Do you have your passport in order?" Larry asked.

  "Yes."

  "Good," Larry said.

  "Are we going somewhere?"

  "Yes, the same place as the queen," Larry said.

  "Where?"

  "Halifax," Larry replied.

  CHAPTER 17

  HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

  The Halifax Regional Municipality, which was commonly referred to as simply Halifax, was the capital city of the beautiful Province of Nova Scotia. The current Municipality was originally known as Halifax County which was founded by an indigenous tribe called the Mi'kmaq. Halifax was selected by European settlers to create settlements due to its deep and natural harbor. The British, who controlled the region, named the town after the Earl of Halifax and, in 1749, it became the colonial capital. In 1996, Halifax County, which consisted of Halifax, the capital city, was amalgamated into the current Halifax Regional Municipality.

  The late autumn weather had appeared in full force. A large tropical depression was traveling towards the region. Heavy rains pounded the coastal city. The temperature was in the forties, which was well below the average temperature for the season. Mikhaeli loved the rain as it pounded against the struggling jet. Evan frantically held onto his seat. The vampire queen shook her head in disgust. She was disappointed that her young vampire didn't appreciate the beauty and the splendor of the storm. She stared out of the window. The clouds were dark. Lightning flashed and the lights of the cabin darkened. Evan screamed. Mikhaeli sighed.

  "Oh shut the fuck up!" she ordered.

  The lights flickered again and the power returned. "Hey, I don't want to die," Evan protested.

  "You are already dead," the vampire queen said with a sigh.

  "We'll I don't want to be completely dead," he protested again.

  Mikhaeli rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to the storm. The lightning was beautiful in her eyes as it danced from cloud to cloud. The storm held such power. She loved the power. The plane shook as it traveled through the storm. The plane dipped several times as the automatic pilot compensated for the sudden shifts in the wind. Mikhaeli ignored the sudden movements as she continued to watch the marvelous show as it played out in front of her eyes.

  "S…S…Shouldn't someone be watching in the instruments?" Evan asked.

  "Are you vampire or a complete pussy?" Mikhaeli asked as she continued to watch the storm.

  "W…W…Well…" Evan stammered.

  "Oh for Christ's sake," Mikhaeli grumbled as she turned her attention away from the storm. "I can't even enjoy myself for five fucking minutes without you whining and crying like some goddamn ten year old."

  "I…I…"

  Mikhaeli never allowed him to finish his latest round of stammering. She angrily strutted over to him and slugged him in the jaw. The young vampire flew backwards and crashed into the cabin door. He shook his head trying to refocus on his surroundings. The vampire queen didn't give him a change to recover. She grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him out of her way. He bounced several times before coming to a rest at the back of the plane.

  She growled angrily before pausing. The force of her throw had broken one of the plush seats. The drink cart was overturned. The dead flight attendant, who they had both drank her blood, stared blankly at the ceiling. She glanced at the damaged cabin door. It had buckled from the force created by his body. A fiendish smile graced her stunning face. She kicked open the door to the cabin and approached the empty seat. The body of the dead pilot stared blankly ahead. Mikhaeli sat down and stared at the dead pilot.

  "So much for getting me to my location," she said with a smirk. She sighed. "So much to do and so few alive people to kill."

  She shrugged and set out to work. She studied the instrument panel. She needed to make sure that everything was in proper working order. Also, she knew what buttons to avoid. Lightning flashed and the cockpit brightened. Several warning lights began to flash. She knew that she didn't have much time. They were roughly an hour outside of Halifax International Airport. She stood up quickly and ran to the back.

  She checked on the status of Evan Solis. He was still unconscious. She was impressed with her own strength. She winked at him. She dashed to the service tray and grabbed a steak knife. She walked to the dead flight attendant and stabbed her violently and repeatedly. Blood splattered from the force of her blows. It covered her clothes and the interior of the cabin. Blood dripped from her knife as she approached the cabin. She ripped the fire extinguisher from the wall and took it into the cabin.

  She tossed the fire extinguisher into a corner. Like the flight attendant before him, she stabbed the pilot repeatedly. His once pristine uniform was now tattered and soaked with his blood that seeped from his body. She jabbed the knife through his right eye for effect. She leaned down and softly kissed the dead pilot. She sucked on his bloodied lower lip as she pulled away.

