Madman's Monster

by Michael Louis Weinberger

  Zach had sat up and was looking around the room with those strange red eyes. He faced me, but he didn't answer.

  "Back to the silent treatment?" Lei joked.

  The old woman joined the conversation, "He cannot say. His mind not ready, but it fix itself slowly. He talk soon."

  "How soon?" I asked and the woman only shrugged her shoulders in response.

  Larson looked at each of us and began to walk to the door, "Let's get started, it's going to take us a while to get back to the Jeep."

  I stepped in front of him, "I don't think we have resolved our little...difference in opinion."

  Larson bounced the rifle a little bit as it rested in his hands, "No we haven't, but do you think it would it be possible to hash all this out back in the city? You know the place, where there is indoor plumbing and real mattresses?"

  "And what if those men come back?" Lei asked, "We can't just leave the village undefended."

  I agreed with Lei, "She's right, they'll be back and this time they be loaded for bear."

  Larson's stance wavered a little, "I know, and we were successful against them this time because they were taken by surprise. Next time they'll be ready for us and, with what we currently possess as far as weapons are concerned, we'll get slaughtered if we take them on like this."

  "We?" I said reflexively, and my mood was suddenly lifted. Apparently, Larson wasn't as ready to abandon us as completely as I had thought.

  Lei had heard the slip as well, "So what you're saying is..."

  Larson scowled and looked disappointed, but he said, "We can dip into Rogers' stash and, maybe, he’ll have access to something that might even the odds.”

  I smiled, "Doesn't the United States Government frown on the distribution of armaments to non-military personnel?"

  "Officially or unofficially?" Larson said with heavy sarcasm in his voice. I laughed at the innuendo.

  "So again I ask, what's the plan?" Lei asked.

  Larson turned to Lei and said, "We’ll get back to the city and I'll head to Rogers' place to gather the crates while you three take Zach to the medics at the restaurant, and see if he needs his shoulder patched up."

  A snapping sound came from where Zach had been sitting, and we all turned to look at him. He was gone.

  Larson looked at the spot where he had been lying, "What the hell?"

  The old woman spoke up, "My son stay and protect village. He get people to safety."

  Larson had started to walk to where Zach had been, but stopped and looked at the old woman. He appeared as though he was about to say something, but then dropped his head and said, "Always the goddamn protector. Yeah, that sounds like Zach."

  "You sure you want to leave him?" Lei asked when Larson changed direction and headed for the door.

  "I know my friend and, even though he can't tell me so, he wouldn't want to leave these people completely vulnerable. C'mon, let's go already," Larson still seemed a little cranky, but I felt confident that we were still on the same team...for now anyway.

  ***

  The trek back to the Jeep didn’t take as long on the return trip, or at least it didn't seem as long. It can be hard to tell when you know where you're going, as opposed to looking for your destination. In any case, it was just before noon when Larson pulled the Jeep up to the front of our hotel.

  Larson watched as Lei and I climbed out of the Jeep and said to us, "I'm going to get whatever gear I can from Rogers' place and come back as quickly as I can."

  "We'll be here," I said as I gave the Jeep’s windshield a quick rap and Larson drove back into the humid afternoon streets of Bangkok.

  We took the elevator up to our room and, as I slid the key card into the slot and looking forward to a hot shower, with as much sleep as I could manage to squeeze in before Larson came back with more guns and whatever. The instant I walked into the room I sensed something out of place, something was wrong. I froze putting out my arm to prevent Lei from walking past me. She initially had a confused look on her face, but caught on immediately, and pulled out the Glock that had traveled back from the village with her.

  I went in first, and could hear the speakers of the TV were producing the unmistakable voice of Jack Nicholson, who was in the middle of some long-winded dialog meant to enthrall his audience, but that was of no interest to me as I moved further into through the door. The room was laid out in typical motel fashion, and as you enter, the closet and bathrooms are on either side of a small hallway leading into the bedroom. I carefully walked past the closet area in order to get a better view of the room and saw someone sitting on the bed. I hadn't been particularly quiet as I unlocked and opened the door so it would have been a surprise if he hadn't heard me. I just assumed he had, and then the size of the man registered, as did the long white hair flowing past his shoulders and draping over the back of his dark overcoat.

