by Leo Romero
“It’s vitally important we plan our next moves, Dominic, because trust me, this is exactly what the remaining orders are doing right now.”
Dom looked at his beer. “What, over a Bud?”
“More likely over a corpse,” Vincent corrected. “Now, let us continue.” He cleared his throat. “The Dragons have taken over the States and Canada and with the fall of Magdalena, you can bet your bottom dollar Benedict is making moves to control Central and South America.” He wrote the word DRAGON beneath the crossed-out CHAOS.
Dom frowned. “Hey, the Dragons own more than half the board!” he stated, pointing at the map.
Vincent held up a finger. “Not quite.”
“How do we know one of the other orders hasn’t absorbed the Chaos Order?” Trixie asked.
“Yeah,” Dom said. “How do we know that, Vince?”
“Well, we don’t,” Vincent answered. “But, if I know Benedict, he’ll have already brokered a deal with the remaining Chaos agents. Don’t forget it was he who was battling against them, so he had the knowledge of their demise first before the other orders could step in.”
Dom rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Then he’s the one we should pop next!” he declared. “Where is he? France? England? He’s in England isn’t he? I bet he is.”
Vincent showed Dom his palms. “Hold your horses, cowboy,” he said in a calm voice, his eyes closed. “We can’t just go rushing over to Europe.”
Dom gave him an exaggerated shrug. “Why not? We rushed down to Brazil and whacked Magdalena. Let’s get Mack to drop us in London, then go find this Benedict and pop a cap in his ass!”
Trixie recoiled. “Wow, what’s got into you?” she asked, staring at Dom in bewilderment.
Dom turned his mouth down. “I got the taste for this stuff now. I just wanna end it all, so I can finally kick back and relax. Besides, I’ve had a beer, and I’m now ready to kick some ass!”
Vincent patted the air in a ‘calm down’ gesture. “I understand your haste, Dom, but it isn’t that easy. As you can see, the Dragons are now a formidable force.”
“And they’re here!” said Dom, pointing at the table. “What happens when they find out we got these two relics and they come after us?”
Vincent shook his head. “They won’t.”
“How do you know that, Dad? Dom brings up a good point.”
Dom nodded. “Yeah!”
Vincent closed his eyes. “Because we are secure here,” he said with an air of assurance. “They may well know we have the Eye, but they don’t know we have the Fangs. Having the Dragons here can actually work to our advantage.”
Dom looked at him in confusion. “How?”
“They’re keeping the remaining orders at bay. Besides, if they intended to attack us, they’d have done so already.”
“That’s true,” Trixie said, cocking her head to the side.
“So, what do we do?” Dom asked, slumping back in his seat in frustration.
Vincent rubbed his chin as he stared down at the map. “Hmm, we can either do nothing and let things play out. Or, we can seek to destroy either the Claw Order or the Fang Order.”
“Cool, so toss a coin and let’s get moving,” Dom ordered.
“One moment, Dominic. We have to judge this right. What will the repercussions be? The Fang Order are formidable. Their ranks spread across Asia and Russia.”
“Oh man, you mean they’re Commies?”
Vincent chuckled. “Yes, I suppose they are, aren’t they? Commie vampires.”
“Great.”
“The Claw Order on the other hand are less formidable, but still a huge threat.”
“Okay, the Claws it is. Who’s their boss?”
“Rah.”
“Rah?”
Vincent nodded. “Rah. Hmm, I’ve had the odd run in with that particular parasite before. He’s the head of the House of Rah, a family of vampires that control the Middle East.”
“Got any background info?” Trixie asked.
Vincent’s eyes glazed. “Rah was sent out to the desert lands where he became entangled in a power struggle between two warring clans attempting to gain control. Rah’s clan, who were all under the influence of his venom, fought a long and bloody battle on his behalf to win control of what today is southern Iraq. The clan became known as the Claw Order and they adopted a harsh and brutal form of Wahhabism.”
“Wahhabi-what?” Dom asked.
