by R. M. Garcia
“How are you doing, boy?” Lazarus asked.
“I’m pissed, and I like it that way,” Donnie said as he got up and plowed into Gestapo once again.
“We need to get out of here,” Nox said.
“Get the woman’s body,” Lazarus said.
“But she’s dead,” Nox argued.
“She was important to Donnie. She must be cared for,” Lazarus said as he placed his hand on Nox’s shoulder.
“Should I help the priest?” Nox asked offering the baby to Lazarus. She stopped crying the moment he took her from him.
“There is no need,” Lazarus said and began hobbling toward the exit. Nox looked over to Father Dominick and Anna.
“Damn you to hell,” Anna yelled as she turned to face Lazarus. Father Dominick took the chance the distraction had given him and freed his arms. He hurled both axes simultaneously into Anna’s back. She screamed and began to spin and contort, trying to pull them free from her back. The holy axes were burning her flesh. Father Dominick pushed CeeCee’s body off him and performed a kick stand jump. In the middle of one of her panicked twirls, Father Dominick pulled both axes from her back with an upward motion and then severed both her arms with the downward dual strike.
“No!” Anna screamed as she watched her arms fall to the ground. She turned and began to run. Father Dominick spun rapidly three times and flung the axes at her.
“Discus-throw champion 1987!” he yelled as he released his grip on the axes. His aim was impeccable and each axe severed one of her legs, one at the knee and the other at the thigh. He began walking calmly toward her.
“My Führer, my love, help me!” Anna cried out in terror. Gestapo hearing her cries turned and began to move toward her, but found Donnie unwilling to let him go. Donnie grabbed the back of his coat and yanked him back violently. He landed on his back, and Donnie stomped on his chest and head mercilessly. He jumped into the air and landed a savage elbow on Gestapo’s throat. Donnie wrapped his arms and legs around Gestapo’s body and turned him on his side.
“Do it quick, Father Dom, I don’t know how long I can hold him!” Donnie yelled.
“Of course, I will!” Father Dominick yelled back. Father Dominick leaned down next to Anna and whispered in her ear. “Lord, please forgive me for telling lies.” He grabbed Anna by her hair and began dragging her to the pedestal, where the golden throne once rested.
“Now you get to watch your loved one die, das asshole,” Donnie whispered into Gestapo’s ear. Gestapo struggled in vain as Father Dominick dragged Anna’s face first over the puddle of holy water that had been discharged from the extinguisher. Anna began to scream horridly and writhed in unimaginable pain.
“He said make it quick,” Nox said. Father Dominick nodded and walked over to the fire extinguisher and emptied the remaining contents over her body.
“I can’t believe they had these old water-based extinguishers all over the building. Do you know how easy they are to sanctify?” After he was done pouring the contents over Anna’s body, her screams ceased, only wet sand remained. Nox looked at Father Dominick.
“You know you’re not right, in the head?” Nox said, turning around and ran over to CeeCee’s body and snatched it up. “Finish this, Donnie!”
“Get out of here!” Donnie yelled back. He felt Gestapo’s strength surging. He stared at Father Dominick as he ran over and collected the axes and jogged out of the chamber.
“I will gut that man and bathe in his entrails,” Gestapo promised.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Donnie asked. “Having your heart ripped out, by someone else. Oops, I guess that’s one for the good guys.”
“I grow tired of this game,” Gestapo said. “I see that I will have to destroy you before I can enact my revenge. So be it!”
Forty-nine floors below, Frieda slid open a secret door and closed it behind her. She was running as fast as she could. She kept tossing glances back to make sure she wasn’t being followed as she descended to the bottom floor. She reached a radio room and began calling through the intercom. “Is anyone there?” Frieda was frantic now. “All troops to the Führer’s chamber.” She received nothing back except static.
“Looks like you are alone,” Espee said from behind her. Frieda turned around but there was no one there. “You cannot escape,” she said again from behind Frieda. Frieda whirled around and swung out a kick that hit nothing but air. “Missed me,” Espee whispered in Frieda’s ear. Frieda jumped as a result of the proximity of Espee’s voice, but again could not see anything.