  "Was it good for you?" she asked through a devilish smile.

  She quickly glanced at the instrument panel. The plane was still on course. She had been in several cockpits in the past and she knew that they would be getting calls from the control tower very soon. She winked at the dead pilot again. She paused and twisted the knife in his eye. There was a crack and a sickening sucking sound. She nodded with her approval before dashing into the back.


  She grabbed another knife from the overturned service cart. She kicked over the still unconscious body of Evan Solis. She knelt next to him. She closed her eyes to calm herself. She knew that the next part wouldn't be pleasant but it was absolutely necessary. She curled her left arm and aimed it towards his fallen body. She repeatedly stabbed herself with the knife. Her blood sprayed onto his body. He groaned but he did not awaken. She gritted her teeth. She stood and dashed back into the cabin. She slammed the door behind her.

  "MOTHER FUCKER!" she screamed.

  She clutched her throbbing arm. She sat down while she pressed her hand onto her wounds. Despite being a vampire, she wasn't immune to pain. She rocked back and forth and chewed on her lower lip. She lifted her thumb to allow her blood to squirt onto the instrument panel. She wished away the final few seconds of pain. She knew it would be a moment before it would subside. She would begin to heal relatively quickly, so she needed to begin her performance before she was comfortable again.

  She flicked a switch and the radio came to life. Having had sex with several pilots in the past was just as educational as it was pleasurable. She knew enough about a cockpit to communicate with the tower and they would be able to talk her down. It was when she was on the ground that was her real concern. Dead flight attendants and pilots were never easily explained, but the proper story could convince people otherwise.

  She slammed her injured arm onto the flight panel and screamed. "OH FUCK! HELP ME!"

  "This is the Halifax International Airport hailing flight delta eight eight seven gamma. Please acknowledge," the air traffic controller stated.

  "HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!" she protested.

  "Ma'am, is this flight…"

  She started to cry. "I…I…I DON'T KNOW. WE ARE ON A PRIVATE JET FROM DENVER…" she sniffed. "AND…AND… MY BOYFRIEND WENT CRAZY! HE'S KILLED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT. NOW HE IS FIGHTING WITH THE PILOT. I THINK THE PILOT IS DEAD. IF HE FINDS ME…"

  "Ma'am, try to remain calm, is there a co-pilot?"

  "N…NO!"

  The air traffic controller muttered a curse under his breath. It made Mikhaeli smile. She could hear him mumble something as he covered his microphone. There was a large sigh of relief as he removed his hand.

  "Ma'am, are you there?"

  "Y…Yes!"

  "The plane that you are flying is designed to land itself. You should have no worries…"

  She picked up the fire extinguisher and slammed it into the door of the cabin. "HE'S TRYING TO BREAK IN!"

  The plane banked and Mikhaeli nearly lost her balance. She regained her footing and continued to slam the fire extinguisher into the door. "HELP ME PLEASE!" she begged.

  "Ma'am, hold on. You will be on the ground in moments!" the air traffic controller said frantically. "Rescue units will be on the ground waiting for you!"

  Mikhaeli screamed loudly. She opened the door and kicked it several times. She continued to scream and throw anything that she could find around the plane. She saw Evan starting to stir. She darted back into the cabin and locked it. Despite the damage, the door locked. She continued to scream and cry. The air traffic controller frantically tried to get her attention but she continued her performance. As if on cue, Evan began to pound on the door. Mikhaeli smiled.

  "MY QUEEN," he screamed as he pounded on the door, "WHAT IS WRONG?"

  "DO YOU HEAR THAT?" she screamed into the microphone. "HE IS COMING IN."

  "WHO?" Evan screamed.

  "HELP ME!" she screamed again.

