Blood Street

by Alves, Carl

  Mark smirked. “Fuck them. I’ve already pissed those people off anyway.”

  Rick sighed. “Be careful, Mark. He’s dangerous.”

  Mark took his boss’s advice to heart. Salerno was devious, but he had nothing to lose. The worst that could happen was that Salerno would not respond or tell him to go to hell.

  He met Jimmy Two Tone yesterday afternoon. Jimmy was in his debt since Mark had gotten him off the hook for using a sixteen-year-old girl in one of his movies. The girl’s older sister found out she was “acting” in porno movies. She wanted to press charges against Jimmy, who had been working for Mark as an informant. He pleaded with Mark to help him, claiming a local strip club supplied the girl, and he had no idea she was underage.

  Mark spoke to the girl. She admitted to lying about her age. When Mark asked if she thought the police should press charges against Jimmy, she said no.

  Mark was satisfied Jimmy was not lying. Since the stripper felt she had not been wronged, Mark intervened and squashed the charges.

  He met Jimmy at the food court in the Galeria on Market Street.

  “I met Enzo’s broad,” Jimmy said. “She assured me Enzo would get the message.”

  Mark nodded as he chewed on hard pretzels. It was the only thing that wouldn’t upset his stomach. “You wouldn’t be trying to scam me by saying you met Ms. Koch when you actually didn’t. Because if Salerno doesn’t call, I’ll be checking to make sure this meeting took place.”

  “Come on. I ain’t that stupid. Plus, it’s in my best interest to deliver Salerno to you. I don’t know what business you have with him, but I want to see this work out.”

  “I’m sure you do,” Mark said.

  “So if Enzo tries to reach you, then I’m off the hook.”

  “That’s right.”

  “We’ll be even.”

  Mark nodded.

  “Good. I can’t believe that bitch tried to have me arrested. How did I know her sister was only sixteen? You see the jugs on her? She sure looked older.”

  It pained him to deal with pond-scum like Jimmy Two Tone. “Haven’t you had enough brushes with the law? I might not be able to help you next time. Why don’t you get into a legitimate enterprise for once in your rotten life?”

  “Hey, I’m an artist. I make cinema. I’m just expressing my artistic abilities.”

  “Porn isn’t art. Especially the hard-core stuff you make. I’m sure that if you put your mind to it, you could succeed at an honest endeavor.”

  Jimmy waved his hand. “Come on, that’s for chumps. You expect me to wear a three-piece suit and work a nine to five? I ain’t doing that. No sir.”

  “Have it your way, Jimmy. If you ever wind up in the can, I feel sorry for you. You’ve made a lot of enemies. They don’t like snitches in prison.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Of course you can.”

  He slept poorly last night, constantly fidgeting. He kept waking Victoria, so he went downstairs and slept on the couch. It was no more conducive for sleep than his bed. Since he was up anyway, he went over what he would say to Salerno, remembering Carroll’s advice to go into this with his eyes wide open.

  This whole morning, his attention span was short. When Victoria asked what was wrong, he did not tell her about his potential meeting with the mob boss. Mark was not sure why he was so anxious. He had spoken with Salerno before.

  At work he watched the seconds tick by. At ten, he left his office and went for a ride in his car, not wanting to be in his office to take the call.

  As time dragged on, he wondered if Salerno was going to call. With three minutes left, Mark no longer thought Salerno would call. He pulled over to a playground at Seventh and Shunk. He felt like a fool for thinking he could bargain with the devil.

  Mark jumped when the phone rang. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t call.”

  Salerno snickered. “I wanted to make you wait. Where are you?”

  “At a pay phone on Seventh and Shunk.”

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this stimulating conversation?”

  “Let’s cut the shit, Enzo. You know why I want to talk to you. You have links into the police department, so you already know I’ve been unofficially investigating Johnny’s death along with the other ones that have happened lately.”