“Where are you?” Frieda asked.
“Do you know how I survived as long as I have?” Espee asked. Frieda tracked the voice, and it seemed to be moving around the room, she could hear Espee’s footsteps now.
“I can hear you,” Frieda said. “Now, I can find you.”
“But do you want to?” Espee said as she materialized directly in front of Frieda and shoved her violently backward. “You can’t catch what you can’t see.” Frieda watched as Espee vanished right before her eyes. Frieda stood up but was struck and knocked back down.
“Invisibility, but that ability is only possessed by one Bloodline.”
“That’s right, you Reich Come mierda.”
“The counsel was sure all the Old Ones had been eliminated that only the Marked One survived the purge.”
“Well, they were wrong, very wrong, and missed one.”
“Your Bloodline turned its back on the Dark Lord, they deserved what they got!”
“Probably,” Espee replied as she vanished once again. “But if it wasn’t for the purge I would have lived out my life. You forced him to make me into this. I finally understand why he did this to me. We Foundlings needed a guardian, and I became their protector.” Espee pulled on Frieda’s hair, tossing her across the cramp room.
“What do you want from me?” Frieda screamed as she got up quickly.
“Revenge,” Espee replied and kicked Frieda in the stomach. She bounced off the ceiling as she traveled down the hall.
“You aren’t hurting me, you pathetic Foundling!” Frieda yelled. “My die Mauer is still too strong for you.” Frieda began to laugh as she stood up. She suddenly stopped as Espee materialized behind her and placed both palms on either side of her head and began to squeeze.
“What happens when you apply pressure to rock?” Espee asked as she increased her pressure tenfold.
“You are wasting your time,” Frieda said. “My shell won’t crack.” Frieda began struggling against Espee’s hold and quickly found that Espee was immensely stronger than her.
“I am over one thousand year old,” Espee said, “and descendent from the most ancient and powerful of Bloodlines.” Espee increased her pressure a hundredfold. “You’re simply outclassed.” Frieda gasped in surprise as her head imploded and then exploded into black sand. Espee watched as the rest of her body followed suit, spreading sand over the marble floor.
“Well done, my dear,” Lazarus said. He had made it down the stairs, carrying Donna. “Now, would you help this old man get outside?”
“You heard everything?” Espee asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you going to destroy me?” She asked genuinely frightened.
“You are a Foundling, are you not?” Lazarus asked.
“Yes.”
“Then you will never have anything to fear from me, despite your lineage.” Lazarus almost tipped but steadied himself against a wall.
“You need blood,” Espee said as she helped Lazarus exit the building.
“All in good time,” Lazarus replied. Father Dominick and Nox soon caught up. “Please bring our fallen brother along.” Father Dominick carried Father Benitez’s body outside. They met up next to the vintage Cadillac. Everyone looked up and wondered how Donnie was doing.
Gestapo was tossing Donnie around like a rag doll. His rage had doubled his strength, and Donnie was paying for it. He was moving at inhuman speeds knocking, punching, and kicking Donnie al
l over the chamber. Donnie decided to ride out the barrage and concentrated on staying calm despite the pain. Every wound he received was healed before the next one was delivered. After several minutes, Gestapo stopped and let Donnie stand up.
“This is pointless,” Gestapo said. “You can’t hurt me, and you heal faster than I can harm you. We are at a standstill.”
“I will gladly accept your surrender, just let me rip your head off, and we can call it a night,” Donnie replied and started walking toward Gestapo again.
“You will continue to fight?” Gestapo asked in shock. “Even though you have no hope of winning?”
“I have more than hope on my side, Kraut,” Donnie said boldly. “I have faith!” Donnie lunged at Gestapo once again and began pounding him brutally, driving him back against a wall. Gestapo grabbed him by the throat, and pulled his face close to his.
“Faith is overrated.” He hurled Donnie through five feet of marble and solid reinforced concrete. The building’s exterior exploded in a myriad of stone as Donnie emerged on the other side and began to fall fifty stories to the ground below.
