by E R Landron
I take my eyes from the road for a second trying to analyze him.
“It’s weird how every word you said is truth. You don't seem to lie. What I don't understand is why you want me to know everything about... you guys. You want me to know stuff, but you hesitate on some subjects. Don't you think I could later get military action and kill all of your kind?”, I say.
Kokolite's face tensed up. He was looking at me kind of as if he was nervous as what will happen to him if he says the wrong words. He was trying to mouth something looking the best way to say it.
“I... I uh, I don't think you'll do that. You are a good-hearted person. I want you to know stuff, so you live. You don't let people in, but you got your reasons. But you won't hurt me. Maybe others but not me...”
He kept moving his eyes as if he had R.E.M.
“Plus besides the priest... if you die... who else wants to hang out with me.”
That last sentence hit hard. My stomach tenses like I was just hit on it. Oh, man. Now I feel like an asshole for saying that. Kokolite did not reply in my head. “I am sorry.”, I say. Is not like I like hanging out with him, but this was like finding out a new hobby. It's cool, is new, you want to try it as soon as possible, any time you can. The adrenaline for finding out how deep the rabbit hole goes is what keeps me glued to him. I won't admit it, but I feel like I can trust him. The other thing is that this tall, long hair guy sometimes sounds mature and sometimes it gives me the feeling like he's a young adult. Something is more to his story. I remember when we were at the hospital that he evaded the family question. I certainly don't want to die; I think I should be grateful he's telling me all this... I guess.
Night - Mieke’s Apartment 7:13 PM
We arrive at the building. I get out of the car. I do to his side of the window and pointed.
“You stay...”, I say.
“Stay here, or you'll kill me, hit me, shoot me...?”
“It’s annoying.”
“Is more annoying hearing farther away.”
He put his finger in his right ear and shook it off in a quick motion. I pressed my lips hard and made an "I'll be fast" gesture. I didn't want to say anything more. But at the same time: he hears farther? I still felt bad from the previous conversation, and the drive here has been awkwardly a quiet one.
I get to the apartment an open it. I’m greeted a lo-fi playing loud. Diane must be feeling better. I take my jacket off and go to the refrigerator to get a quick snack. I throw my jacket on the peninsula. Cold pizza is what I crave. A few steps come my way. Diane is with her mouse pink pajamas and a grey lace tank top and a towel as she is drying her long dark brown hair.
“Hey, ya. How are you feeling?”, I ask.
“Good. Better. I'm feeling much better now that the effects of the painkillers wore off. Felt like a zombie. I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing?”
I choke a bit. Wait I haven't asked Kokolite. Are there zombies? I hope he says no. I wipe my mouth off.
“You ate a sausage.”, I say.
“Shut up! I did not!”, she yells.
I stood silent. Diane stares for a while, and her eyes widened. I brake a smile as little butterflies fly through my stomach.
“No, no you didn’t…”, I laugh.
“Such a biotch! So what you've been up to?”
“Following leads in a case. You know the usual.”
As I’m finishing the sentence, Diane moves a little starring at a mirror on the hall close to the damaged Cuckoo clock. What’s behind her on the table makes a knot in my stomach and makes me hold my breath. My eyes widen, and I stare at it for what it seems like an hour. The mother fucking orb. I freeze up, and Diane catches me looking at the sphere.
“That’s the part of what I wanted to talk to you about at the hospital. The ninjas asked for an orb, and I found this, very close to the church before I got there. Oh yeah… on the alley where all the cats in town hangout. I never understood that about them.”
I lean to grab it, but a squeak came from my room that made me stop. What was that? I shush Diane and tells her to lower the music. I take out the gun. As I move, the music starts fading out. A breeze sound comes from my room.
“Mieke!”, Diane screams.
