Blood Street

by Alves, Carl

  Both sides had reached a stalemate. As the voice of reason, Sophie felt she had to bring them together. She put her hand on Enzo’s shoulder. “Carroll makes a good point. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I doubt you can physically or mentally handle a confrontation right now. Let’s rest up, meet later, and come up with a plan.”

  Enzo tilted his head and sighed. “I can’t lose any more of my guys without striking back. What kind of boss am I if I can’t protect my people?”

  Tony said. “Nobody’s blaming you for any of this, boss. I mean, we’re talking vampires here. The guys have faith that you’ll take care of it.”

  “You’re right; we will take care of it.” Enzo ran his fingers through his hair. “We can wait a day, but we can’t let them out of our sight. We need better surveillance. We need to commandeer a house or something. You guys are the experts at that shit.”

  “Don’t worry, we have it covered,” Mark said. “If I thought there was a chance they were going to sniff us out, we would have been more cautious. Maybe Senerchia and Reed will show up sometime today.”

  “Yeah, and I might grow wings,” Tony said. “It ain’t happening. They’re either dead or captured. God only knows what those motherfuckers did to them.”

  Nobody spoke for a while. Sophie felt tension and distrust. It was going to take effort to make this partnership work. “So we’re in agreement. We’ll reconvene at my house at two in the afternoon. We can sleep, and get our stuff together in the meantime.”

  There were nods and assents of agreement. Carroll and Andrews left.

  “This is fucked up, Enzo,” Tony said. “It’s bad enough we have to fight the undead, but we have to do it with them. I don’t like it.”

  “Believe me, I wish we didn’t have to. Sometimes I want to throttle Andrews, but, the truth is, we can use their help. There are certain things they can do that we can’t. Rest assured, if they’re not willing to act, we will. We’re not going to lose this war.”

  Sophie sighed. “When you raid the vampire house, don’t go guns blazing. I have a feeling Charlie and Mike are alive inside the house. We need to get them out.”

  Tony made the sign of the cross. “If they are, then God help them. I’ll see you later. It’s going to be a long fucking day.”

  Sophie walked Tony to the door. When she returned, Enzo sat staring at the ceiling.

  “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Enzo shook his head. “No, I should leave.”

  “You can stay. I have a guest room. I’m sure I can find clothes that fit.”

  Enzo eyed her warily. “You just happen to keep men’s clothing lying around?”

  “Ah, you know. People come and go. Sometimes they leave stuff behind.

  “This is killing me, Sophie. I always told myself that I have to be cold. People are going to die. It’s the nature of our business. Most of my predecessors and their associates are dead and buried, and not from old age, but this tears me up. I’m responsible for these men. They have mothers and fathers, wives and children whose lives have been shattered. They look at me like I’m to blame. Maybe I should have just said forget about it when we discovered Alexei was a vampire.”

  Sophie sat next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, fighting a sudden urge to take him in her arms.

  “If you didn’t do something about Johnny’s murder, you’d have lost respect. Now we’re in too deep. We have to finish this thing, and rescue Charlie and Mike.”

  “I think they’re dead. I think the vampires figured out who they were and didn’t let them out alive. They have to know we’re after them.”

  Sophie sighed. “Maybe they’ll just leave.”

  Enzo shook his head. “No way. I want retribution, damn it.”

  “At what cost? And don’t tell me at any cost. You’re too smart for that type of thinking. If they figure out who we are and start attacking us, then things can get dicey.”

  “You think I don’t know that? We have to stay the course, even if it gets tough.”

  Sophie frowned. She had been pondering the wisdom of this course of action even before Charlie and Mike disappeared.

  Enzo yawned. “I really need to go.”

  He got up, but Sophie grabbed his hand. “Sure you don’t want to stay? It really wouldn’t be a big deal.” For a moment, she thought he would accept her invitation.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I need to take care of things at home. I’ll see you later.”

  Sophie followed him to the door. She watched as he turned the corner and walked to his car. She sighed, feeling a pang of regret.