“Wahhabism, Dom. A dark and twisted interpretation of Islam. Through brutal practices, Rah and his clan gained a stranglehold over the Middle-East and eventually the oil fields. Rah was a strong and powerful warrior, feared across the deserts. His loyal followers would do anything for him, they’d literally walk across burning coals for him. Once the oil empire was formed, Rah became fat and greedy. A lazy glutton, living merely to enjoy the luxuries of life. He took on wives. Many, many wives. But, he ended up eating them. He took on more wives, but he ate them too. All the while he grew more and more gluttonous, a hideous beast gorging himself on flesh, living merely to enjoy the luxuries of life. By that time, his cult of Wahhabis kept control over the Middle-Eastern nations. Rah knew he was losing control; he was sleeping more and more, unable to rise from his sleeping quarters. He found it more and more difficult to inject venom into his victims without feasting entirely on their corpses. Without the venom to control minds, his followers began to rebel. They could see he wasn’t the warrior he once was. That was when he was at his most vulnerable, at his weakest. So, Rah saved himself.”
“How?”
“He had children. Before he ate their mothers of course. The children became the House of Rah and they now control the affairs of the Claw Order with Rah having gone into hiding.”
“And he has a relic we need to get?”
“Indeed. The Heart of Moroz. It’s imperative you retrieve it once you slay Rah and bring it back here.”
“So, where are these creatures at?” asked Dom.
Vincent sighed. “Unfortunately, I don’t know. Rah moves across the Middle East from place to place, paranoid of being assassinated.”
“So, how are we gonna find them?”
Vincent gave him an exasperated shrug.
“Maybe Troy knows something,” Trixie said. “I’ll get in touch with him.”
CHAPTER NINE
Annit stroked the cat sitting on her lap as she swayed to and fro in her rocking chair. With her free hand, she studied her smartphone, her face contorted in frustration. The servants were on their knees, offering their praises to the House of Rah. Their low chants echoed off the walls, creating a reverberating box of prayer.
Annit let out a huff of irritation. “The reception is still terrible here! I thought you were going to do something about it, Ram!”
Ram removed his fangs from the throat of one of his slave girls and slung her to the side. She hit the bed with a woozy yelp. Ram wiped her blood from his chin. “Repairing the damage from mortars takes a while, sister.”
Annit flicked away her hair. “Well, force them to work harder!”
“Stop moaning, Annit!” Karim ordered. “All you do these days is whine. Whine, whine, whine!” He picked up another of the jewels on the floor between his splayed legs. He raised it to the light.
“Shut up, Karim!” Annit sneered, stroking the cat harder. “It’s your fault we’re in this mess.”
“Blame Uncle Leviah,” Karim countered. “He’s the one who decided to drop the bombs on us.”
Annit’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, that asshole. What did we ever do to him?”
Karim moved the jewel from in front of his eye. “We put up the price of the oil.”
Annit jabbed a finger at him. “Which was your idea!”
“Will you two stop it, I’m trying to eat,” said Seth, before plunging his fangs into one of the servant’s necks.
Annit watched him with venom in her eyes. “And you feed off the servants too much! They’re turning too fast. Soon, we won’t have an
y left!”
Seth sucked hard, then lifted his head. “There’ll always be plenty of them left. They breed like rabbits.” He sunk his fangs back into flesh with a grunt.
Annit watched him in distain. “You’re greedy, just like Daddy.”
“Don’t speak about Daddy that way,” Karim told her, idly snatching up another gem they’d raided from the pyramids of Egypt.
Annit nodded. “It’s the truth. Look what happened to Daddy. How he ended up. The same will happen to you.”
Seth ignored her. Instead, he guzzled blood hard, grunting like a pig.
Annit’s face twisted in revulsion. “Ugh! I hope you choke!”
“All of you shut up!” snapped Ram. “I’m tired of all this bickering. Every night, the same thing.” He blew his cheeks in exasperation, running his hands through his hair. “You know what the problem is? We’re bored. Privileged. Daddy gave us everything we need and yet we still aren’t happy.”
“Tell us, oh great one,” began Annit, rocking to and fro harder. “What would satisfy us?”