I extend my palm to Diane and move my index finger to my mouth. I point my gun in front and walk to the room. I push the door. A faded: "You know you are paranoid right?" Came from down the hall as I ignore it. Little by little I step one foot in front of the other getting closer and closer. I enter the room, and the window is open. A breeze moves the curtains. I stick my head out of the window and verify the surroundings. The stairwells are empty except for some pots and plants here and there between different floors. The only thing in the streets down below is my car and sticking out the window was Kokolite's hand doing waves. I move back to the hall and Diane was still drying her hair and now had an upset face. I take a deep sigh. I’m paranoid. As I’m lowering my gun, Diane lowers her head only to reveal a Mohawk curly hair behind her. I hold my breath. My eyes widen. I draw my gun as Diane is raising her head again. Diane’s face changed to both fear and anger at the same time.
“Mieke! What the fuck!?”, she screams.
“You!”, I yell.
“Me?”, yells Diane.
“Get down Diane!”, I scream.
Diane turns her head back as she gets down and sees what is behind her. A skinny tan teen adult with short pants with laces and gloves grabbing a now reddish orb.
“Drop it!”, I scream.
“I can't pig. I'm not sorry though!”, Hannah says.
In a blink of an eye, Hannah pushes and leaps over Diane and runs over the side of the wall while a bullet shoots right through her hair. Hannah pushes me, unblocking her exit through my room’s window. Hannah leaps through it as if she was a flying superhero. I run to the window and scream downstairs. Kokolite was taking his head out of the window seeing a flying Hannah jump down to the streets.
“What in the...”, Diane says confuse.
“Close everything up, have my gun I will explain later.”, I say.
I run giving my gun to a confused Diane. I get out of the window with haste. Get to the catwalk. Jump from stairs to stairs as fast as I can. I get to the bottom. The car is empty. I get in and hit the gas pedal.
KOKOLITE
Mieke screams. I stick my head where the sound is coming. Hannah is dropping by. She lands like a cat without making any noise. We lock a quick stare. She winks at me and smiles passing her tongue through her teeth and left fang. She runs. I struggle to get my seatbelt off. I leap out of the car window.
Hannah has a substantial distance ahead as she watched over her shoulders. I am struggling to reach to her. A smile broke on her while she leaps over cars in the streets and into alleys and back to the streets like she was doing parkour. I am trying the same but with not much grace. Her small stature with cat-like reflexes makes her a natural in this urban jungle.
HANNAH
Stupid crazy won’t get close. He knows the church, and I know the city. He tries to slide through some cars on open avenues. He ends rolling over them. I lost him. I get in an alley to catch my breath for a second. I still have the stupid orb. It’s shining reddish. I hide it in my pocket. It is a little uncomfortable, but that way could worry less about losing it. Don’t wanna piss Ripa. Some paces echoed through the alley far away. I smile. “Round número dos canto de loco!”, I whisper.
“Mau! Give me the orb.”
My knees almost give up. I recognize the Arab accent. I think I’ve turned pale. Mierda. I sprint through the alley and head again through the streets with much haste. Oh shit, oh shit! I jump over some dumpsters in one of the alleys and then hear a close jump and paces getting closer. Ezequiel runs faster than me. I still have the edge on the city. Alley, street, cars, alley. The chase continues with more or less the same sequence. Now it looks like a parkour race. Ezequiel was getting the hang of the moving cit
y with the cars and trash cans and people and is gaining distance. My heart is over accelerated. My feet are killing me. I’m almost out of breath. He doesn’t give up. He’s closing in and closing in. Beads of sweat were dripping from my forehead. Another "Mau!" sounded from behind. He's getting closer.
I look back once more. He’s at arm’s length. I press my teeth. My jaw is tense. We leap and enter a busy street. As I feel his hand I jump. A passing truck hits him just behind me sending him flying some feet away and slamming him into a street lamp on the other side. The truck almost hit me. The truck almost hit me. Holly shit. I felt the breeze of it passing through my back and hair. I stopped as I saw the commotion unfold. I can’t breathe. I’m hyperventilating. My thighs are burning. Cars stop skidding away not to crash into each other, as some others stop and drivers flee to attend to Ezequiel. Some people were taking out their phones, some to record, others to call for an ambulance. Other cars arrive started honking at the traffic jam. I sweep my forehead. He’ll heal fast, but I needed to rest and get this stupid orb to Ripa.
