Vamp Town (The Monster Keeper Series Book 1)

by Jeff Seats

  “Yeah, The Bucket of Blood.” A light went off in his head. “Bucket of Blood, Christ!”

  “Someone certainly has a sense of humor.” Ellie smiled appreciating the joke but wishing that they weren't the brunt of it. “So, using your train set idea there is probably one of every type of building in this town. All different design styles and construction techniques.”

  “Yeah. And by the looks of things pegged to the middle sixties.”

  “Way before my time.” Ellie joked. “But the interior of that bar sure looked like it was taken straight out of Mad Men.”

  “This place has not grown up organically over the years. You know? It seems like everything has been dropped here. All at once. For a purpose. I was thinking that it was like a movie set, one of those perfect small town USA locations that a studio built.”

  “I think I sorta just said that. But in the middle of Oregon? Not likely.”

  “Your probably right. And those cans of food. Definitely old army rations. Which creates a whole bunch of new questions.”

  “What are you thinking?” She asked.

  “Well, until I saw vampires with my own eyes I would have thought any mention of them being real was crazy talk. So, here's some more crazy talk...what if this place was built by the government?”

  “I'm not sure where you’re going with this.”

  “Back during the early days of atom bomb testing, they built towns using real materials and filled 'em full of everyday objects to see what the effect of a blast and the radiation would do to them. They even dressed mannequins in a variety of clothing types and colors to study the effects of the blast burns on people.”

  “You’re saying this place was built to test nukes? Wasn't that all done in Arizona or Nevada?” Liz stopped to think a moment. “Unless this was one of those towns but not built to blow up...” She paused. “That might explain those signs on the fence we had to crawl under.”

  “Signs?” Paul tried to visualize the fence. The razor wire he remembered, but signs?

  “Yeah, Mr. Observant. They said something about this being an Indian Reservation or something like it called Res-Site Alpha.”

  “Sorry, I was too fascinated by what Dick was doing to notice them.”

  “So, what if this town was built...”

  “To house vampires. Now that is crazy talk!”

  “I know, but it’s all I can think of.”

  For a moment the hopelessness of their situation dissipated as Ellie and Paul found themselves lost in each other’s gaze, but just for a second as the spell was broken by an eerie, screeching wail suddenly invaded their refuge.

  The high pitched howl hurt their ears, and they could feel its vibrating urgency resonating through their bodies. It surrounded them; invading the alley from the park, from over the tops of the buildings and even through the walls. It was a shriek that sounded like a mixture of an owl out on its nocturnal hunt and the howl of a wolf calling the pack for the kill.

  Ellie’s eyes grew wide. Paul nodded. “I guess they found us.” He handed her the spear and took the stake.

  “Your injury. You need that to walk with.” Ellie asserted with concern.

  “Point taken. Sorry. Bad puns aside, the spear is longer which means that it might be better for you fending them off. Hopefully, that won’t happen, and you won’t need to test my theory. Okay?” She reluctantly acknowledged the idea. “Besides I've been trained in hand to hand combat. Come on, let's see where this alley leads. If we're lucky, we may be able to avoid those bloodsuckers for a bit longer.”

  They stood and moved deeper into the alley, sticking to the darker shadows. Rounding a corner they found themselves staring at a wall. The alley had come to an abrupt end. They were trapped.

  Paul slammed his open hand against the wall in front of him out of frustration. “Damned dead end. So much for luck. It looks like we go back the way we came. Let's check any doors and windows we pass. Maybe vampires don't lock up at night.”

  Liz gave him a faint smile. “Yeah, just during the day.”

  They turned around and headed back towards the alley entrance. This time, they tried all the doors and windows that they had passed previously. Ellie found one window that was within reach by standing on her toes. She boosted herself up onto the ledge and partially into the opening. There was an awkward moment when she tried to wiggle through but found that it wasn't large enough for her let alone Paul. Frustrated she dropped to the ground and saw Paul watching her with a wry smile on his face. “Watch it!”

  “What? I don't know what you're talkin’ about.”

  “Whatever. Just don't say what you’re thinking.”

  “It wasn't you. The window's obviously too small...but it was kinda fun watching you try.”

  Ellie squinted her eyes and gave him a cold stare before continuing down the alley.

  Paul shook his head once again not knowing what the hell he did wrong. Wait, did she think that I was checking out... Ah hell! But maybe she's just playing with me? At least I hope so. He thought as he limped after her.

  When they arrived back at the dumpster, they crouched down behind it before they tried to make any further moves. Paul slowly peered around the corner checking the opening of the alley to see if it was still clear. “Okay, the easy way wasn't an option. So we’ll have to try to get around them the hard way which is out in the open. Follow me. Stay low behind the cars and stick to the shadows. You ready for this?”

  Ellie grit her teeth and firmly looked back at Paul and shook her head, “No.” Then she stood up, offered Paul her hand and smiled gamely. “What are we waiting for?”