  “I’m glad you’re keeping yourself busy. It beats keeping tabs on me.”

  “Real funny,” Mark said.

  “How does this concern me?”

  “We have the same goal. I know you want payback for Johnny. So that means you’ve been doing your own investigating.”

  “You don’t know the first thing about me. You may think you know me, but you don’t.”

  Salerno was trying to bait him into an argument. “I don’t want to fight with you. I want to work with you. My investigation hasn’t progressed the way I’d like, and I don’t want to see more people die. It’s in our best interests to collaborate.”

  “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Andrews.”

  “Stop patronizing me.”

  “Mark, it’s touching and all, but I don’t need your help. What I choose to do regarding the death of my associate is not your concern. I’m more than capable of handling the situation. I don’t need to go through the system to get justice.”

  “Cut the Godfather shit. I have information you can use. I would be willing to share it if you meet me.”

  “Somehow I find it hard to believe that you have info that I don’t already know. You should know after chasing me all these years that I’m always a step ahead of you.”

  “Is that so? A young lady was killed this past weekend. The details of her murder have been kept private. I’m the only one who knows about it. I know the killer’s name and have a good description of him.”

  “I’m glad you’re doing your job. I wish you well, but I don’t need your help.”

  “Listen, Enzo. Forget about who I am and who you are. People are dying. I want to put an end to it. Because of that, I’m willing to swallow my pride and ask for help. I don’t feel so morally superior that it’s beneath me to deal with you. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stop this killer. If you have any decency and compassion, you’ll meet with me. That’s all I’m asking for. I give you my word that if we work together, I’ll temporarily suspend any investigation into your activities. Anything that I learn during this time I won’t use against you.”

  Mark’s heart was beating quickly. That was not part of his script.

  “Okay.”

  Mark blinked rapidly. “Okay what?”

  “I’ll meet with you. Despite what you may have fictionalized about me, I’m not a bad person. I want to see whoever is responsible for this stopped before others die.”

  Mark’s hands shook. He tried to calm himself. “I’m glad.”

  “Tomorrow at seven in the morning at Fairmount Park. Go alone to the bench near the sculpture of Joan of Arc. If you’re with anyone, I walk.”

  “It’s a deal. I have photos and drawings you might be interested in. See you then.” Mark hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alexei leisurely strolled out of the townhouse on Rittenhouse Square with the taste of blood in his mouth, humming a tune from 42nd Street. The woman whose house he had visited was a model, who recently returned from the Cayman Islands from a photo shoot for a new swimwear line. She was married to a sugar daddy—a wealthy, middle-aged attorney who specialized in medical malpractice litigation. There were things he could not provide, and for that she turned to Alexei.

  Alexei met Nora Brooks at a dinner party celebrating the birthday of a magazine publisher. As usual, Alexei managed to nestle his way into the city’s social elite. He was a mysterious stranger that everyone wanted to know. His wealth, enchanting looks and magnetism drew people to him like flies to a light.

  After Alexei arrived at the party, people gathered near him. He had a Long Island Iced Tea in hand, al
though alcohol had no effect on him. He found it amusing when others were wowed that he could drink so much while maintaining his coherency.

  He spotted Nora across the room. She had a look of extreme melancholy. He sauntered toward her and offered her a drink. She was perfect. Young, beautiful and looking for more in life. That entire evening she clung to his side laughing at his jokes, enchanted by his stories. They danced, took a stroll in the moonlight walking hand in hand.

  Alexei did not leave with her that evening since her husband was home. Nora gave him her phone number and an open invitation for the following evening, when her husband would be in Florida meeting a client.

  He had made a habit of waking before the sun set. Just like Magnus, the sunlight did not affect him as long as the shades were drawn and he stayed inside. It gave him time to himself while the others were sleeping. Although spacious, with sixteen others living in the house, it was difficult to be alone.