  What the hell? I thought.

  "Alpha?!" I nearly spat the name out in surprise. As Lei heard me, she immediately pushed past and, with a huge smile on her face while giggling like a little girl, ran in and jumped into his outstretched arms. Alpha's eyes sparkled initially, but were concerned when he saw the gun she was holding. She had flung her full weight at him, and it was all he could do to catch her and not be knocked backwards off the far side of the bed.

  "And hello to you too, beautiful one," Alpha still talked with an accent, but it was very difficult to determine the exact origin of it, "Now do you plan to shoot me or smother me?"

  Lei, reminded of the gun she was still holding, said in a voice that sounded around ten years old, "Oopsie."

  I walked fully into the room and extended a hand to Alpha, who shook it firmly continuing to smile that peculiar smile of his. It almost made you miss the fact he wasn't wearing his contacts.

  Alpha's real name is, Count Alphonso Diemo and yes, he's a real count, or "Comte" as his title is actually pronounced, and bestowed upon him by King Richard of France and Navarre. He is the founder and leader of our little family and stands nearly six and a half feet tall and wears long sleeves year round to protect his alabaster skin, yet he still looks more like an elf out of Lord of the Rings, than a powerful vampire Lord.

  Except of course, for his eyes, which are completely black, and I don't just mean his irises and pupils either. It looks as though the entire contents of his eye sockets were replaced by Hematite spheres. That strange metallic black stone is the closest thing I know of to match the appearance of Alpha's eyes now. It sounds unnerving I know, but on Alpha it has more the appearance of the eyes of a stag, as opposed to a shark or an alien. I remembered Alpha as having beautiful, amber-colored eyes for as long as I knew him, but that was prior to the change. Why they changed no one knew, but Alpha suspected that it was due to his advancing age. He was one of the oldest of our kind, and that meant there were a great many unknowns when it came to his future, and what would happen to him, or us, over time.

  "I may not be a real policeman anymore, but I'm pretty sure you are breaking and entering, Alpha."

  "Nonsense," Alpha said as he straightened his clothes, which had become disarrayed from Lei's uninhibited pounce, "I didn't break anything."

  "What about entering?"

  Alpha laughed, "Didn't you know, a vampire can't cross a threshold without being invited? And, since I am already in your room, it stands to reason you already invited me in."

  I laughed, "That would makes sense if the whole threshold thing wasn't complete bullshit."

  Alpha nodded and laughed as well, "True enough. I still love the concept."

  The three of us had finished exchanging pleasantries, and Alpha asked, "So, where is the person that Russian Devil, Dimitri, is so interested in?"

  I sat in a chair and kicked off my shoes, "We left him at the village where we found him."

  Alpha looked confused, "I thought you needed him to direct you to Whelan's exact location?"

  I nodded, "We do, but he's..." I thought about how best to explain things without d
ragging it out forever by creating confusion, "not himself at the moment."

  "Oh?"

  Lei readily agreed with me, "He's definitely different."

  Alpha was still smiling, "Any idea why Dimitri is so interested in him?"

  "They did something to him back at that place where they held him," I shook my head, "but what was done, or why, we have no clue."

  Alpha shrugged, "So tell me about him."

  I started to describe him, and Alpha listened happily at first, but as I continued to describe not only Zach's physical appearance, but the way he made you feel when he was around you, Alpha began to take on a more serious expression. I used the cliché', "gives you a chill, like someone walking over your grave." and Alpha went from being interested, to looking uncomfortable and somewhat drawn. I was describing what little I had seen in the way Zach had fought the mercenaries at the camp and Alpha reacted as though he might fall over.

  Lei moved to his side and steadied him, "What is it?"

