Blood Street

by Alves, Carl

  The Goat’s face cringed and he nearly vomited. Like his girlfriend Karen always said, he was self-destructive. Every time something good happened in his life, he screwed it up.

  He sat up as Vladimir entered the room with his lady friend, Ksenya. Vladimir handed him two Tums and a cup of black coffee.

  “Thanks, Vlad.” The Goat swallowed the Tums. “I appreciate it.” Even through the haze, he gawked at Ksenya. She wore tight shorts and a half tee shirt that revealed a bare midriff. She was hot, even if she did look like she belonged in Alexei’s family.

  “You had bad night?” Vladimir asked.

  “Bad doesn’t describe it. This was an all-timer. I feel like Humpty Dumpty.”

  Vladmir's brow furrowed.

  “Never mind.”

  “Well, I make you happy.” Vladimir handed him an envelope with cash.

  The Goat didn’t feel like counting. “How much?”

  “Twenty-five hundred.”

  The Goat raised his left eyebrow. “Not bad.”

  Vladimir nodded. “Business is good.”

  “That’s good. If you do a good job here, we might have some more work for you. Maybe even with a better cut.”

  “I have other ideas to make money,” Vladimir said.

  “You keep it up, and we’ll talk.”

  The Goat gingerly rose from the sofa. “Hey, you’re from Russia.”

  “The Ukraine,” Vladimir corrected him.

  “Yeah, like I was saying, so you probably know all about this vampire shit, right?”

  Vladimir smirked. “Vampires, witches, black magic, everything. I have vampire living next door.”

  The Goat detected sarcasm through the thick accent. “I’m not saying because you’re Russian you know all about vampires. It’s not like they’re living out in the open there, or anything. But you must know about them.”

  Vladimir rolled his eyes. “If they have vampire in Ukraine, I would not know. I do not travel in those circles.”

  “I’m sure you don’t. It’s just that the Vampire Killer is Russian or something.”

  Vladimir shrugged. “I know nothing.”

  The Goat waved his hand. “Forget about it.”

  “I know of him,” Ksenya said.

  The Goat's jaw dropped. “Huh?”

  Vladimir frowned as he stared at Ksenya.

  “My grandfather had encounter many years ago in Georgia.”

  “I thought your family was from Russia.” This conversation was getting confusing. It was the last thing The Goat needed after his bender.

  “Georgia was part of former Soviet Union,” Vladimir said.

  “Georgia’s in the South. What are you talking about? Have you been smoking something?”

  “Never mind,” Vladimir said.

  The Goat grabbed Ksenya’s arm. “Tell me about this deal with your grandfather.”

  “A vourdalak almost kill my grandfather when he was boy in Georgia.”

  “Voura-what?” The Goat asked.

  “Vourdalak,” Vladimir said. “It is vampire in Russian folklore. Vourdalak is beautiful but evil man or woman who preys on people.”

  “So how do you know its Alexei?” The Goat asked.

  “Who is Alexei?” Ksenya asked.

  “The Vampire Killer,” The Goat replied.

  Vladimir smiled. “Like I say, you know more about it than I do.”

  “I do not know if vourdalak who almost kill my grandfather is same as this one,” Ksenya said. “My grandfather knows about them. He can help.”

  The Goat shrugged. “Alexei whacked two of our boys a couple nights ago. We need to figure out how to kill this son of a bitch or we’re in deep shit.”

  Vladimir picked up the copy of the Philadelphia Daily News with the picture of Agent Barton’s body being carried away in a gurney. “I think you are right.”

  Sophie Koch wore a black dress to Vinnie Casso’s funeral, her second burial in two weeks. Tomorrow was Tony Giordano’s.

  She vividly remembered Enzo calling her to let her know what happened. She could not tell if he was sad or angry. Perhaps it was frustration in his voice.

  She wanted to console him, but that would be a terrible mistake. In that moment of weakness, he might succumb to her, and she would feel guilty as hell if he cheated on his wife with her. Sophie had been fighting this battle for some time, and her self-control always won. She chose not to pursue a relationship with Enzo years ago. Now that he had a family, that option no longer existed.