  “Thanks,” Paul said as he pulled himself up to his feet. Slowly he crept to the entrance of the alley, peeked around the corner and saw nothing. Then he inched out onto the sidewalk a bit and looked around. Still seeing nothing alarming he motioned for Ellie to follow.

  They followed B Street back in the direction of where they first entered the town moving from one parked vehicle to the next. Paul stopped behind a car to rub at his knee. When Ellie joined him, she tapped his back, so he knew that she was right behind him. "You ready to continue?" He asked back to Ellie.

  "I was just thinking the same of you. You are okay. Right?"

  "Fabulous." Before moving on, Paul looked around the front bumper then ducked quickly back.

  “Shit! That Vlad is in the park with a bunch of vampires and Steph!”

  Both Paul and Ellie slightly rose up behind the car and peered through its windows looking towards the park.

  Vladimir was talking to the two vampires who were soaked in the blood of Jenna and Kelvin. Steph was hovering nearby; a small trickle of red was dripping down from her lips, and her neck sported two throbbing marks where Vladimir had bitten into her. The other blood covered vampires from the bar gathered around them waiting for instruction.

  Helena and Kurt shook their heads to Vladimir’s questions. He looked around the park, raised his nose to the air and sniffed. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Vladimir’s body turned towards the very car that Ellie and Paul were crouched behind. His eyes flared open wide as he looked directly at them.

  They quickly ducked down, but Paul and Ellie knew they had been spotted.

  Vladimir let loose another of those eerie cries calling his family closer to him. The bloodied locals clustered around and then followed his outstretched arm to where his finger was pointing. “They are right over there my family. Enjoy!” The vampires moved towards Ellie and Paul in a focused, deliberate way, anticipating their next kill. They fanned out to encircle the car and cut off routes of escape.

  Paul looked to Ellie. “Looks like we make a run for it. Damn it, I’m sorry.”

  Their faces were very close. Instinctively, Ellie leaned in and kissed Paul.

  With determination, Paul broke away from the kiss and said, “We can do this.”

  Ellie nodded.

  As Paul and Ellie made their move to run, black tendrils whisked arou
nd them. A shadow appeared, and Vladimir materialized blocking their path; paralyzing Paul and Ellie in place. Neither of them could move.

  Vladimir stared into their eyes. They could feel his mind reaching deep into theirs and pulling the strings which controlled them. “Normally, I would offer you up to my family, as I have just done. They have been deprived for so long.”

  Paul and Ellie looked around and discovered that they were surrounded by blood-soaked vampires. The lust for more blood was in their eyes.

  “However, I see that you may be useful to me.” Vladimir released them from his mental grip showing how reasonable he could be. “You see, my family has dwindled through the years, and it needs some new, uh, blood, shall we say. Join me and along with my beautiful Stephanie...” Vladimir gently caressed Steph’s cheek. She responded as a cat would to being stroked. They could almost hear the purr leaving her throat. “...and I can make you so much more than you could imagine.”

  Vladimir reached out to Ellie while Steph sidled up to Paul, courting them.

  Abruptly, there was a powerful roar of propeller blades overhead.

  Interrupted, Vladimir looked up and watched the Osprey fly over and land on the other side of the park. “Ah, the warden and the zoo keepers have finally come.” He turned back to Ellie and Paul. “It seems we will need to discuss this later.” They felt their bodies tense up and found that they were again, incapacitated.

  Vladimir addressed the vampires. “After tonight we shall have our freedom returned to us. But first we will have to show the jailers the mistake they have made and give them something to think about should they try to round us up again.”

  The vampires spread out forming a skirmish line along B Street ready to meet the Action Team head on.

  ——VALLEY OF DEATH ——

  THE OSPREY SWUNG around in an arc and approached Vamp Town from the north. The pilot rotated the wings vertically so that the rotors were facing up, setting it into hover mode as it approached the first Drop Zone. This maneuver altered the sound of the rotors and sent a vibration through the plane which was enough of a signal to inform the Action Team that they were close to an insertion point and a possibly hostile environment.

  The first to fast-rope down, Okada and Timmons, had put on their gloves and moved to the rear of the Osprey. The air pressure in the cabin changed dramatically as the crew chief lowered the rear loading ramp. Ellingson and Ortega, who were next up, stood to prep for their insertion. They checked that all their gear and weapons were firmly attached to their bodies. Going into the unknown without all the necessary equipment was not a good way to ensure one's survival. No one wanted to be the next to have their name erased from their locker, and indeed, no one wanted to find themselves on the opposite side sucking the blood of one of their team-mates.

  The crew chief gave a thumbs up sign to Okada and Timmons informing them that they were in position. Timmons moved out onto the partially lowered ramp holding a bag containing the fast-rope. He attached one end of it to a D-ring in the ceiling of the cabin; then he tossed the weighted bag containing the rest of the rope out of the hovering craft, watching the line extend as it uncoiled on its way to the ground.

  Timmons lowered the Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) over his eyes, grabbed the thick braided rope with his gloved hands and stepped off the edge of the ramp out into the night, sliding out of sight.