“Look out!” Espee cried out as Donnie landed on Father Dominick’s Cadillac. The windows and tires violently erupted as Donnie’s body’s crushed the roof.
“No!” Father Dominick cried out as he fell onto his knees. “What sort of evil desecrates a Cadillac!”
“Oh yeah, that hurt,” Donnie said as he rolled off the car. “Definitely, definitely hurt.”
“How are we doing, son?” Lazarus asked.
“He won that round,” he said. “I’m not losing another one.” Donnie sprinted toward the building. Lazarus looked up as the skies went from clear to dark and stormy.
“Avenge my car!” Father Dominick yelled raising a fist into the air.
“It is happening,” Lazarus said to Espee.
“We might need to move farther away,” Espee replied. Donnie did not go into the building; instead he placed his hands at the base of the structure. Donnie closed his eyes, and his entire body began to shake. The shaking soon turned to vibrations, and those vibrations grew and emanated outwardly. Gestapo watched the sky dim and wondered what was happening; he was suddenly knocked off his feet as that entire building began to shake. The building continued to quake violently and began to sway back and forth.
“Run!” Espee yelled, and everyone began to move away from the building. Gestapo regained his footing, and looked down to where Donnie was standing. His vibrations had grown so rapid that was merely a blur now; it was as if he was looking at him through the blades of a fast-spinning fan. Gestapo jumped out of the hole, but was struck by a bolt of lightning, and was slammed back inside the chamber. Gestapo sat up just as the floor gave way under him, and the entire building collapsed within itself. He was crushed under one hundred thousand megatons of steel, concrete, and glass. The localized earthquake easily exceeded a ten on the Richter scale.
“Is it over?” Espee asked.
“Not even close,” Lazarus replied. Donnie began walking to the center of the debris as Gestapo emerged. He was utterly unharmed.
“Impressive,” Gestapo commented. “You managed to break my die Mauer, but you are only delaying the inevitable, I will only reform it and will be once again impervious to harm. You have accomplished nothing!” A bolt of lightning struck him and drove him down to one knee.
“Wrong!” Donnie said as he continued walking toward Gestapo. “You forget that I was married to Abbie.” Another bolt of lightning struck Gestapo, driving him down to both knees.
“I know your secrets. I know that a full body transformation into die Mauer leaves you weakened once it breaks.” Donnie called another bolt of lightning and struck Gestapo, his skin began to char. “I know that to summon the die Mauer requires intense concentration.” Three consecutive bolts of lightning rained down on Gestapo. The skies opened up, and rain began to freely fall. “I know that as long as I keep slamming you with lightning that will be impossible.” Donnie reached Gestapo.
“Yes,” Gestapo replied. “You are correct, but I can still run!” Gestapo sprung to his feet and began to run away. Donnie pulled the chain from around his waist and slung it around Gestapo’s feet in a whip-like motion, tripping him. Another five bolts of lightning struck Gestapo in succession. Donnie jumped on his back and coiled the chain around his arms.
“Donnie, we can still work together,” Gestapo cried out; he was unable to hide the panic behind his words. “Ask me for anything, and I will grant it.”
“Can you bring my wife back from the dead?” Donnie said as another ten bolts fell on both Donnie and Gestapo. The rubble around them began to glow red and melt together from the intense heat.
“No . . . ” Gestapo said weakly, Donnie could see that he was trying to reform his die Mauer.
“Drain him baby,” Donnie heard Abbie say. “Take everything he is into you.”
“Thanks baby.” He leaned down and whispered into Gestapo’s ear, “May God abolish you of all sins, and may he have mercy on your soul.” He sank his fangs into Gestapo’s neck and began to drink. Gestapo tried to struggle but every gulp Donnie took, combined with the constant, unyielding strikes of electricity kept him pinned down. Gestapo began to yell as Donnie sucked him dry. Donnie kept drinking, even though there was no longer any blood; he was still feeding on something. His blood was replaced by viscous black ichors, it tasted foul, but he continued to drink and drink. Gestapo’s body turned from flesh into a coarse stone. Donnie stood up and crushed his head under the heel of his boot. He turned around and walked over to Lazarus and the others. “It’s over.”
