by Gary Jonas
“You could just take a little. Then I could become a vampire, too.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it works like that.”
“How would you know? You’ve been a vampire for all of five minutes.”
“Instinct. I think you have to die. I also think that the hunger is so ferocious that it takes amazing willpower to stop drinking until the victim is drained. How is it that I’m even here? I remember Smythe grabbing me and biting me and then everything went blank.”
“Wilkins tried to run and Smythe wanted him more than he wanted you.”
“And you thought he’d actually honor his word to you and turn us both?”
“It was a risk I was willing to take. Now you can turn me and we can be together forever.”
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Jack spun around to face her. “I do not want to see you like this. I don’t want you to feel this kind of hunger. This need to feed. I don’t want to see you with blood smeared on your lips. I don’t want to see you killing people who aren’t asking for it. I loved you too much to see you in this state.”
“All of this over a saloon girl? Come on, Jack, what kind of life did she have? Compare her to us. We were truly something. We traveled. We explored. We lived, we loved. If we have to kill people to live, it’s not such a bad thing. We matter.”
“And they don’t?”
“Not like us.”
“You toss out platitudes as you’d toss out other people’s lives. Killing in the name of love is still evil. You can try to cover the stench with fine perfume, but it doesn’t change what it is at its core. I can’t believe you’re saying these things. This isn’t you. This isn’t how we live.”
“I love you, Jack. That’s what matters.”
“You’re wrong.”
He brushed past her. When he opened the door, he stopped and glanced back at her. He couldn’t believe the woman he loved would have done this to him. Yes, she’d talked about it at Wilkins’ place, but it wasn’t a reality until now. He didn’t know what to think. He just knew he didn’t want to be a monster and he couldn’t bear the thought of Sonya being a monster, too.
“I’m going to go kill Smythe now. Then I’m going to go out and await the sunrise.”
He exited the room and slammed the door behind him.
Sonya sat on the bed. He said loved, she thought.
Past tense.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sonya closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath and decided that the smart thing to do was to follow Jack. Knowing how powerful Smythe was, she was no longer sure Jack could kill him. She also knew he was serious about going out to greet the sunrise.
Following him wasn’t easy. He took Roulette, which left her on foot in the snow and the cold because Smythe still had her horse. She knew where Jack was going, so she set out toward the mine, too. Could vampires find one another through some sort of mental link? She wasn’t sure, but Jack seemed to know where he was going. She pulled her coat tighter, leaned into the brutal wind and kept following his tracks.
* * *
Why is it so hard to get a decent slave? Smythe wondered when the sound of footsteps in the mine awoke him. He found Ted sleeping on the job. The moron sat slumped against an ore cart, a lantern barely glowing by his side. He kicked Ted’s boot.
“You’re supposed to be guarding me,” Smythe said.
Ted rubbed sleep from his eyes. “I got bored. Ain’t nothin’ to do but look at the snow out there. And it’s cold out there, so I came deeper into the mine to warm up. Nobody’s gonna come up here through the storm. It just ain’t gonna happen.”
Jack Talon eased himself into the lantern-light. “I understand I have you to blame for my current condition,” Jack said.
Ted started and scrambled to his feet. “How long have you been here?”
“A while,” Jack said.
Smythe gave Ted a disgusted look. “Nobody will come up here through the storm?” Then Smythe turned his attention to Jack. “Nice of you to pay us a visit. How did you find me?”
“Wilkins had a map at his place showing the mine’s location. I wasn’t sure I’d found the right place until your buddy came out to relieve himself.”
”What can I do for you?”
“You turned me into a monster,” Jack said.
“If it makes you feel any better, my intention was to drain you, but I got distracted.”
“I’m here to kill you.”
“I expected as much.” Smythe spread his arms to open himself up. “You still have a stake, I trust? Feel free to run me through.”
Jack pulled the stake, flipped it around a few times. “Just like that?”
“I won’t try to defend myself, Jack. You’re welcome to stake me.”
Jack stepped forward, raised the stake and drew back his arm to drive it into the center of Smythe’s chest. But his arm remained back and Smythe knew that no matter how hard he tried, Jack would not be able to make good on his threat.
“What are you waiting for, Jack? Stake me.”
Jack tensed and his brow furrowed. He relaxed and let his arm drop to his side, then tried to attack again, but Smythe knew there was nothing Jack could do.
“I sired you, Jack. It wasn’t intentional, but the laws still apply. You’re within my range and as such you are unable to do me harm.”
“So we can’t hurt each other?” Jack asked.
“It works in only one direction. You can’t hurt me. But I sired you, so I can certainly hurt you.” Smythe slapped Jack across the face.
Jack glared at him.
“I’ll find a way to kill you,” he said, undeterred.
“That doesn’t give me much incentive to keep you around. I know you’re a creative man. I was rather creative myself. I trusted the wrong man and he betrayed me. Of course, you have faith in Sonya and that’s why you held her in reserve.” Smythe nodded toward the entrance of the mine.
Jack turned as Sonya entered.
“Am I late to the ball?”