  They spoke on the phone for a half-hour. They talked of ghouls and ghosts and things that go bump in the night, things she would have dismissed as nonsense a few weeks ago. Even before this attack, she was convinced Pat Adesso’s story was authentic. Fortunately, Enzo now reached that same conclusion.

  She glanced at Enzo, who was speaking with Casso’s mother. She imagined he was saying something similar to what he told Johnny Debenedetto’s mother. When Enzo finished speaking with the grieving mother, he walked in Sophie’s direction.

  She tried to smile, but couldn’t. “I hope we don’t have to attend any more funerals for a while.”

  He nodded. “You and me both.”

  Sophie clutched his arm. “Let’s take a walk.”

  Enzo lit a cigarette. “It always hurts when I have to talk to the mothers. It cuts deep, to the bone. It doesn’t matter how many bad things they’ve done. To the mothers they’re perfect angels.” Enzo crushed his cigarette. “I have to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

  “What did we get ourselves into? We run a business. We’re not about hunting the undead.” Sophie gritted her teeth.

  “I didn’t ask to have anything to do with this monster. He came to the wrong neighborhood and killed the wrong person. He started it, but I’ll be damned if we don’t finish it.”

  Sophie gave him an icy stare. “Enough bluster. Saying what we’re going to do won’t get us anywhere. We need a plan, or more people will get killed.”

  Enzo nodded. “You’re right. We now know he’s a fucking vampire.”

  “I would say so.”

  “Like you said, vampire legends exist in many cultures. Since vampires are real, many of these legends must be based upon fact. So we study them, find out what they do, how they do it, and uncover their weaknesses.”

  “Like garlic or sunlight or stakes.”

  “Precisely,” Enzo said. “We’ll find out how to identify and kill these vampires. I was reading some vampire lore that suggested they travel in packs called broods. It’s possible our boy may not be flying solo.”

  “I certainly hope he's alone. I wouldn’t want to deal with more than one vampire.”

  Enzo took out a cigarette. “Most of the men in our organization aren’t the research type. They’re more doers than thinkers. You need muscle or you need a guy plugged, they can do that, but figuring out how to kill vampires isn't their strong suit.”

  “We’ll have to take that on ourselves.”

  “We have to do it quickly. Alexei won’t be waiting. I want the Wiz to work on it.”

  Sophie raised her brows. “The Wiz?”

  Enzo nodded. “This will be right up his alley.”

  “I’ll let him know what we’re looking for.”

  As they were walking back to the mourners, Sophie said, “I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit uneasy. We might be dealing with something we can’t handle. All of us, including our families, could be in danger. It’s not like we’re fighting against another family or the Feds, where everybody follows certain rules and families are off limits. I’m guessing a vampire doesn’t have any codes of honor.”

  “We can handle him,” Enzo said with quiet confidence.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “For one simple reason. If vampires have been around for so long and they’re so powerful, why haven't they overrun the planet by now? How come they aren’t in control? They must have weaknesses that can be exploited.”

  Sophie gave him a hug b
efore abruptly releasing. She needed comfort. Since that was as much as she would get from Enzo, she would have to look elsewhere. There was a young stud she met at the gym who was all bulging muscles and good looks with little brain activity. He invited her out for drinks. Tonight she would take him up on his offer for drinks and much more afterward.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Kristoff arrived at the mansion out of breath.

  Heinrich, who had been sitting on a plush leather sofa working on a puzzle, helped him off his feet. “What happened to you?”

  Ursula, who had been drying off after swimming in the indoor pool, dropped her towel and approached him. “You look like you ran two marathons.”

  Kristoff nodded. “I feel like it.”

  The others gathered around him.

  “Where is Magnus?” Kristoff asked. “I must speak with him.”

  Magnus emerged from the basement. “I’m here.”

  He took a couple of deep breaths. “Alexei has gotten into big trouble.”

  Magnus sighed. “What now?”