“I am afraid it is not,” Lazarus said. “At least not yet.”
“What do you mean?” Donnie asked. Suddenly he grabbed his stomach and bent over in pain. “What?” Donnie violently threw himself onto his back and began to writhe in agony. He grabbed at empty air, kicked and arched his back, and began screaming, it was like nothing anyone had ever seen.
“What is happening to him?” Espee asked.
“With their Source dead, every Reich vampire has just turned to sand,” Lazarus said.
“But that is good, right?” Nox asked.
“Too much, sich übernehmen,” Donnie screamed. “Shut up, Halt die Klappe!”
“Every soul that Gestapo held trapped as well as every soul of each fallen Reich vampire is rushing into him,” Lazarus explained. “It may be too much for his mind and body to withstand. He wasn’t prepared for this.” Donnie rolled onto his stomach and curled up into a ball, whilst still screaming his head off. The weather became increasingly worse. The winds blew in every direction, rain poured, then suddenly stopped, and the earth shook once again.
“We need to help him!” Espee said as she knelt down next to him. “Donnie, come on, you can get control of this. I know you can.” Donnie looked up at Espee and screamed at her, a bolt of lightning landed alarmingly close.
“We need to get out of here,” Nox said. “He’s losing it.”
“That might be a good idea,” Lazarus said. “I will stay with him.”
“I’m not leaving him,” Father Dominick said defiantly as he pulled out a cross and placed it on Donnie’s forehead and began praying.
“Dominick, you are not fireproof, I am,” Lazarus said. “Should a bolt strike you?”
“His father saved me when I was nothing but a strung out junkie,” Father Dominick said as tears streamed down his face. “He sat and prayed with me, when I was going through withdrawals. It was the toughest thing I ever had to endure. The devil himself will not pull me away from his side now!”
“Dominick,” Lazarus said.
“He won’t hurt us,” Father Dominick said. “God tells me so.” Donnie began panting quickly.
“Let me take it from here,” Abbie said as she knelt down beside Donnie and Father Dominick. Everyone was surprised to see her apparition before them. A translucent Abbie knelt down and placed her ghostly hands on Donnie’s chest.
&
nbsp; “Abbie, is that you?” Espee asked.
“Is it her?” Nox asked. “Fuck me it is!”
“Hello, Espee, and hi Nox,” Abbie replied. Father Dominick passed his hand through Abbie’s head slowly and then quickly repeated it several times. “Please stop doing that and back away.”
“Do as she asks, Dominick,” Lazarus ordered, and Father Dominick stood up and backed away.
“Donnie, I’m here,” Abbie said. “Concentrate on my voice, you can control it, just quiet your mind and force the voices down.” Donnie began to grimace and make contorted faces as he continued to pant. “That’s it. Shut them out.” Donnie’s breathing became more relaxed, and eventually he opened up his eyes. He looked up at Abbie’s sweet face.
“Hi,” Donnie said as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes. “I missed you.”
“Hi,” Abbie replied back. “I know, I missed you too.” Donnie stood up and took Abbie’s hand.
“You did it,” Lazarus said. “One last thing to do.”
“What?” Donnie asked wondering what else he must endure. “What else is there possible to do now?” Abbie turned to Donnie and hugged him. She placed her head on her favorite spot and listened to his heart slowly beat.
“You need to release all the souls,” Abbie said. “You can cleanse them of all stains and return them to their purgatory. So they can move on.”
“All of them?” Donnie asked. “There are over two million.”
“Yes Donnie.” Lazarus moved closer to him. “This is your true purpose. You have achieved what I could not, and you have achieved a great victory.”
“OK, how do I do that? Stuffing them all down was a bit rough,” Donnie said slightly giggling.
“You open your heart, and you let them go through it,” Abbie said. “Just inhale, and then let them go as you exhale, it will be easy.”
“How many at a time do I let go?” Donnie asked.