“You’re right on time, my dear,” Smythe said. “I’m going to use you as a demonstration. You wanted me to turn you.”
“Yes.”
“Sonya,” Jack said, “don’t do this.”
Smythe shoved Jack back a step. “Let this be your first lesson. I am the master and you can’t do anything to stop me from doing whatever I choose to do. And right now, I choose to turn your wife.”
Jack rushed toward Sonya, who stood on the track, but Smythe anticipated the move and shoved the ore cart into his back. Jack staggered, and Smythe darted around the other side of the cart. He reached Sonya first. Jack stopped as soon as Smythe grabbed her.
“She’s mine now, Jack. All you can do is watch.”
“Do it,” Sonya said, offering her throat.
“No!” Jack said. “This is between us. Leave her out of it.”
Smythe gave Jack a sad smile. “Terribly sorry, but she’s already a part of it.”
Smythe bent Sonya’s head back and sank his fangs into her flesh. She winced from the pain. Smythe drank and drank, but before he completely drained her, he exerted his will to stop, letting her dying body fall to the ground.
“She’ll be dead in a few moments. Tell her goodbye. Of course, if I left her enough blood, she’ll rise tomorrow night.”
Jack rushed to Sonya’s side and held her as she expelled her final breath.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jack stared at his dead wife. He marveled that his heart wasn’t thundering. Of course, it wasn’t beating at all. He buried his face in her hair, clutched her and pulled her close. He still loved her and he’d been unable to protect her. He didn’t want to see her rise as a monster. He wanted her to go on and have a wonderful life. Now that was impossible. The sadness in his heart slowly faded as a deep rage simmered and replaced it.
He looked up at Smythe. “You should not have done this.”
“This is the part where you throw mor
e threats in my direction. Yes, I know you’ll find a way to kill me and I’ll rue the day I chose to turn your wife and I’ll pay for my dastardly deeds, etcetera. Sorry, Jack, I spent several months as a vampire trying to do the right thing. One thing about being betrayed and staked, when you come back, you have a diminished view of humanity in general.”
“Thanks to you, I’m no longer human.”
Smythe nodded and smiled. “Your wife is dead and you’re working up more anger toward me. Good for you. Your Sonya is a very special lady. She doesn’t mind the way you are as long as she can be with you. Do you have any idea what a rare quality that is? I spent months with Mary and every night I told her that I loved her. I fed on animals and never killed a human, but she grew to fear me. She said I was different and no matter how hard I tried to be the man I’d been when I was alive, I knew I could never truly be the same. Emotions like joy and love? Those are for the living.”
“I’m working up a strong head of hate and a feeling that I need to kill you and I will find a way to act on it.”
“That feeling is a wisp of a dream and it scatters away like the laughter of children when you try to grab it. You simply can’t do anything to me, Jack. Tomorrow night, I shall give you a demonstration. You’ll truly know the world to which you now belong. Then you can either accept it or I can end your existence. I’ll leave the choice in your hands.”
“Boss?” Ted said.
Smythe turned toward Ted. “You’re interrupting.”
“Sorry, boss, but I’m starving. Can I take his horse and go into town for some grub?”
“Yes. Jack will be staying here with us tonight. Be back before morning.”
“He can’t take my horse.”
“Jack, what’s yours is mine for the asking, so I can give it to my slave if I choose. You really don’t have a choice in the matter. Try to defy me. Tell him to leave your horse alone.”
Jack wasn’t sure what game Smythe was playing. Could he really not defy him even in words?
“Touch my horse and I’ll kill you,” Jack said and moved over to grab Ted by the throat.
“Boss?” Ted said looking to Smythe for help.
Smythe laughed. “You’re much quicker than I was. When my sire told me I couldn’t deny him anything, I took him at his word.”
Jack shoved Ted aside. “I’m leaving and I’m taking Sonya’s body with me.”
“You may leave, but she remains right here.” Smythe stepped between Jack and Sonya.
Jack glared at Smythe. He couldn’t fight the vampire, so he had no way to rescue his wife. He glanced at her body then met Smythe’s eyes. “Get out of the way, Christopher. I’m taking my wife back to town.”
“I won’t allow that. Don’t worry, I won’t defile her, but I want her here for my demonstration.”
“Right. Since I can’t kill you, maybe I’ll just leave town.”
“I wish you luck. By now, the road out of town is certainly impassable and the trains don’t run at night. We’re here until the spring thaw. If you can keep out of the sun, you might be able to make it.”
“So the cold and snow aren’t problems.”
“Do you feel cold right now?”
“A little.”
“That’s your imagination.”
“Interesting. So other than wooden stakes to the heart, direct sunlight and decapitation, I’m essentially immortal.”
“Were you a religious man? Probably not.”
Jack shook his head.
“In that case, you’re a little better off than I am.”
“Care to explain that?”
“It won’t help you kill me.”
“Call it curiosity.”
“I felt like I was a perversion of God’s creation. I was a Christian. A Presbyterian to be precise. If I handle a cross or a Bible, my skin burns. It’s a minor irritation, certainly not fatal and I suspect that if I can master my beliefs, I can change that so they don’t affect me.”