  Chapter Thirty

  Magnus sat at the piano playing a melody. He could not concentrate. The notes sounded all wrong. Instead of relaxing him, playing the piano was making him more irritable. He turned, startled to find Gabriella standing behind him. She had an uncanny ability to sneak behind him despite his preternatural senses.

  “How’s our friend doing?” Magnus asked with a wry smile.

  “Still unconscious. I imagine he’ll be out for a bit longer. You hit him good.”

  “I didn't intend on doing serious damage. I just wanted to immobilize him.”

  “You certainly did that. You almost put him out for good.”

  “So what do we know about him?” Magnus asked.

  Gabriella tossed his wallet, and Magnus caught it. “His name is Charles Senerchia. He lives on Catherine Street in Philadelphia. I’m going to check my source at the DMV to get more info.”

  “Good.” Magnus fished through the wallet. He counted over three thousand dollars. “He carries quite a large sum of cash.”

  “Because he’s a gangster?” Gabriella giggled.

  “Probably not a good one. Who do these fools think they’re dealing with? Don’t they know this can only end in their deaths?”

  “Perhaps they don’t know who we are.”

  Magnus frowned. “After Alexei’s display outside the nightclub, I doubt it. When Mr. Senerchia recovers, we’ll find out what he knows.”

  “How will this end?”

  “I don’t know. They have linked Alexei to the people he killed. We must move with caution.” Magnus drew Gabriella toward him. She leaned in, and his lips met hers. “We haven’t survived this long by accident. If we have to kill these meddlers, then so be it.”

  “We should go somewhere secluded where we’ll be less conspicuous.”

  “We’ve tried that before. After a year or so, we start to draw attention, not to mention there’s a limited food supply. Plus, I’d miss the culture and entertainment you get in a big city. We should be more selective with whom we travel. Possibly splinter this group.”

  Gabriella closed her eyes. “It isn’t easy to let go of those you love.”

  “I know. Tell me if Mr. Senerchia wakes up. I need to chat with the young man.”

  When Gabriella left, Magnus began pacing the living room. In need of fresh air, he put on a pair of shoes and was about to leave when Heinrich walked through the door.

  “How did it go?” Magnus asked.

  “As well as could be expected,” Heinrich replied. “I cremated the body and abandoned the car in an unsavory section of the city. It’ll be stripped down by tomorrow. How about his friend?”

  “Still out.”

  “That’s unfortunate,” Heinrich said. “How’s Alexei?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since I returned. After his tirade about us following him, he’s kept himself scarce. What a fool.”

  “He’s been under stress lately.”

  “Stress he created. He’s acted like an idiot, hardly becoming of an elder vampire.”

  Heinrich said nothing.

  Magnus sighed. “But he is one of ours, I suppose, and therefore we must accept his flaws.”

  “Well said. I’ll check on our guest.”

  Magnus left the mansion to clear his head, hoping to sort out the recent developments.

  A couple hours before
dawn, Magnus sat in a chair in the basement, which had five finished rooms. Its living space was larger than most houses. In front of him, Charlie Senerchia slept on a futon. He began to stir.

  Magnus waited patiently.

  Charlie opened his eyes. They darted across the room. He attempted to rise and let out a low moan.

  When Magnus approached, Charlie shrank away, his body trembling.

  “No need to be afraid,” Magnus said.

  Charlie scanned the room. “Where am I? What are you doing here?”

  “You’re a guest in my house. Welcome.”

  Charlie attempted to rise, wavered slightly, and then vomited.

  Magnus handed him a handkerchief, and Charlie used it to wipe his mouth.

  “How did I get here? What happened? Where’s Mike?”

  “I’ll answer your questions one at a time. I brought you here. We had a scrap, and you came on the short end of it. Your friend is no longer with us.”

  “You-you’re a fucking vampire!” Charlie shouted. “Get the fuck away from me.”

  “Well, I guess there’s no need for pretenses. I am what you would call a vampire, but you need not fear me.”

