by Brenda, Lady
In my first year of marriage I was called to go to battle against an army of vicious Tartar invaders and was forced to leave Arabella alone in the castle. The Beast, the shadowy demonic creature that lurked in wait for her, chose that time when I was away to hunt down its prey. Arabella was in the chapel when the beast attacked and violated her. By the time I got there it was too late to save her.
When I first came to Red Bluff it was to kill a demon. His name was Haures, whom the townsfolk knew as Horace Henessey. I had been led to believe that after I killed him I would have a chance at mortality. When I saw you on the street that day in Red Bluff I knew that history was repeating itself. I wanted it to end there and to spare innocent lives. The demon that possessed Hennessey was the same demon that killed my wife Arabella so long ago. It was my hope, and perhaps a desperate fantasy, that she had returned to me and lived once more in you.
It is another such demon that we are dealing with now, one that has been banished to the bowels of the earth, here in Virginia City, deep in the Gilded Bird mine. As before in order to gain dominion over mortals it has chosen to possess another likely host. A man just as corrupt and self-serving as Horace Hennessey was.”
Esmeralda studied his face. “Big Jim Diamond?”
Devlin nodded. “Yes.”
“But why must you be the one to deal with this? Is not your role ended after Red Bluff?”
Devlin did not answer. He pulled her forward for a swift kiss. “That is all you need to know at this point. I will not involve you again.”
“I am already involved and in more ways than you think. We are lovers so it affects us both. If history is repeated then we have lived a life before, then once again. I am the bait and it will use me once again to destroy you! ”
Esmeralda pulled away from him. She did not mention that Diamond had paid her a visit but wondered if he already knew. She had glimpsed Walking Ghost in the shadows of the crabapple tree across the street night after night. Annie from her place in the afterlife had warned her to leave. She felt paralyzed by a mixture of love and fear, yet through it all she sensed a solid kernel of resolve build up inside her breast.
The next evening Virgil knocked on the door of Devlin’s railcar. He had ignored his queen’s warnings and decided to approach Winter to enlist his help. He believed they were fighting a common foe. A Chinese man, in a dark silk suit, opened the door and bade him to enter. He found Devlin sitting in the parlor of the railcar reading the newspaper. He looked up when Virgil entered.
“Virgil, this is a surprise. What brings you here?”
“This is not a social call. Winter you are a plague on our kind.”
Devlin smiled. “Has Ligea sent her lapdog to chastise me?”
“Ligea does not know I came, in fact, she begged me not to involve you.”
“Well? Enlighten me”
He motioned for Virgil to sit but he remained standing.
“I’ll not dredge up past history in regards to you and your so called ‘quests’ dabbling with demons and mortals with no regards to the danger of exposing yourself or the Hive. But this time I must reluctantly admit that the threat has come too close to home.” Virgil reached inside his vest pocket and brought out a crisp white envelope. He handed it to Devlin. “An invitation to the Vampire Ball. I strongly suggest you attend.”
Devlin glanced at the card. “I accept your invitation,” he said. He slipped it back in the envelope and looked at Virgil. “I heard about the Undertaker. I promise he will not go un-avenged.”
Virgil nodded, then turned and left without a word.
On the top floor of O’Brien’s and Costello’s Shooting Gallery and Saloon, a Barbary Coast dive located at the south end of C Street were a couple of Peabody’s henchmen. They had been on the trail of Devlin Winter’s Red Indian. They had followed him like hounds watching for a chance to bushwhack him, but had failed. They fortified themselves with rotgut before they told the Boss about the botched job.
None of the men who worked for Peabody could really recall why they did, or how they had joined up with him. They were just hired guns that had fallen into company with the buffalo skinner and it was all a murky haze in their minds. They did what they were told and could have as much liquor and poontang as they wanted.
They were a horny bunch.
After finishing off a bottle of 100 proof rotgut, aptly called Coffin Varnish with the distinct aftertaste of gunpowder, their bleary eyes beheld a miraculous sight.
The gun smoke, from the shooting gallery in the dive, parted and a vision stepped through. They were poleaxed; struck dumb at the sight of a dark haired girl with celestial blue eyes and porcelain white skin. She was dressed sassily in a white corset and black lace skirt that was hiked high above one knee. When she smiled they saw a flash of a diamond and when she sashayed over to them they nearly fell off their chairs.
“Howdy boy’s. Buy a girl a drink?”
Dahlia placed her hand on her hip and arched her back to give them a birds-eye view of her charms. She felt for the tiny vial in the pocket of her skirt. When they ordered a new bottle of whisky she offered to pour. They didn’t notice the generous shots she laced liberally with arsenic. The effect was not immediate. They were not aware how it slowly spread through their pulp like brains and numbed them. How it was not enough to kill them but enough to make them night blind.
After a few rounds of the tampered brew the two men saw Dahlia disappear back through the cloud of blue smoke. They tried to stop her, tried to get up from their chairs but fell back down like they were hit by a ton of lead. They gave up and continued to finish the bottle of whiskey.