  “I was at the comedy club on South Street with three mortal friends. Afterward, they wanted to go dancing. Always up for a good time, I obliged. We went to the Rock Lobster and then to Club Egypt. The area was crawling with cameras, reporters and police. Nobody would say it too loud, but I heard their whispers. This was the work of the Vampire Killer. I weaved my way inside and asked the bouncers, bartenders and waitresses if they had seen a man who fit Alexei’s description. Not surprisingly, they had. He killed two members of the local crime syndicate as well as a law enforcement agent.”

  Magnus closed his eyes. “Wonderful.”

  “I imagine it’s on the news.”

  When Heinrich turned on the large, flat screen plasma television, the local news channels were showing live coverage of the massacre.

  Magnus trembled with fury. The local gangsters Alexei killed were bad enough, but killing an FBI agent was unacceptable. Alexei’s arrogance would lead to their demise.

  “He’s gone too far,” Kristoff said. “He has put us in jeopardy, and I don’t want to suffer because he can’t control himself.”

  “Alexei may have his faults, but he is a member of our family,” Heinrich said.

  “Yes, but unlike our original mortal families, we can pick ours,” Kristoff said. “When you do harmful things to your family members, you don’t belong.”

  Magdalena turned toward Kristoff, her lush brown hair whipping him in the face. “Why, because he killed a few mortals? You have killed before.”

  “In those regrettable incidents I have the good sense to not make the evening news. If we all acted like Alexei, we would have been hunted down and burned in a fiery pyre many moons ago. He lacks respect for our kind.”

  “You still harbor resentment because of what happened when he first converted you,” Ursula said. “You have to get over it.”

  “What happened between us holds no relevance. I’ve learned to live with it, but I can’t live with his disregard for us.”

  Magdalena stroked Kristoff’s hair. “Our loyalties should be with our own. I’ll take any blood drinker, even a stupid, mindless one, over a hundred mortals. They’re nice as playthings, don’t get me wrong, but they will never equal one of us.”

  “We have to live among the mortals,” Heinrich said. “They outnumber us and their technology gets increasingly more sophisticated, which will enhance their ability to detect and hunt us.”

  “We have ascended the evolutionary chain,” Magdalena said. “We’re superior.”

  “Without them we would have no food supply,” Heinrich said.

  Kristoff shook his head. “We’re getting off topic. Alexei must go.”

  Ursula folded her arms. “Will you stand against him? No offense, but he'd destroy you.”

  Kristoff’s eyes narrowed. “I will.”

  Magnus raised his hand. “You’ll do no such thing. The only one who can and will do something is me. I bear the responsibility of taking action against one of our members. You’ve made your points. Alexei is one of us, and therefore our kinship is strong, but that doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants.”

  “So what will you do?” Magdalena asked.

  “I haven’t decided, but it will be in our best interest.” Magnus gazed at the other vampires and saw no dissent.

  There was no point looking for Alexei. He was either on his way home or hiding. He was not reckless enough to be prowling the streets.

  Magnus resumed his billiards match against Markus. His concentration was off, and Markus beat him easily. He did not allow the others to see how disturbed he felt. He had to remain their cool and unruffled leader. Gabriella was the only one who knew how much he despised Alexei.

  When the sun rose the following morning, Alexei still had not returned. Magnus was not surprised. Different levels of vampires existed. The younger ones like Ursula had to be completely enshrouded in darkness during the day. They slept in a coffin or vault, something impenetrable to light. An older vampire such as Gabriella could sleep in a conventional bed in a darkened room. Exposure to sunlight could be harmful, but not fatal. Ancient vampires like Magnus and Alexei didn’t have to sleep during the day. Sunlight only weakened them. Magnus had ventured outside in daylight to experiment. Although he felt sluggish, he had not suffered any injuries. The same applied to Alexei. He could be in a hotel room or staying with friends. Either he was hiding from the authorities, or he did not want to face Magnus' wrath.

  Tension and speculation about what happened to Alexei filled the house. Some speculated that he fled, although Magnus doubted it. Alexei welcomed attention. Others thought someone had killed him, but he was an ancient vampire and would not die easily.

