by Leo Romero
Trixie then started mumbling something to herself.
“It’s all right, Trixie,” Dom said as he began laying her down on her bed. “It’s your bed.”
Her eyes then snapped open in horror. She laid them on Dom’s grinning face. Dom gave her a wink. She immediately swung her palm across the air. Before Dom could react, he caught a slap on the cheek. His smile was wiped from his face in a flash.
He dropped her down on her bed and shot a hand up to his burning cheek. “Ow! What the hell was that for? You gone nuts?”
“Get away from me!” she snapped in alarm.
“Hey, I’m just trying to help! You’re hurt, you need to lie down.”
“I know what you’re up to!” she sneered.
“Up to? What the hell—”
“It’s all right, Dominic,” Vincent interjected, placing a calm hand on Dom’s upper arm. “She’s a tad delirious. Leave her to me.”
“She’s all yours,” Dom said, stepping back. “Man, that’s gratitude for ya!” He turned away, rubbing his reddening cheek.
Vincent placed a hand on Trixie’s clammy forehead, and her frantic eyes instantly mellowed. Soon after, her breathing became shallow. “It’s all right, Trixie,” Vincent whispered. Her eyes closed, and in seconds, she was drifting off to sleep once more. Vincent glanced back at Dom.
Dom puffed his cheeks. “Man, she’s in a bad way.”
Vincent nodded. “Yes. Her courage is astounding.”
“So’s her strength,” Dom noted, still rubbing his hot cheek.
Vincent pulled the covers out from beneath her and laid them over her. She instinctively grabbed them and pulled them up to her face.
“We better leave her to rest,” Vincent suggested. “But, we’ll need her wounds tended to.”
“Eddie must still be at Sun. I’ll give him a call and get him to send one of the med guys over.”
“Good idea. Get an update on Rufus’ condition as well.” Vincent sighed and stood upright, his gaze fixed on Trixie. “Thanks for coming back and saving us, Trixie,” he said to her.
“Anytime, Daddy,” she replied in a voice slurred with sleepiness, her eyes shut tight.
Vincent turned and faced Dom. “Come on, let’s leave her in peace,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
“Eddie?”
“Dom! Where are you? Are you okay? What happened? I’ve been going nuts here!”
“Woah, woah, buddy, I’m all right. I’m back at the mansion.”
“Thank God. I thought I’d never see... Never mind all that crap, you’re safe, that’s all that matters. Did you find Vincent?”
“Yeah, we got him, bro, he’s here with me at the mansion. Trixie got a little beat up though.”
“Oh man. She okay?”
“Yeah. Actually, no. She’s hurt, but she’ll make it. I’ll need you to get one of the med guys down here to fix her up.”
“Yeah, no problem, I’ll send someone over ASAP. So what happened? There was a killer storm this morning downtown, it was like the apocalypse.”
“Leviah is dead. That’s what happened. The Blood Order is kaput.”
“What? How?”
“Trixie. That’s how. Look, things might start to get a bit wild from here on out so you gotta stay safe, buddy, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“How’s Rufus?”
“Considering he’s been used as a bullet sponge, he’s doing good. Been here the whole night with him.”
“Think he’ll make it?”
“Not sure. He’s breathing, that’s the main thing; we’re keeping a close eye on him.”
“That’s good to hear, buddy. Me and Vincent will be over soon to check on him.”
“Hey, man, it’s so good to hear your voice, I haven’t slept since you left for that frickin building.”
“Me neither!”
“Ha ha. I’m just so glad you’re alive.”
“Yeah, me too, buddy. Me too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Don César, the Grand Master of the Chaos Order Inner Circle, stepped into the conference chamber of her mountaintop hideaway. The Grand Dons, who each oversaw the cartels of their respective Central and South American country, were already gathered around the conference table. On entering, each of them stood from their seat and bowed their heads.
César patted her hands on the air. “Be seated,” she said.