  “What do you want with me?” Charlie’s eyes held a wild look of desperation.

  “Cooperation.” Magnus smiled. “You know more than you should. How did you obtain this information and who else knows? Work with us, and you can go free.”

  “You fucking killed Mike! Why should I believe you?”

  “Believe what you want. You’re hardly in a position to dictate terms. You’re alive because I let you live. If your survival is important, then calm down and cooperate.”

  Magnus turned his back to Charlie. He reached into a box and pulled out a stake that had been in the car. He tossed it to Charlie, who caught it in mid-air.

  “I assume you meant to harm us with that trinket. That, my friend, was a mistake. Fortunately for you, not a fatal one. What an unfriendly way of introducing yourself.”

  “Fuck off.” Spit flew from Charlie’s mouth.

  Magnus circled around Charlie. “Don’t be so crude. It’s not an accident that you had those pieces of wood in your vehicle. How did you find where we live?”

  Charlie chuckled. “I don’t have to answer anything without my lawyer present.”

  Magnus gripped Charlie’s neck, not enough for him to suffocate, only enough for him to gasp for air. “Do you think this is a game? Your life hangs in the balance. Don’t tilt it.”

  Magnus released his grip and paced around the room. He didn’t expect resistance. He figured Charlie would just be glad to be alive.

  A rustle came from behind him. He turned in a split second, in time to intercept Charlie as he raced across the room in an attempt to plunge the stake into him. He grabbed the stake, ripped it from Charlie’s hand and tossed it aside. He punched Charlie in the gut. Charlie doubled over. With one hand, he lifted him in the air.

  Charlie groaned and fell to his knees after Magnus released him. He coughed blood.

  Magnus put his foot on Charlie’s back, making him lie flat on the floor. “I won’t hold that against you. You underestimated me. Don’t do it again. Are you ready to cooperate?” Magnus took his foot off Charlie’s back.

  “I ain’t saying nothing,” Charlie said.

  “A defiant one. I have ways of making you talk.” Magnus chuckled. “I think I heard that line in a movie. For now, ponder the situation.”

  Alexei rose from the dining room table, shaking his head. “I’ll make him babble about anything that’s ever happened in his miserable, worthless life.”

  Magnus rolled his eyes, not looking at Alexei. “Don’t you think I know how to get information from people? This one is tough. He has a strong sense of loyalty and stubbornness, which overshadows his fear. Don’t worry. I’ll break him.”

  “Let me at him,” Alexei said. “I’ll give him a lesson in fear.”

  “You’ll only torture or kill him,” Magnus said. “That won’t be productive.”

  Kristoff asked, “Why don’t we just kill him and be done with it? If we have to, we’ll leave. It won’t be the first time.”

  “Coordinating such a move with so many takes planning, especially with young ones like yourself.”

  Kristoff propped his chin on his fist. Ursula put her arm around his shoulder and leaned his head against her chest.

  “I’m with Alexei,” Heinrich said. “We need to use all means at our disposal to get him to talk. Let me do it.”

  Gabriella shook her head. “Torture is overrated. The information you get is unreliable. Usually, they will say anything just to stop the pain.”

  Heinrich’s brows furrowed.

  “I’ve read quite a bit on the subject,” Gabriella said.

  Magdalena, who had been standing at the corner of the room, stepped forward. She extended her bare leg against the table. “You men are all alike. You think you can solve all the world’s problems with brute force. There are better ways of getting what you want. Give me time with the young man, and I’ll find out everything.”

  Alexei grinned. “How can you be so sure he’ll give in to you?”

  Magdalena batted her eyelashes. “He’s a red-blooded male. None have ever refused me.”

  Magnus leaned back. “Magdalena, work your magic on him.”

  Charlie was searching for a way out while fighting a severe headache and nausea. He already tried to bust through the door leading out of the basement to no avail.

  Charlie entered a game room. It had two large couches, a pool table, a foosball game and a Bose stereo. A third room housed six coffins, along with numerous paintings lining the wall. He had no idea if they had any value.