  Three nights after Alexei made headlines, he appeared at the Wyncotte mansion. A hush swept over the house.

  “The prodigal son returns.” Magdalena kissed him. “Welcome back.”

  “It’s good to be home,” Alexei said. “It’s been a wild ride.”

  “I can only imagine,” Magdalena said. “You’ve caused quite a commotion.”

  The others gathered near him.

  Alexei engaged them in light conversation until Magnus approached from across the room and glared at Alexei. “You have some nerve pulling what you did.”

  Alexei looked away from Magnus and walked to the stairs. “I had no control over what happened. I had to protect myself. You would have done the same.”

  “You’re no helpless victim. You fed in a careless manner and brought unnecessary attention upon yourself. You have killed one human after another without concealing what you’ve done. Of course the police are trailing you. We aren’t living in the fifteenth century in some backward village. This is the twenty-first century, the information age. Discretion has never been more important.”

  “I did what I needed to do. That’s the last I want to hear about it.”

  Magnus grabbed Alexei by his shirt collar and lifted him off the floor.

  “Get your hands off me,” Alexei said.

  “Did you even bother to watch if anyone was following? Half the city is after you.”

  “I said get off me.”

  Magnus tossed Alexei. Alexei sprung to his feet and without hesitation threw an overhand right to Magnus’ temple. His legs buckled and he crumpled. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

  Kristoff stepped forward, but Heinrich grabbed his arm. “This isn’t your fight.”

  Alexei grabbed Magnus by the neck and was about to punch him when Magnus landed an uppercut to Alexei’s abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. Magnus lunged forward, causing Alexei’s back to crash into a granite counter top. Pumping his fists like a boxer, he repeatedly punched Alexei’s face until it was red and swollen. With his free hand, Alexei grabbed a glass jar and smashed it on Magnus’ face, broken glass flying in every direction.

  Alexei lifted Magnus over his head and flung him across the living room. His leg caught the leather couch, tipp
ing it over, and he crashed into the fireplace.

  Alexei moved forward, smiling. As he got close, Magnus picked up a poker hanging near the fireplace, rose to his feet and swung it like a baseball bat. Alexei partially blocked the shot, but it still connected with his ribs. He gasped and fell to one knee. He drove the poker toward Alexei’s chest, but Alexei held it back with both hands. It was a battle of wills as Magnus used his strength and leverage to stab Alexei.

  Alexei swept his left leg underneath Magnus and knocked him off his feet. Gasping, Alexei stepped back, giving Magnus time to recover.

  They circled each other. Alexei feinted, and Magnus went into a defensive posture while looking for an opening. Magnus flew at him, but the blond vampire leaped over the balcony onto the second floor.

  Instead of jumping after Alexei, Magnus ran up the stairwell. Alexei ran toward him. Halfway up, they collided. They grappled, each trying to gain an advantage. Magnus lifted Alexei with one hand on his leg and the other around his waist. He attempted to throw him down the stairs, but Alexei held on, causing both of them to tumble, shattering the wooden railing.

  They staggered to their feet like punch drunk fighters, then came at each other with fists flailing and exchanged punches.

  The front door opened, and Gabriella walked inside. She dropped her shopping bag and stepped into the middle of the fight. “Stop it, both of you! I don’t think you understand, but things have changed in the last few days. We are no longer invisible and can’t go about doing whatever we want. People are on the lookout for our kind.”

  Magnus wiped blood off his lips. “I’m keenly aware of this. If not for Alexei…”

  Gabriella raised her hand. “Now is not the time to cast blame. We have to worry about our survival. We must stick together, or we’re all in trouble.”

  “I don’t need help from anybody,” Alexei said.

  “Don’t let your pride overtake you,” Gabriella said. “We need each other. Fighting will not settle anything. When this whole thing is over, if you two feel the need to part company or settle a score, then do so then. For now, you need to put aside your differences. You don’t have to like each other, but you must cooperate for all of our sakes.”