  He walked to the computer room. He craved keeping up with news around the world and communicating with others of his kind through email. The house had high speed Internet connections and four state of the art computers. Magnus always insisted on getting the most advanced technology available.

  Alexei’s eyes narrowed as he entered the room. Much to his chagrin, Magnus also tended to wake before sunrise.

  Alexei hovered by the door.

  Not turning around, Magnus spoke in a cold voice. “Hello, Alexei.”

  “Good afternoon, Magnus.”

  Icy silence ensued. Magnus continued typing. With his keen vision, Alexei could see he was typing a letter, although he could not identify to whom it was addressed.

  Although Alexei wanted to check his email, he did not want to be in the same room as Magnus. He walked away without saying another word and went to the library.

  The library had thousands of books in stacks and shelves. It had reference books, works of fiction, biographies and volumes of ancient literature. Some pieces were hundreds, even thousands of years old.

  Alexei devoured all kinds of books. He was especially fond of vampire novels. He enjoyed seeing how humans viewed his kind. He had read every book in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles and now was reading through Laurell K. Hamilton’s collection.

  After reading a few chapters, he took out his cell phone, but couldn’t get a signal inside the library. He walked down the hall until he picked up a signal and dialed Nora Brooks to take her up on her offer from the previous evening.

  He drove to Nora’s house in his vintage ’69 Mercedes convertible. He treasured material objects. Living in excess and maximizing pleasure were his only concerns in life.

  That night, he said to Nora, “You do realize I’m a creature of the night, what you might call a vampire.”

  She looked deeply into his eyes. “None of that matters to me.”

  After an exhilarating sexual escapade, Alexei promised her something more intensely pleasurable. She begged for it, but he wanted her to wait in eager anticipation. Just before leaving, he gave her a small kiss to remember him by. It was just below her neck and above her chest. He left behind two puncture wounds, and took a gulp of her blood in an exercise in self-discipline. He had trouble exerting control over himself lately, acting like a crazed animal while feeding. He wanted to prove to himself that he could stop once he started. He left Nora somewhere between agony and ecstasy.

  He drove home feeling on top of the world. Nothing could bring him down. That was until he stepped into the house. The usual cast of characters had assembled in the living room to watch some inane movie on the large screen television.

  He was about to go upstairs to his room when Magnus stood in front of him with his arms crossed, drilling laser beams at him with his eyes. Alexei moved forward but Magnus blocked his path.

  “In my room, now.”

  “I have things to do,” Alexei said.

  “You can do them later.” Magnus’ gaze never wavered.

  Alexei reluctantly followed. The last thing he needed was Magnus lecturing him.

  Magnus closed the door after they both entered. He paced around.

  With a bored tone, Alexei asked, “What do you want?”

  “You have been spending time recently with a high profile model named Nora Brooks.”

  Alexei’s lips curled. “How do you…”

  “How do I know?”

  “Yes. You never leave this place. You remain holed up in the house for days at a time.”

  “Very little escapes me. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  Alexei’s eyes narrowed. “So what’s it to you?”

  “This woman is somewhat famous and keeps a high profile. You have been seen with her. If I know about it, others will also. Therefore, if she winds up missing, they will look for you, and you will once again expose our identity.”

  Alexei turned his back. “If that’s all, then I’ll be leaving.”

  A strong grip on his shoulder prevented him from moving. Magnus turned him around. “I’m not making a suggestion. If I find out this woman has been harmed, there will be trouble that you do not want to deal with.”

  Alexei stood face to face with Magnus. They were inches apart and neither flinched. “Is that a threat?”

  “Take it any way you’d like. It doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that matters is that the woman goes unharmed. Understand?”

  “I would suggest you choose your enemies wisely. You don’t want to cross me.”

  “Then don’t give me a reason.”

  Alexei and Magnus continued to stare at each other.

  Gabriella opened the door. “There you two are. I’ve been looking for you. Heinrich brought guests over that he would like everyone to meet. They’re quite interesting.” Gabriella grabbed Alexei’s hand. “Come on.”