After the humiliating incident at the Emerald Salon, Sara Fenn, and her sign toting followers, experienced a distinct dip in their morale. Sara cursed Esmeralda Jones when overnight, members of her Washoe Woman’s Temperance League, disappeared for parts unknown. She was now back on D Street, in that very crucible of depravity, in search of new recruits. She’d known that abused women, beaten by men and bedeviled by drink would make the best advocates for new sisters. She would take them to the Lutheran church, lift them up wash them up and fill them with the fire of the Lord.
And then arm them with an axe.
As she walked down the dusty street she saw something that made the blood boil in her veins. A low reprobate of a man, a drunken oaf, was dragging a young woman in to the shadows between two buildings. Sara heard the young woman scream and the sound of a loud slap.
Sara Fenn raised her axe and ran across the street.
“Stop! Stop! Vile seducer, stop this instance!”
She saw the man turn his head towards her voice. Sara skidded to a stop as burning red eyes bore into hers. Instinctively she swung her axe. The last thing she remembered was the juicy ‘THUNK’ as it buried itself in his skull before a swarm of shadowy figures overwhelmed her and bit and tore into her flesh.
After Virgil left, Devlin turned the invitation over and over in his hands. He understood Virgil’s ire. As a loner Devlin was respected in the Vampire community, feared even. He was also looked upon with suspicion as someone who preferred to associate with the living. Truth be told he had no wish to live in the shadows and now found himself drawn once more into the struggle between Light and Darkness. A tendency he attributed to his grim childhood.
Devlin strapped on his gun belts and sword and threw on his black duster. He tucked the invitation from Virgil into his vest pocket and headed in the direction of B Street.
Let Peabody’s scum have a go at me now, he thought.
Virgil had rubbed him the wrong way with his sanctimonious manner and now he was in a foul mood. His mood did not improve when he reached the Emerald Salon and found that Esmeralda was not there. He looked around for Jamie but when the youth was nowhere to be found, a feeling of alarm shot through him. He saw Kuong polishing glasses at the bar and walked up to him.
“Kuong, do you know where your mistress has gone?”
Kuong looked Devlin i
n the eye. “Missy she get message, go to D Street, no good.”
Devlin nodded and then slid a silver coin across the counter. He walked back out into the night air, scenting it like a wolf.
Esmeralda and Jamie had been called to see a patient in a crib on D Street. When they arrived they were led by a woman called Ma into a dark cubbyhole of a bedroom that was lit by a single kerosene lamp. A woman lay there under the thin blanket and soiled sheets, she had a familiar face one that was pinched and contorted with pain. She thrashed about with fever. Esmeralda stepped closer.
“It’s Sara Fenn!”
“ Do you know her Miss Esmeralda?” Jamie asked
“ Remember the Suffragette, from the Women’s League?”
“ Oh lordy, lordy,” Jamie replied, his eyes round with fear.
Esmeralda pulled back the blanket and nearly vomited. Sara’s left breast had been completely chewed off as if an animal had attacked her and she panted like a dog.
Esmeralda leaned in towards her.
“Miss Fenn can you hear me? Who did this to you?”
Sara Fenn’s head thrashed back and forth fever glazed her eyes. There was no answer from the woman. Esmeralda pulled the thin blanket up to cover Sara’s savaged flesh.
“You need to call for a doctor, this woman’s injuries are beyond my skill”
Ma shrugged, her bloodshot eyes shifted from side to side. “But them said you was the one ta heal her.”
“Them? Who are you referring to?”
Ma moved her bulk away from the doorway. Two of Peabody’s guns stood there. One had greasy blond hair and the other wore a short beard.
They both look hateful, like no account trash, liquored up and ready to do mischief, Esmeralda thought.
Ma cackled as if she was plum satisfied in doing her part to lure Esmeralda into Peabody’s trap.
The blond man backhanded her out of the way.
“Beat it, Hag!”
While Ma stumbled against the doorjamb then scuttled away Esmeralda reached into the pocket of her skirt. She gripped the butt of the pepperbox and slid it out.
“Get out of my way or I swear to heaven I will unload this in one of your filthy hides.”
“Git yer hand ofen that gun woman, ya ain’t gonna git both of us and we’s got orders ta brung ya alive.”
“What about the boy?” said Short beard.
“Ain’t got no use fer him.” The blond shrugged. “Kill him.”
Before they could follow through on their threat Esmeralda pulled the trigger. The bullets shattered the knee of the blond gunman and he cried out in pain. She dove to the floor and pulled Jamie with her. Short beard fired his gun but the bullets tore over their heads.
A loud bang shook the house and the door was kicked inward. Short beard whirled round. Devlin burst into the house. He blasted the man twice in the chest and watched as he flew backwards and landed across the bed. Esmeralda and Jamie rushed for the doorway. The first gunman scrambled to his feet and grabbed Esmeralda’s skirts. He pulled her back. She kicked him in the shin.
“Duck!” shouted Devlin.
She flung herself to the side as his sword swished through the air. It lopped off the gunman’s head where it bounced and smeared across the crusty wallpaper. Devlin pulled Esmeralda and Jamie behind him.
“Run, get the hell out of here!”