Jack thought, if Smythe kept talking, he might give up something useful.
But Smythe was finished. “Come back tonight, Jack.”
“I’ll be long gone.”
Smythe laughed. “We both know that’s not true.”
“I may surprise you.”
“Not while I have Sonya here.”
“She doesn’t mean anything to me,” Jack lied.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“You talk like we’re going to be spending eternity together having Vampire Dances where we entertain the unwashed and drink blood from elegant crystal glasses.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“I’d rather play poker.”
“And shoot people.”
“That, too.”
“I suspect Sonya would prefer my lifestyle.”
Jack moved toward the exit. “Maybe you can ask her before I kill you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
By the time the sun rose, Jack had set up shop in the stables. He fired up the forge Harry’s father used to make horseshoes. If he planned to face off against Smythe, he knew he needed an advantage. He took several chunks of wood. He cut each piece of wood to smaller blocks. These, he charred.
After the wood was charred, he cut the pieces down into the rough shape he wanted, but he kept them larger than he needed because he had to account for shrinkage. He put six small pieces of wood back into the fire.
Harry entered the stable.
“Mr. Talon,” he said. “What are you doing in here?”
“Working.”
“Don’t let my pa catch you.”
“You might want to keep watch. Let me know if he’s coming.”
“He’s inside trying to keep warm, but he heard something out here and sent me to check it out.”
“Go tell him it was nothing.”
“What are you making?”
“Something to even the odds.”
After Harry left, Jack let the pieces of wood cool, then filed them down to size. From there, he took out six bullets, kept the cartridges and the loads, but replaced the metal with the wood-fired projectiles. The wooden bullets were light. He wondered how close he’d have to be in order to use them. He considered that while he loaded his Colt 45 with the new bullets. His best guess was five to ten yards. He liked things personal.
The only question in his mind was about the distance he’d need to control his own actions. Could he get enough distance from Smythe to use these? Or would he draw and be unable to squeeze the trigger? If he were too far away, the bullets would be useless. If he were too close, he wouldn’t be capable of firing them.
He couldn’t worry about it. All he could do was his best.
Harry burst back into the stables. “My pa is coming,” he said.
“It’s all right, Harry,” Jack said.
A moment later, Harry’s father stepped into the stables and closed the door behind him. He was a large man. Jack noted that the man kept his right hand on his gun, ready to pull.
“What’s going on out here, Mr. Talon?”
Jack remained in the shadows. Horses shuffled behind their gates.
“Go back inside, sir. There’s nothing of any importance happening here.”
“Harry? Go inside.”
“Pa, he’s just checking on his horse.”
“Using my forge has nothing to do with his horse. Now go back to the house, son.”
Harry hesitated.
“Go on!”
Before he left, Harry threw a pleading look at Jack. Jack gave him a nod, then watched the boy leave.
Harry’s father didn’t approach. “Folks have been talking a lot the last two days.”
“I suspect they have,” Jack said.
“Someone told me you used to be a marshal.”
Jack nodded. He wasn’t sure where the man was going with this.
“I heard tell that you became an outlaw.”
“Not exactly.”
“But you’ve killed people. Yo
u were willing to kill Roy over a hand of poker.”
“I’m always willing to kill to defend myself, sir. You should keep that in mind.”
“You have a way of putting yourself in situations where you can justify what you do.”
Jack shrugged.
The man still kept his hand on the gun. “Sheriff Gant is dead. The marshal has run off. A kid named Thomas was murdered in the saloon. Someone killed the mayor and burned his house down. Plus an elderly couple, Gertrude and Zeb Hopkins were drained of blood in their own home.” The man’s hand gripped the gun handle tighter.
“Your point?” Jack asked.
“You involved with that?”
“I didn’t kill them, if that’s your question.”
“Mr. Talon, I will do whatever I have to do in order to keep my family safe.”
“Admirable.”
“Folks are talking about how the killer is some kind of devil.”
“And?”
“I ain’t sure I’m brave enough stop him.”
“You can’t.”
“Can you?”
Jack watched the man’s hand tighten further on the gun. Was Harry’s father under Smythe’s control? Could he control people? Especially from a distance and during the daytime? The miner, Ted, hadn’t left when he had the opportunity.
Jack met the man’s gaze, knowing that if the man chose to pull, Jack could shoot him before the barrel cleared leather.
“I don’t know,” Jack said, watching for any movement.
“But you’re going to try?”
Jack nodded.
The man removed his gun.
Jack pulled his gun, but didn’t shoot.
The man didn’t flinch when Jack aimed at him. Instead, he slowly held the gun up so Jack could see it. He held it so his finger was nowhere near the trigger. “What do you see when you look at this pistol?”
“It’s a Colt peacemaker just like mine.”
“Not quite like yours.” He dropped the gun back into his holster. “My gun is blessed.”
“So?”
“My gun will kill just about anything.”
“So will mine.”
“Not quite. Mine will kill demons and devils. It’s blessed for use against the supernatural.”