Ram turned to face his sister. “The prophecy Daddy always spoke of coming true.”
“Daddy was delusional,” Karim stated, gazing into yet another rare gem. “Just like the humans.”
Ram shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. He believed Granddaddy will return and bring darkness with him. Permanent darkness.”
“Sounds like donkey shit to me,” Karim said.
Ram let out a humorless chuckle. “Everything sounds like donkey shit to you, brother.”
“Okay, so Daddy was right. Then what?” asked Annit. “Will I be able to get four bar reception then?”
“We’ll be free of sunlight. We will rule!” Ram said in an excited tone. “Daddy said only one order will rule when Granddaddy returns. We have to make sure it’s us!”
Seth pulled his fangs from the servant’s veins. “But, if it’s always dark, how will they live?” He nodded his head toward the slave in his grip. “There’ll be nothing for us to eat.”
“He makes a good point, you know,” said Karim.
Ram shook his head. “That’s part of the plan. Granddaddy will be stronger. He will find a way for us to survive.”
Karim blew out his cheeks. “Yes, like I thought. Donkey shit!”
“You all don’t believe, but I do. You’ll see, brothers and sister, you shall see, when the time comes.”
“And that’s exactly the problem, Ram,” said Annit, becoming still in her rocking chair. “When is this time? We’ve been waiting all our lives. Daddy was waiting most of his. How much longer can we wait until we realize this prophecy Daddy was always talking of us is just... Donkey shit?”
Ram took a long breath, while staring at his sister.
“Exactly,” said Karim, slinging down a priceless gem like it was a child’s toy. “Uncle Leviah has always been in control of things. Even if this prophecy is true, there’s no way to defeat him, he’s too powerful.”
“It’s true, Ram,” said Annit. “We’ve tried before and failed. Even Daddy at his height couldn’t become the most powerful.”
“And he tried very hard,” Seth said, coming up for breath once more before going back for more blood.
“Which is exactly why we’ve been planning things the way we have,” Ram reminded them. “Quietly. Under the radar, ready to strike. Things are changing. By all accounts, Uncle Leviah is going crazy. He’s making mistakes. Our time is coming. I promise you.”
Annit rolled her eyes in response.
The door opened, and Ram turned toward it. In stepped a guard.
“Who said you could come in?” Annit sneered.
The guard’s eyes flashed with fear. “Apologies! But, someone is here to see you. He has some important things to tell you.”
Ram’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
Before the guard could answer, the man in question stepped into the chamber with a confident stride. Shades covered his eyes; his black hair with gray streaks was slicked back from his brow. He stopped next to the guard, a faint smile on his thin lips. “Kon Ban wa,” he said, dabbing his forehead with a black handkerchief.
Annit looked him up and down. “Who are you?”
“And why shouldn’t we kill you?” Karim added.
The man removed the shades from his face.
Who is this Asian man and why is he here? Ram asked himself.
Then, he got his answer. The man unbuttoned his black shirt and spread it open, revealing a chest smothered in elaborate tattoos. The prominent one was of a two-headed dragon; one head facing east, the other west.
“Hmm! Fang Order!” Annit grunted, her top lip curling up.
The man gave her a slow nod. “My name is Kozu Nagasaki. And I’m expected back in Tokyo tomorrow. Alive.”
“What do you want?” Karim asked, eyeing Kozu with suspicious eyes.
“The Sen Fang Syndicate would like to propose a deal.”
“Deal?” snorted Annit. “Why would we need to deal with you?”
“Because the Blood Order has fallen,” Kozu answered, deadpan.
Seth’s blood-stained jaw dropped.
“Lies!” Annit spat.
“No, it is very much the truth,” Kozu asserted.
Ram placed his hands on his hips. He watched Kozu with narrowed eyes. “Are you sure?”
Kozu nodded. “Yes. Your uncle Leviah is dead.”
Annit shot a hand in the air. “Silence!” she snapped. The servants immediately stopped chanting, plunging the chamber into quiet. “Leave!” she ordered. The servants scuttled out of the chamber, their heads bowed. Kozu watched them go past.