The dons retook their seats and César stepped over to her own. On sitting, she placed her palms down on the surface of the oak table, her fingers splayed. “We must thank the Unholy Mother for her blessings, for this gift she has bestowed upon us; this gift of immortality, of ageless power and foresight.”
They all bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
“La Madre Impía,” each vampire said in unison.
They then fell silent and Don César commenced the meeting. “My thanks to all of you for making the journey up this mountain,” she began. “It’s not easy traveling in shadow, but tonight is a special occasion.” As she spoke, she stared into the eyes of every vampire seated at the round table alongside her.
“Why have you dragged us all here, César?” an impatient Don Vasquez asked.
César adjusted herself in her seat. “Word has reached us that the Blood Order has fallen. Their leader, Leviah, the blood guzzler, has been killed.”
“Bullshit!” Don Emilio responded.
César gave him a dark stare. “The rumors are correct, Emilio. Our contacts in Chicago have reported an incident. Leviah is dead. Already, the Dragons are moving in to replace the Bloods.”
Emilio lounged back in his seat. “So if this is true, what do we do? Leviah was an ally.”
César’s answer was immediate. “We strike. It’s our only choice.”
“But, if the Dragons are already there, then we’ll have to fight them,” Vasquez stated.
“So? You scared, Vasquez?” asked Don Ramirez.
Vasquez gave her a hard stare. “Me? Scared? My Mexican soldiers will have the Dragons for breakfast. How long will your Honduran assholes last?”
César raised her hands. “Enough of the bullshit! This is our greatest opportunity to finally take control over the North. We mustn’t let the Dragons have it. They’ll become too powerful.”
Don Julio then spoke up. “If we could take it, we’d have our hands on the mightiest military force on the planet.”
César nodded. “And we can do as we please.”
“We’ll become Gods,” Julio said with a wicked grin, his eyes flashing with drunken power.
“We already are Gods,” César countered. “We are just not yet rulers of our Kingdom. But soon, we will be. Our patience is finally being rewarded. Once we have it all under our control, we’ll release the chaos, then rebuild a sunless world.”
“What do we do next, César?” Julio asked, leaning in, his eyes wide.
“We need to work together,” César answered. “Tell your lieutenants to call temporary truces. No more soldiers fighting on the streets. First we need to send Magdalena’s gifts to America. Let them spread far and wide. We’ve already activated some of our sleeper cells in Chicago, but they need backup. I want one of you to go to Chicago with your crew and stop the Dragons from taking over. Who among us will be the one to make the journey to fight?”
The dons all glanced at one another. At first, no one answered.
Then, “I’ll do it,” Don Ramon said, speaking for the first time.
Their heads all turned his way. César’s face brimmed with surprise.
“You? You’ve only just joined our ranks,” Vasquez stated, looking Ramon up and down.
“Let me show you all what I’m capable of,” Ramon said. “Let me show my appreciation of what you’ve given me. I’ll go to Chicago and fight the Dragons. And I’ll beat them for you. For us all.”
“Thank you for your offer, Ramon,” César said. She turned to the others. “Do we all agree on Don Ramon being the one among us to head North
?”
She was greeted by unanimous nods of the head. Vasquez shrugged, then nodded his approval.
César clapped her hands together. “Then it’s agreed! Don Ramon will take Los Niños to Chicago to fight against the Dragons.”
Ramon bowed his head in appreciation. This was his time. The Unholy Mother had blessed him with luck to receive such a great opportunity so early in his new life as a vampire. The episode back in the ancient temple was now behind him. It was a brief, terrifying, lonely experience. But, the outcome was immense. More than he’d imagined. The injection of authority, power-lust finally satiated. Immortality. The world now his. A small amount of pain for an eternity of gain.
Already, he could feel the power he wielded in his veins. He couldn’t wait to unleash it on the Dragons and the unsuspecting gringos. He envisaged himself becoming a legendary vampire of the Chaos Order. They’d speak his name for centuries to come when their kind finally took the earth for their own.