  He allowed her to lead him out of the room. Magnus stayed behind, his gaze unwavering.

  Downstairs, Alexei glanced at the dark-haired twins that Heinrich brought to the house. Although the others in the brood seemed to find the twins amusing, Alexei could not get over his confrontation with Magnus.

  He slipped out the front door and left the house. As he walked along the quiet streets of their sleepy neighborhood, he thought about leaving the brood. He didn’t want to leave. He liked the others, especially Gabriella. If he and Magnus had a problem they could not resolve, why should he leave? Perhaps he would force a confrontation, and the stronger of the two would stay.

  He had joined the brood fifty years ago. If not for Gabriella, he wouldn’t have bothered. He lived in Berlin through both World Wars. It was a great time to be there. With the country on the brink of devastation, he could make fresh kills without being noticed. However, when the wars ended and the communists entered the country, he could not stay, not in a country under the rule of Josef Stalin.

  He first encountered Gabriella on a cold winter evening on his way to attend the opera at a theater that had yet to fall prey to the communists. He knew the owner of the venue, and guaranteed his theater’s protection in exchange for premium seats whenever he wanted them. The owner called upon Alexei when members of the Party tried to squeeze him.

  Alexei enjoyed the mile walk from his apartment to the theater as communists wearing combat fatigues drove by in military vehicles. He relished the bitterly cold weather. It reminded him of his early days in the Ukraine.

  A few blocks away from the theater, he detected the presence of another of his kind.

  Most night dwellers residing in Germany left prior to the Second World War. He had not seen or heard from another in some time. Although he enjoyed humans, he missed the company of his species.

  He quickened his pace and did a double take when he spotted one of the most gorgeous creatures he had ever seen. She appeared to be haggling with someone at the ticket office. She stood next to another blood drinker of German ancestry. As he got close, she abruptly stopped arguing and turned in his direction. He smiled as their eyes met.

  The theater
employee greeted Alexei warmly.

  “What’s the problem?” Alexei asked.

  In a professional voice, the employee said, “I am trying to explain to the gentleman and the lady that tonight’s performance is sold out. There is not a single ticket available. It is most unfortunate, but they can purchase tickets for future performances. However, they insist on seeing the show tonight.”

  “Such small problems. These are my friends, and will be guests in my box.”

  “Well, if they are friends of yours, then an exception can be made. Please follow me.” The man led them to Alexei’s private box.

  “That was most kind of you…”

  “Alexei. And you are?”

  “Gabriella. This is my friend Markus.”

  Alexei greeted Markus, but he only cared about Gabriella.

  “I thought the undead community in Germany had disbursed long ago,” Alexei said.

  “We were passing through on our way to Zagreb. Markus is originally from Germany and he wanted to show me the home of his youth.”

  Markus smiled. “Thank you for your kind gesture.”

  “It’s the least I could do.”

  Alexei watched the opera with his new friends, but could not keep his eyes off Gabriella. Afterward, he led his two guests backstage where they met the performers. Markus hit it off with a singer and went back to her apartment that evening. That was fine with Alexei, since it gave him an opportunity to spend time with Gabriella alone.

  Alexei gave her a late night tour of Berlin. Before dawn she returned to her hotel. By that time, Markus also returned from his escapade with the opera singer.

  The following evening they got together, and Alexei told them he would like to accompany them to Zagreb. These were difficult times in Eastern Europe, and there was safety in numbers. Markus and Gabriella agreed, and they departed a few days later. They traveled by train to Zagreb, and extended their tour into Turkey and Asia.

  When they returned to Germany, Gabriella invited him to live in Spain with Magnus’ brood. Alexei did not have any compelling reason to stay, and this gave him a perfect excuse to depart from Germany before it fell further into the hands of the Soviets. He packed his belongings and had them delivered by rail.