By now Short beard had got up from the bed. Eyes wide, mouth agape he fumbled for his gun. Devlin swung his sword once more and parted his head from his body before he even cleared leather.
Sara Fenn screamed, and with superhuman strength, she rose from the bed and with her hands curled like talons flung herself towards Devlin. He kicked her against the wall then chopped her head from her body. He wiped his blade on the grimy sheets then went out after Esmeralda.
Esmeralda and Jamie stood just outside of the front door. She had reloaded her pistol and Jamie held a hunting knife in his hand. She looked up at Devlin.
“What in God’s creation was that?”
Jamie nodded. “Ain’t never seen the like, them were Devils.”
Devlin grasped her arm and pulled her outside.
“Not Devils, undead flesh eaters, Zombie’s, Peabody’s spawn, they don’t die easy. Come, I will take you back to the salon now.”
Esmeralda pulled her arm away. “I can make my own way back. Jamie, let’s get out of here.”
Devlin grasped her arm again. “No, you must let me escort you It’s not safe while Peabody and his gunmen walk the streets.”
He whistled for his stallion. When the black steed came galloping up he lifted Esmeralda into the saddle.
Walking Ghost materialized from the shadows and the four of them walked back towards B Street and the Emerald Salon.
The whole way back to the salon Devlin remained silent. A red haze clouded his eyesight as his thoughts dwelled on the events that had just happened.
Big Jim and his assassin Peabody have crossed the line. The situation has become a runaway train, one that I intend to derail for good this time.
When they reached the Emerald salon he told Jamie to double up the security. Then he escorted Esmeralda upstairs to her private rooms.
Esmeralda flung her reticule down on the bed and unpinned her hair. Devlin placed his hands on her shoulders but she whirled around like a cat.
“What now, Devlin? They will try again to get to you through me. You should have seen what those depraved beasts had done to that woman.” She put her hands over her eyes. “It was horrible! Unspeakable!”
Devlin pulled her close.
“What is next? How can you fight against such horror?”
Devlin looked into her eyes. He pushed some stray strands of hair from her face and caressed her cheek.
“Tomorrow night is the Vampire Ball. Peabody and Big Jim have struck at one of the vampires. They murdered and eviscerated the undertaker Thaddeus Meeks. Ligea, their queen will not let this go un-avenged. I want you to come with me because I think they mean to join forces with us. I would be foolish to reject any help they could offer, at this time.”
Esmeralda pulled back. “I am not ready, Devlin. Don’t even ask it of me, not now…”
“Shhh…Angel. You will come as my donor, no one will be the wiser, and they would not dare question me.”
Esmeralda gave a small exasperated laugh. “Your donor? Do you mean a real donor? Otherwise I am quite sure that Ligea and her vampires could spell me out as a sham”
“It is the most immediate way that I know to protect you,” he said.
“What if leave? Take the first train out of town?”
“Is that what you wish to do?”
Esmeralda looked away. “I cannot stop you from leaving Virginia City but I am not sure at this point that running will put you out of danger.”
Esmeralda’s heart filled with emotion
I am deceiving myself, how can I possibly leave and let him face this battle alone? she thought.
Chapter Twenty
Red Ribbon
After he had disposed of that old buzzard Boots, Big Jim hired an army of rough and ready miners to chisel and pound their way through the Lily Ann to the shaft of Gilded Bird.
His progress though had been slow to non-existent filled with delays and bizarre mishaps. As soon as they had made ten feet of progress the drill punched through the rock and a stream of scalding water exploded through the rock to burn and drown five of his men. The shaft was flooded and it had taken 24 hours to bail it out. Even the most hardened men he had hired started to balk at going back down into the mine. He had to shell out extra money to keep them working. He had gone down to the mine himself to harangue and cajole them but they had just stared back at him with sullen eyes.
Finally he’d sent Peabody to whip the miners into shape. He was so close to the union that would bring him ultimate power. As for Devlin and his whore, well he planned to make a sacrifice of them first.
He stared into his fireplace. In the flames he co
uld see glowing reptilian eyes and they seduced and fascinated him. He could almost feel himself transforming, peeling out of his mortal body like a snake shedding its skin. He was filled with anticipation. The small insignificant kernel that had once been his innocent self, the hopeful love starved boy, had been completely consumed over the years until not one tiny speck remained.
The hall clock chimed waking him from his daze.
Now he waited for the news that he would soon have Esmeralda Jones in his grasp. He called for his pipe and filled his brandy glass to the brim. But the news never came. Finally he passed out from his cocktail of brandy and opium. The next morning when the sun blazed through the parlor window he woke, sweating and furious.
Down on the boardwalk Dahlia flitted through the shadows. The two gunmen she had poisoned in the shooting gallery had refused to die and now they hunted her like a rabbit. She dared not get close to them again because she could smell their hunger and see it in their bloodshot eyes. If they caught her they would tear her to pieces. She should have listened to her Lord and beat it the hell out of Virginia City. She would have been halfway to Louisiana by now if she had.
She heard the clop, clop of their down-at-the-heels boots and whisked around the side of the Lutheran Church. Then without warning, she was snatched from behind and a hand was placed over her mouth. She bit down hard and heard a grunt.