Annit met Kozu’s stare and leaned forward in her seat. “If this is some kind of trick...” she began.
Kozu dabbed his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief. “The Sen Fang Syndicate do not play tricks, your Highness.” He smiled.
Annit’s features distorted in anger.
“Leviah is dead,” continued Kozu. “The Blood Order has fallen. And so too has the Chaos Order.”
Annit met Ram’s stare.
“Two orders have fallen and we only just hear about it?” Ram asked, incredulity stamped all over his face.
“You expect us to believe that,” Karim added.
“Things are moving quickly,” Kozu replied.
“What things?” Seth asked, his face still buried in throat.
“War,” Kozu said in a cold voice. “The word is a pair of Americans are going around killing your uncles and aunties. And you may be next.”
Ram snorted. “Hear that?” he said to his brothers and sister. “A pair of Americans are killing our extended family.”
Seth wiped blood from his lips. “Holy are they?”
“They must be,” Ram said with a stern nod. They all began laughing.
Kozu looked around them all with that faint smile still on his face. He met the stare of the guard.
“It’s true!” the guard blurted.
The House of Rah stopped laughing.
“The word around is the Blood Order is gone,” the guard said. “The man speaks the truth. Also, the name Clement DeNoir has been whispered.”
Ram became still, his eyes widened. He glared at the guard with ire.
“You repeat that name and I’ll chew out your tongue so you never utter it again!” Annit snarled.
The guard gulped. “Apologies, Highness,” he said with a sincere bow of his head. “I’m only trying to inform you—”
“You’re a sniveling fool!” Karim sneered, thumping the floor. The guard stood there, petrified. “You know nothing of the name you just uttered.”
The guard clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “I shall not repeat that name again. So, what shall we do about this... person?”
“Nothing,” Ram answered. “We do nothing. The name you just mentioned is long gone. A relic of the past.”
He gave his siblings uneasy glances. Karim looked down at the gems between his legs. Annit looked
away, flicking her hair.
Kozu watched them all with intrigue in his eyes. Ram noticed his stare. He didn’t like this outsider to see them all agitated and uncomfortable. “So, what is the Fang Order’s proposition?” he asked Kozu, wanting to regain control of the situation by putting on a business front.
Kozu dabbed his cheeks. “From what we know, the Dragon Order has taken over Blood Order operations. We are well aware of your relations with the Bloods, specifically how they were funding your overseas operations. But, now the Dragons are controlling the west and have put sanctions upon you. You’ll likely find your foreign assets frozen in days if not already.”
Ram exchanged glances with Annit. “Hmm, Uncle Benny thinks he’s playing master.”
Annit began rocking in her chair in wild arcs, causing the cat on her lap to leap away in fear. “He might have got lucky when he was sent to the grass and Daddy was sent to the sand, but we’ve learned how to survive and fight.”
“If he wants a war, he’ll have his war,” Karim said.
“If I may,” Kozu ventured, “without financial backing from a super power, the Dragons will tear your order apart.”
“Will they now?” asked Annit.
Kozu gave her a slow, deliberate nod. “The Dragons were already a formidable financial powerhouse, and now that they have control of the US, they are an even greater threat. If the dragons take the sand, they will be nearly unstoppable. You, we, cannot allow that to happen.”
Ram stared at him with contempt. “What do you propose?”
“The Sen Fang Syndicate will finance your operations. We’ll arm and supply your foreign cells. In return, you send the oil to us, and stop the flow to the west.”
“The last time we tried that, we were bombed,” said Karim.
“That won’t happen again,” Kozu said with an air of confidence.
“How can you be sure?” asked Annit.
“Things are different now,” Ram interjected. “If Uncle Benedict tries that kind of stuff, then he’ll get the same in return. We have our army, our soldiers, and they’re hiding in the shadows in places Uncle Benny will never think of looking.”
Kozu gave Ram a positive nod. “And you’ll have our backing.”
Annit nodded. “When the oil wells run dry for them, the humans will turn against them.”