  "Are you all right?" I had moved to catch him as well when he looked like he might topple over. It was alarming to see. Alpha may have white hair, but he is not frail. His strength and dexterity are near superhuman, which he would say was another of the benefits of being so long lived, and he was not prone to dizzy spells or otherwise.

  "I...I'm fine," Alpha was breathing fast and Lei looked pleadingly at me to do something. I had no idea what to do, but Alpha seemed to read my mind and said, "It's fine children. You just reminded me of someone I knew long, long ago."

  "An enemy?" Lei asked.

  Alpha shook his head, "Far from it. My closest friend."

  Lei and I instantly knew to whom Alpha was referring.

  Alpha's first and best friend William, who shared the condition affecting all of our kind. The two had met while both were suffering the madness and together they had run rampant all over Europe, killing indiscriminately and were every bit the monsters that legend would have you believe. That continued until Alpha, for reasons that elude us to this day, began to come out of the madness. He was the first of our kind ever to do so, at least as far as we knew, and somehow he managed to bring William back from the brink as well. After that the pair devoted their lives to the search for our kind in order to rescue them from themselves, and hopefully before they hurt anyone else.

  Happy to change the subject Lei asked, "So what are you doing here Papa?"

  Alpha wasn't really Lei's father, but they had taken on the whole father/daughter thing after he had saved her so many years ago. Truth be told I pretty much considered Alpha my father as well, which made my relationship with Lei especially kinky in some ways, but as none of us were actually blood relatives, there was no harm. Lei and I never considered each other to be siblings and the whole relationship started out with Lei trying to manipulate me with her sex appeal. She was successful, just not in the way she had intended. We became instant friends, later best friends, and later still, lovers. It wasn't until a gross misunderstanding had come between us that we spent any time apart. OK, mostly a misunderstanding on my end, to be truthful. But we reconnected and have been together for the last several years as if we had never been apart since that first day when we met.

  "I come bearing gifts." Alpha stood and sauntered dramatically about the room as he spoke in the way. It was just something he did. I don't know if that was an old school thing, or just his sense of humor, but it was always fun to watch.

  I looked around the room and, seeing no boxes or anything else out of the ordinary, I asked, "Gifts? What kind of gifts?"

  "You two are my best Hunters, I fully expected you to be successful in finding your quarry, and thought it might be a good idea to bring a little backup."

  "Backup?" I asked incredulously, "You?"

  Alpha smiled, "No, not me."

  Suddenly Lei looked worried, "Um...shouldn't we tell..."

  Alpha raised his hand, "I'm telling him now. It's time Lei. He's ready."

  Lei stared at Alpha and nodded before sitting in one of the two chairs that the hotel had provided. I looked from Lei to Alpha, and back again, just feeling that uncomfortable feeling you get when everyone is in on the joke but you.

  "I'm ready for what?" as I spoke the hotel phone began to ring.

  Alpha cleared his throat, "Not you...well, I suppose you are ready too..."

  The phone continued to ring and Lei said, "I'll get it, maybe it's the Major."

  I nodded and turned back to Alpha, "You were saying?"

  I always found it surreal when someone as old and experienced as Alpha could look uneasy. Honestly, I couldn't imagine what he had to say that would make him so nervous.

  Alpha looked as though he was about to start again when there was a knock at the door.

  I turned and looked at the door, "Oh you have to be kidding me!"

  Alpha looked suddenly concerned and, when I saw the look on Alpha's face, I asked, "So, you're expecting someone? Is this our backup?"

  A voice behind the door called out, "Room service."

  Alpha let out a breath and mumbled, "That idiot. He actually ordered room service."

  I frowned as Lei hung up the phone, "Larson says he has the stuff we need, but we should meet him at the restaurant where Rogers was recovering."

  Lei walked to the door and was about to peer through the peephole when Alpha seemed to notice something out of place and faster than my eyes could follow, he jumped across the room and pulled Lei away from the door just before it exploded inward.