RIPA Night - The Council, 7:55 PM
Waiting again for the monthly meetings with the council. Tablet on hand. I adjust my digital watch and cufflink. The secretary, as usual, multitasks on her computer moving the mouse from side to side. She continues to type like a robot. All silence on the waiting area except for the continuous keyboard tapping. She always looks well dressed. Clothing, heels and some very simple and diminutive jewelry just to accent her wrist, ears, and neck. Dashing. A beep from her computer changes the sound pattern, and she presses her Bluetooth speaker and whispers something. “They are ready for you Mr. Ripa.”, she says. She looks at me, and I nod. I tilt my head to the side and start to walk towards the council doors. I took some time to marvel the old doors in front of me. The gothic theme, across metal shape, and bars that connected like arches. This is the only thing giving the simplistic look some character. The only thing that had a little warmth, excluding whom I’m going to see again.
Every time I get to the Council is always nerve racking. Now more than ever since by any means I can be exiled. I’m no pushover. But you got to play politics. The doors open automatically. I get to the center of the room where I look like I’m going to be judge yet again. The councilmen are already on their benches. Expensive suits, watches, cufflinks. They are with their hands clenched awaiting. Old hags. Mister double chin and Tucan Sam. Two stay quiet almost all the time. The only one with the face more serious was Claude sitting in the middle. He rises a little bit and extends his hand towards down below.
“Thanks for coming Mr. Ripa. I need to say that although an investigation is still being made we need to proceed with our monthly reports. Are you aware of that?”, Claude says.
I force a smirk as I hear the slowness and precision of his words. I tap the tablet, and the presentation turns on. It is projected to the monitors in front of the other councilmen. Graphs, maps are displayed with a green arrow and percentages. A big display appears above my back.
“Good evening gentlemen. Thanks to the council for conceding me the time of your busy schedules. We'll start our monthly hearing breaking down how business continues to grow. As you can see we had increased revenue from the club in five percent from last month. The add-ons have worked in our favor and sketches to remodel the recently acquired building on the side of the club can help bring new affiliated business for us.”
A door behind the middle councilman opens, the sound of it and the entrance of the outside light distracts me. Bullocks. A young man enters and walks straight to Claude. A whisper from the man echoes through the room. The murmurs continue as Claude stares at me from time to time. I tilt my head. The crack releases my stress for a moment. The other councilmen want to join the conversation, but Claude makes a wait gesture. Suddenly the murmurs stop and the man who interrupted the presentation leaves. The door makes another sharp sound as it closes. A silence fills the room that was unpleasant. I decide to break the silence.
“Shall we continue gentlemen?”, I ask.
Claude gives a sign to go ahead as he flaps his hand, yet the other councilmen are giving stares back and forth. They look like madmen. I turn to a new slide with a design for a new project and starts showing off ideas for it. Moreover, a list of buildings is popping one by one on the presentation with its direction and animation of walking dots around the buildings near the club. I always do an outstanding job on these things.
“As you can see, those new buildings can be converted into creating a community in this bay area metropolis that could increase its traffic and income. We discussed it with our architects…”
“Hmmm... excuse me… Ripa?”
My forehead tenses up, and it goes directly to my jaw. I force a smile and between a breath: “Yes council.” Claude smiles creepily and starts to posture himself better on his sit. He clenches his hands again. I feel my patience been tested. I’m managing to do his best to stay as calm as I can. My body continues to tense up. I channel all the pressure on my feet pressing them firmly to the floor and one of his fist by clinching it hard.
“Would you lie to the council?”, Claude asks.
I posture myself, hands resting on my side. The presentation tablet was hanging on my right hand.
“And why would I Mr. councilman? Do I wish to be exiled? Do I wish to access my own death? I think the answer to your question. Mr. councilman is no.”
My words were slowly and enunciating to make sure the council, even more so, Claude understood what I was saying.