  The air traffic controller breathed heavily. Screams could be heard in the control tower. Mikhaeli sat with her feet up on the control panel as the beautiful, yet foggy landscape of Nova Scotia came into view. Evan continued to pound on the door. Mikhaeli would scream periodically. Slowly, the plane descended through the fog and the runway came into view. The runway lights were lit to help pilots see the land due to the adverse conditions. She saw the rescue vehicles streaking to her location. The plane landed with a thud as the strong storm winds severely affected the automated landing sequence. She held onto the flight yoke as a precaution. She knew that learning to land an airplane would come in useful one day. She applied the brakes and the plane skidded to a stop on the slick rain covered surface.

  Within seconds, several fire trucks, an ambulance, and several patrol cars surrounded the jet. She sighed. The last part of her performance had to be completed. She picked up the second knife and stared at it briefly.

  "The things that I have to do," she said before she jabbed it into her chest.

  She screamed as the sharp steel blade pierced her chest. Her blood dripped down her body. She stared ahead. Evan, who had taken her cue, pounded the door with another fire extinguisher until the latch had finally broken. He dashed inside the cockpit and ran to his queen. He pulled the knife from her chest and stared at her dead eyes. She stared back without acknowledging his presence.

  "YOU IN THE PLANE," a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated through a megaphone, "EXIT THE PLANE WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

  "What the fuck?" Evan mumbled as he looked at his damaged surroundings and his blood covered clothes.

  Mikhaeli, for someone who was dead, was completely ecstatic. She stared ahead and waited for the rest of the show to begin. Evan was confused. She was happy.

  Her plan had worked perfectly.

  * * *

  David reluctantly packed his belongings. Larry had already made arrangements for a private jet to fly them to Halifax. His inner historian told him that he should have been ecstatic to visit another country and a region with a such long and storied history. However, his heart was not looking forward to the trip. He called and stated that he couldn't find his passport, but Larry told him that it wouldn't be necessary. With the council being informed of their pending voyage, a council member would be placed in customs to ensure that they would be allowed to enter the country in order to track down the vampire queen. He sighed.

  He threw a couple sweatshirts into a medium-sized suitcase. As he placed each item into the black leather suitcase, his heart became heavier. He knew that when he had finished that they would be departing. Again, his life would be in peril. He knew that he might not ever get see his home again. Even worse, he had started to wonder if he was fighting for the right reasons. The discovery that Chris was a vampire or some human-vampire hybrid was not helping to calm his troubled mind. When he had learned that the council could manipulate laws by strategically placing their warriors wherever and whenever that they needed them, it had caused his mind to be clouded with contradicting thoughts.

  "Am I on the right side?" he mumbled.

  "Did you say something, David?" Larry asked as he entered the room.

  David turned around to see his mentor. When his eyes fell on Larry, he wondered if they were indeed a team. Teams worked together. He was beginning to feel like a pawn in a global horror game of chess. The black pieces, the vampires, led by the queen attacked the forces of the light relentlessly. However, David felt like one of the white pawns sent forth to protect the king and the knights. However, he wondered if the powerful members of the council, the knights, bishops, and rooks, were ever going to join the battle. He ignored Larry and he continued to pack his belongings.

  "It was nothing," he lied.

  Larry stared at his former student. "I beg to differ. I was hoping that you would be more honest and forthcoming."

  David didn't turn around to face Larry. He pressed his shirts into the suitcase. He ignored Larry's accusations. Larry folded his arms across his chest. He stared at the back of his friend. David continued to pack his belongings. A few moments of awkward silence passed before David had finished packing. He closed the zipper and lifted the suitcase off of his bed. He turned around and his eyes met Larry's angry gaze.

  "What?" David exasperatedly asked.

  "David," Larry stated angrily, "We are adults."

  "Yeah, so what is your fucking point?" David snapped.

  "I expect as
an adult that you would act a little more professionally than you are acting right now."

  David slammed the suitcase onto the tiled floor of his apartment. "How the fuck do you expect me to act, Larry?"

  "Well, you could stop swearing at me like we are in some sports bar for starters."

  "I hate to break it to you, Larry," David said as he put his hands on his hips, "But adults have a habit of using the quote unquote salty talk."

  Larry sighed. "Never mind," he said as he turned to the door.

  David grabbed him by the arm. "No, I will not never mind. You come in here and scold me like I am your six year old son but you claim that I am not acting like an adult. Maybe if you treat me like an adult then I just might start acting like one."