  Chapter 34

  Men clad in black poured into the hotel room and each carried a sidearm with longish barrels that could only be silencers. I was in motion a second after the debris from the door had slapped into me, and tackled the first man through the door before he could get a round off. The others behind him hesitated as our bodies rolled into their legs and threatening to make them lose their balance and fall into a huge pile. For a moment I thought they might shoot into the mess I had created, but the threat was cut off as Alpha leapt from the floor and grabbing both men by their shirts, flung them back to the far corner of the room.

  Lei was in motion a second later and jumped to the bed and leapt for the door. I don't know how she realized another man was coming through, but just as he cleared the doorframe she landed on him driving his body to the ground.

  The man I tackled had lost his weapon and was futilely struggling against the chokehold I held him in as I watched Lei raise an arm and bring her fist down hard on her opponent. There was a loud thud/crack as her fist dropped, and I immediately knew there was one less enemy to worry about for now. My guy was weakening but wasn't out of the fight just yet.

  Lei turned to me, "You okay babe?"

  "Yep, thanks hon," I answered as casually as if we were shopping for fruit while I squeezed tighter on the man's throat and he made some choking sounds. "Maybe check on Alpha?"

  Lei looked up, but the expression on her face shifted and her body relaxed, "Nope, he's good."

  When the man I held finally went limp, I pushed his body away to see Alpha standing over the two men he had thrown into the wall. They were lying very still, one on top of the other, and had apparently been neutralized. I turned away to check the man I had choked out and found a pulse at his neck easily enough.

  "Lei," I called to her, "keep an eye on this guy in case he wakes up. I'm going to check the hall."

  Lei nodded and moved to kneel beside the man lying next to me as I got up from the floor. Quickly I moved to the doorway, and risked a peek by pushing my head around the corner. I saw the next man immediately, and the surprised look on his face told me he hadn't been expecting anyone besides his own people to exit the room.

  I saw his gun come up, and ducked back into the room as the silenced rounds burst into the wooden doorframe. I kicked the door shut and announced to the room, "We have one more party guest outside."

  Splintered wood began spitting from the door leaving small holes as the bullets fully penetrated the d
oor. I scrambled back and away, as Lei and Alpha moved to pull me back into the room.

  I asked, "I don't suppose either of you picked up a gun from one of those guys?" When I received only silence as a reply I guessed the answer. As a group we all ducked behind the bed hoping the mattress would stop any bullets fired at us by the man who we expected to burst into our room.

  We heard multiple muffled sounds as the silenced bullets plowed into the mattress and box springs. One bullet struck the floor next to my leg, bouncing twice, before coming to rest on the carpeting, and I could see the shoes of the man standing just inside the doorway. He had just started to move around the bed to improve his firing position.

  Then a voice, shouting in a surprised tone, and in English, came from what had been the doorway, "WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL?!"

  I could see the attacker’s shoes stop and turn back to face the door when suddenly there was a resounding "CLANG!" followed by complete silence before another loud "CLANG!" was heard. I could see the last gunman's feet pirouette drunkenly as something cut through the air, and I saw the gunman’s silenced sidearm fall to the floor as another pair of shoes appeared into view.

  I risked a look, and my jaw literally dropped open as I saw the last of our attackers shake his head as if clearing his vision and pull a knife from his belt to face the man entering .

  Standing in the doorway of my hotel room, and holding a heavy room-service silver serving tray...was Dracula.

  Chapter 35

  Yes, Dracula.

  Now I don't mean it was Vlad the Impaler, nor the fictional character that Bram Stoker had written about. This was a cheap theatrical costume reminiscent of Bella Lugosi from the famous black and white film of the 1920's. The shock of the flamboyant spectacle had rendered me momentarily speechless, as I took in the full regalia of slicked back hair, black jacket, pants and vest. His tuxedo’s frilly white shirt, complete with cuffs and red ribbon with pendant, all were consistent with that ancient movie, but it wasn't until I took a closer look at the powdered face and a brandished set of cheap plastic vampire teeth in the mouth of the actor, did I notice who was standing there.