He grinned at the thought.
Now it was time to make history. And set free the Chaos.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dom entered the lounge area to find Vincent standing in front of the TV; he was watching it with studious eyes, his chin resting in one hand, the remote control clutched in the other.
“Eddie’s gonna send someone over to check on Trixie,” Dom said to Vincent as he went and stood next to him.
Vincent briefly turned to face him. “Good. I think you should go and get some rest too. You need it after last night’s exertions.”
“Rest? How can I sleep after last night? I was almost killed about fifty times! I’m wide awake!”
Vincent chuckled. “I know what you mean. I’m feeling rather energized as well.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe Leviah is actually dead. It’s almost surreal.”
“He’s dead all right. I watched him burn with my own eyes.”
“Yes, but the gravity of such an event is immense. What happened last night will send shockwaves throughout the vampire world.”
“Yeah, in what way?”
“They’ll now realize they aren’t as untouchable as they previously thought. The time is coming, their demise is near. The problem from their point of view, is that they don’t see it as a demise. Their hubris blinds them. They’ll see this as an opportunity to further their own ends.” He sighed. “The other orders will be alerted by Leviah’s death and will look to act upon this.”
“How?”
Vincent nodded his head toward the TV. Dom turned to face it. A news report was playing. Coming live and direct from the I-Sore Tower. Reporters were scrambling left and right amongst the cops who’d cordoned the area off. The camera kept panning up to the upper floors where the windows had been blown out. The storm was still raging and the streets were rainswept, the cops having a hard time keeping the public and the media under control. It was a zoo.
Dom shook his head. “What’s going on?”
“They’re saying it was an act of terrorism.”
“Terrorism? But it was Trixie.”
Vincent shrugged. “To them it’s the same thing.”
Dom watched and listened to the report for a minute. “I don’t get it,” he said with a shake of his head. “They’re saying it was the drug cartels. Look, they’ve found dead cartel members near the I-Sore Tower.” He turned and stared at Vincent. “The cartel? I never saw any cartel there, only Blacklake mercs.”
Vincent turned his mouth downward. “It’s clearly a fabricated story.”
“But who’s fabricating it?”
“The various orders have their hidden agents. Very resourceful agents who can manipulate media perception. This is their response to the fall of the Blood Order. But, who exactly...” Vincent tapped his fingers on his chin while he contemplated. Then, his eyes lit up. “Benedict!” he uttered with a knowing nod of his head.
Dom frowned. “Who’s Benedict?”
“Benedict. The head honcho of the Dragon Order; the European order of vampires. The Blood Order had strong allegiances with the Dragon Order, a kind of transatlantic pact that protected one another from the Eastern orders. The Dragons no doubt have their agents operating here in the US. Yes, they’ve taken control of the situation, and are trying to steer it in a certain direction. They may well have had those bodies planted and any Blacklake removed from the scene.”
“But why the cartel?”
“Well, they could hardly admit it was vampire hunters, could they?” Vincent said with a wry grin.
“I suppose, but the cartel? In Chicago?”
“It’s a new threat. Don’t you see? Something new for people to be afraid of. The Order like to keep the public in a perpetual state of anxiety and fear.”
“Why?”
“That way they’re easier to manage. They cease to be a threat. Now, this cartel business is interesting. If my suspicions are correct and Benedict is running the show from Europe, the South and Central American scapegoat suggests—at least to me—that the Dragon Order fear the rise of the Chaos Order and are pre-emptively attempting to diffuse it. Now that there’s a power vacuum in the States, there will be a struggle to fill the void. And as the Chaos Order have been at loggerheads with the Blood Order in the past, then it makes sense for them to attempt a coup, to take the throne left by Leviah for their own. Obviously, this is a threat to the other orders. The last thing they’ll want is for the Chaos Order to have its hands on nukes and the most crippling financial instruments ever known to mankind. Benedict wants that all for himself.” He sighed. “I see bad things happening over the course of the ensuing weeks and months. Trixie was very ill-advised in destroying Leviah. Things could get out of hand very rapidly if we aren’t careful.”