“Do you remember Dracula?”, he asks.
I feel my stomach tense and slowly my whole body again. I feel nauseous to hear that name, especially coming from the council. It is no secret in the vampire world of what was done to him. But what can you do when the people that killed him are the ones in power. What you feel is being useless. Helpless. You mean nothing and there is nothing you can do about it. A vampire that accessed more than one power: shapeshifting into an animal, controlling people, telepathy, illusion, strength, and speed. Of course, he was a threat to the powers to be. So they decided to take him out. They ridiculed him, exposed him and finally killed him. Why don't we get to the point and stop with the guessing game? My upper right side of my forehead started to pop a vain.
“Why wouldn't I? It is reminded to us from time to time.”, I say.
“Ah yes, the best vampire of his time, almost revealed our kind to the human and thus almost breaking the treaties. Shame it was to see Dracula go.”
“I think the story is, he was exposed to the world to be executed, just like Varney, just like Carmilla and Ruthven. Because some people were just... jealous of them.”
Claude smiles and gives a couple of taps to the bench as if he was happy for those. One member to the right gets upset and slams his fist to the counter and in a demanding voice says: "Show respect to the council!"
“Respect? Is the council showing respect? Or is this a history lesson on people and perhaps clans that were nearly extinct... because of actions of a few!”, I raise my voice.
“You have not shown us respect Ripa.”, Claude says.
“Giving my report, being interrupted is not showing respect councilman? Also, the revenue? The resources I have provided. Who in the East has single-handedly shown more for our society? For the covenant? The answer to that Council... is no one except me. I have worked for us without whining. Without asking to lower quotas on what the council needs. On what our brothers need.”
“And the lies?”, he asks.
My tolerance is running out. I press my lips and my fist as well. I close my eyes as I try to calm down while enunciating.
“Would the councilman speak of what he has on his mind? Please...!”
“We have evidence of your treasons?”, he says.
I raise my eyebrows while holding myself with all my strength not to react at the council man's words. I swallow hard but as calmly as I can. Murmurs from the other counc
ilmen started to form around the room. Everyone was looking down to the middle to Claude who just extended his hand and gave a little bounce as if to calm down.
“Your connection with the church, your connection with the alley of the Ahket, or as they say on the street, "Cat-Alley". Also, probably we will get some more evidence on the boat crash I may add.”, Claude says.
I feel the perspiration forming in my forehead. I act like nothing bothers me, I go for the handkerchief from my front pocket and press it on my forehead.
“Nervous?”
I smirk. "Not at all. I have not seen any evidence of this false accusations" I say in the calmest way possible. This caused Claude's eyes to turn red from the anger, and a vein pops in his forehead. "False!? You dare to keep this up?" he says raising his voice. Claude took a breather to calm down and presses his lips hard. We have a stare down.
“You should proceed. After this, you know I'll have a seat in the council.”, I say.
The councilmen give confuse stares except for Claude who was calming down from his episode. He puts a pen drive with determination on a USB port on the bench without taking his eyes from me. The monitors of the councilmen change into numbers. The councilman starts sliding the monitor on his side as photos in which my face is shown various times. Some of me talking on my mobile, other with other suited men, women, different clans. Looks like rubbish. Bad quality too.
“You will see gentlemen, on your monitors, photographs of Mr. Ripa with outsiders. Phone registry of his office connected with the Kumori that ended up in police custody a few days ago that was connected with the boat crash. Emails! You can slide and see for yourselves.”
The councilmen are reading the information from their monitors. I am doing so on my tablet. A vast silence takes over as only whispers of one of the councilmen echoes through the room, and some taps on the screen to scroll on the information from another. I finish reading. I stare down with Claude yet again. Claude grins, and I don’t give him the pleasure of acting nervous in any circumstance. I accommodate my posture and lower my hands. The other councilmen start finishing reading one by one. Whispers emerge from behind the bench until the councilman on the far left rises: "Councilman, this an extensive investigation, yet no hard evidence proves, that Ripa committed any treason nor any treaty being broken".