  After Magnus left, other vampires visited. One was a creepy, dark-haired vampire named Sasha who looked liked he could have been a stunt double for Dracula. Sasha brought him a pitcher of lemonade. After pouring a glass and handing it to Charlie, he put the pitcher inside a refrigerator. Then a blond vampire named Jurgen brought him a bag of Doritos and a soft pretzel.

  “When the hell are you gonna let me go?” Charlie asked.

  Jurgen smiled. “Magnus will decide what to do with you. Until then, relax.”

  “How the hell am I supposed to relax? You fucking vampires make me nervous.”

  “Then I’ll leave.” Jurgen walked up the steps.

  Charlie would have attacked him from behind, except it hadn't worked so well when he tried it on Magnus.

  After exhausting all possible avenues of escape, he shot some pool to distract himself. They killed Mike. They weren’t going to let him live. Oddly enough, he was no longer afraid, just filled with anger and despair.

  After clearing the pool table twice, footsteps sounded from upstairs. He did not bother looking at his new visitor. He concentrated on his next shot, hoping his false confidence would help get him out of there.

  He pulled back his stick and tapped the cue ball, knocking the seven ball into the side pocket. He looked up, dropped his stick, closed his eyes and quickly opened them. He had to be hallucinating, because if he wasn’t, then he was staring at the most drop-dead gorgeous woman he had ever seen.

  “Hello, Charlie.” She glided across the room.

  She was a goddess. Still, she was one of them, regardless of how beautiful or sexy she looked. She was not human. She drank blood and only came out at night.

  She tilted her head and her wild, auburn hair fell past her shoulders. “You don’t speak much, do you?”

  “Um, hello.” Charlie could only imagine how stupid he sounded.

  She circled around him.

  He shifted his eyes to catch her movement. He wanted to touch her to make sure she was real, but didn’t dare. If she wasn’t, he didn’t want to dispel the illusion.

  She put her arms around his neck. “Charlie, you’re too tense.”

  Charlie pulled back. “I need to get out of here.”

  “In time. Until then, enjoy your stay. I can help.�
�

  Charlie gulped. “You can?”

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  With her hands behind his neck, she pulled him closer until his lips met hers. That was when he knew it was over. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much will he thought he had, he could not resist her. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

  An hour before dawn, Magdalena emerged from the basement, locking the door just to be sure her new toy wouldn’t run away. Magnus and Heinrich waited in the kitchen. She sat next to Magnus and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  “And you said he would be difficult to crack.” Magdalena laughed. “He was putty in my hands.”

  “What did you find out?” Magnus asked.

  “He’s a mobster. Ooh, scary.” Magdalena gave a fake shudder. “He works for a man named Tony Scrambolgni, also known as The Wop.”

  “The Wop? Using an ethnic slur as a nickname?” Heinrich shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand these people.”

  “What else did you learn?” Magnus asked.

  “Scrambolgni works for a man named Enzo Salerno, who controls the city’s crime. Salerno gave the order for Charlie to patrol our house.”

  Magnus stroked his chin. “I have to find out more about this Salerno. What else?”

  “That’s all for now,” Magdalena replied.

  Magnus arched an eyebrow.

  “It’s early yet. I have to establish his trust. By dawn tomorrow, I will tell you all you need to know.”

  Magnus grinned. “Very well. I’ll wait until then.”

  Magnus knocked on Alexei’s door.

  Alexei, who had been reading a book, looked up before returning to his book. “Can I help you?”

  “Close your book. I have something important to discuss with you.”

  Alexei obliged. “You have my full attention.”

  “I realize that you and I don’t get along, but we face a significant danger. The major crime syndicate in the city knows where we live and will likely strike. They will come during the day. We are the only two in the house capable of functioning in daytime. Therefore we must work together to protect the others. Neither of us can stay awake all day or we would lose our strength. Therefore, I propose we work in shifts. I’ll take the first one, and you can take the second one.”