“What do you mean ‘we’? I say let’s just stay out of it and let the orders destroy each other.”
Vincent groaned. “Young man, if only it were that simple. The higher echelons of the orders are not fools. They do not fight their battles, they send in their gophers to do their bidding for them. That’s how vampires operate. In the shadows, in the darkness while the duped masses lose their lives carrying out their orders. And besides, I’m afraid we’ve suddenly become major players in this fiasco now that we’ve acquired the Eye of Moroz.”
“The what?”
“The Eye of Moroz. The relic Leviah was so keen to reclaim. The one that Trixie thankfully didn’t destroy. If she had, the world would right now be bathed in blood.”
“Why?”
“Because the orders would have nothing to squabble over and they would self-destruct. But in the process they’d destroy everything with them. Just like a spoiled child.”
“What is that thing, Vincent? What does it do?”
Vincent’s face turned grim. “It does many things. It, among other such items, allows the children of Moroz to communicate with their dead father. He guides them in their quest for domination, and the relics are the key to his resurrection.” He shook his head. “There is much to explain. When Trixie recovers, I will fill you both in. Until then, we have to tighten security and keep a keen eye on developments because eventually someone will come looking for the Eye. Be mindful, Dominic. Don’t believe everything the idiot box tells you. Remain skeptical. Keep an open mind. Many tongues are forked in this world. And you can find yourself easily deceived if you don’t pay attention.”
Dom nodded. Yeah, that was very true. He was getting that vibe more and more as the days went on. Trust no one. Just like Fox Mulder.
“Looks like interesting times ahead,” Dom said.
“Indeed. An old Chinese proverb says, ‘may you live in interesting times’. It looks like we’re the blessed ones to be alive right now. Or we’re cursed. We shall find out as time unfolds.”
The doorbell then sounded out.
Vincent frowned.
“That’ll be the med guy Eddie sent over,” Dom said.
“Good. Let them in.”
Nurse Rhonda Jones pulled up a chair n
ext to Trixie’s bed. Trixie was still in a deep sleep. Rhonda reached out and took hold of her hand. The ragged, blood-soaked bandages she’d wrapped around it in the I-Sore Tower were hanging off. Rhonda delicately peeled them back, exposing her wounds. On seeing them, Vincent winced. He was towering over Rhonda, his gaze fixed on Trixie’s hand. He stared at the livid cuts crisscrossing her palm with lament; he only now realized just how painful they had to be. He then noticed that part of her little finger was missing. “Oh my goodness,” he gasped.
Trixie murmured in her sleep.
“She’s been hurt bad,” Rhonda stated. “But we should be able to fix her up. I can smell disinfectant, so she must have applied some back at the tower. Smart move.” She held Trixie’s palm up to the light emanating from the lamp on her bedside cabinet. “There are a few fragments of glass still embedded in there.”
“Can you get them out?” Vincent asked with concern.
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Rhonda picked up a pair of tweezers from the tray of implements she’d placed down on the bed and got to work. While the rain patted light against the bedroom window, Rhonda pulled out as many bits of glass as she could. Vincent stared at the tiny, bloodstained fragments on the tray with mournful eyes. Trixie’s pain was his pain.
When done, Rhonda placed the tweezers back down and picked up a bottle of disinfectant and cotton ball. She then dabbed disinfectant on Trixie’s wounds. Trixie winced and groaned in her sleep.
“Shh. It’s okay, Trixie,” Vincent said in a quiet voice.
Following that, Rhonda took some gauze and placed it carefully over the cuts and stump of her little finger. She then proceeded to wrap fresh bandages around her hand.
“She’ll be okay,” Rhonda declared soon after. “A few cuts that’ll heal in time.”
“And the finger?”
“The missing section will heal over. She’ll have to live with it as it is.”