  Okada turned to the rest of the team and gave a stiff salute then he too lowered his NVGs, grabbed hold of the black fast-rope and slid down to join Timmons.

  Ortega moved up to where his teammates had exited and looked down into the night to see if the two had made it to the ground and then grabbed the rope where it was attached to the Osprey and disconnected it. The rope dropped off into the darkness outside and raced to join Okada and Timmons on the ground. Then Ellingson joined Ortega at the rear of the plane with another bag of rope and clipped the end onto the D-ring for their insertion just moments away.

  The Osprey banked slightly to the right as it made the quick hop to the next DZ. “Check my katana will you Mateo?” Ellingson asked Ortega.

  “Sure.” He snapped at the straps. “All good. You got concerns?”

  “No man but this is the real thing. No room for fuck-ups. Right?”

  “Don't worry Amiga.” He patted the tactical crossbow slung over his shoulder. “I got you covered.” She smiled, and they turned to the crew chief looking for their signal to jump.

  On the ground, Okada keyed his radio. “A1 to AC. On the ground across from target.”

  Craig heard the radio call from Ortega. “Command copies. Stand by until A2 is on the ground. Proceed on my mark.”

  “Copy.” Okada signaled to Timmons to take to the ground in the dark and wait.

  Upon seeing the chief's signal Ortega tossed the next weighted bag out the rear and watched until the rope stopped uncoiling. He gave Ellingson a wink and flipped the NVGs over his eyes, grabbed the rope and descended on the fast ride to the ground. Ellingson took a deep breath, reached out grabbed the line, lowered her NVGs, and followed Ortega out into the night.

  Sergeant Evers peered out over the edge of the ramp and, satisfied that Ellingson was on the ground, disconnected the fast rope and let it fall behind as the Osprey continued its sweep to the right and onto the LZ just a minute away.

  Craig tapped Liz on the shoulder. “Showtime.”

  She stood up next to Craig who gave her gear one final tug. The snugness of the straps holding her various weapons and ammo clips felt reassuring, but knowing it was all there was one thing, remembering to use it in the heat of battle was something else altogether.

  Without much thought, Liz fingered the chainmail collar around her neck. Master Sergeant Terry would have an interesting thing or two to say about what he might consider a piece of elaborate stainless steel costume jewelry. “Combat is no place for ornamentation private! Next time I turn around, I do not want to see those things in your ears.” It would be fun to see him wearing this around his neck with the matching bracelets.

  “We're on top of the LZ.” The crew chief called out.

  The remainder of the Action Team stood and faced the loading ramp. Through his earpiece, Craig heard from Ortega and Ellingson. “A2 in place and ready to proceed.” Craig keyed his radio. “Copy. A1 and A2 proceed. We'll meet up in the park with or without a fight. Good luck.”

  “A1 copy. Over.”

  “A2 copy. Over.”

  The Osprey lowered down to the LZ like a conventional helicopter. The Osprey’s powerful engine's rotor wash—a blinding plume of dust that it kicked up around the landing zone, what the ground pounders called a brownout—was so intense that it engulfed the vehicle, and masked the Action Team as it charged out of the rear hatch down the ramp. Each of the five remaining team members emerged from the roiling cloud of dust, weapons at the ready, like Satan's Rejects being spat out of the fiery depths of hell. With determination, they headed into Vamp Town to do their jobs.

  ««« ‡ »»»

  ORTEGA AND ELLINGSON, moved slowly up A Street mirroring the advance of the main force as it entered the park. They kept down, staying behind the parked cars, or dodging from tree to shrub to fence; their job was to be a right flanking surprise to try to corral the vamps that had gathered in the park. Not that their fast-rope into town had gone unnoticed, but the deafening roar of the Osprey’s engines as it landed was probably enough of a distraction to draw focus away from them and towards the main force, or so they hoped. If a stealth attack was ever necessary, the Osprey was definitely not the way to keep things quiet. At any rate, Okada and Timmons were intended to be the real surprise approaching the rear of the vamp's position from the north after first checking out the bar.

  The Action Team emerged from the man-made sirocco—like so many dust bowl refugees—and took up well-rehearsed positions as they crossed First Avenue and entered the park. With the team off-loaded the Osprey lifted off to hover out of harm's way; available for support, evac o
r to call in for more help. However, if they were calling for help the chances were good that meant the call was for body bags. The hard reality was that they were the help; there was no way another Action Team could arrive in time to do any good except clean up the mess; that was if another team was available and not off handling a problem at another of the reservations.

  ««« ‡ »»»

  OKADA AND TIMMONS approached the open door of the Bucket of Blood; recorded music was playing somewhere inside. The first thing they saw were the bloody footprints leading out from the door.

  “Shit man,” Timmons said as he felt the stickiness of the blood with his first steps.

  “Yeah. Not good.”

  Timmons entered first, his HK with silver rounds at the ready. Cautiously he stepped in brushing the door. The bell dingled pleasantly above his head which caused him to jump propelling him quickly into the bar. Spinning around, he swept his weapon from one corner to the next. The room was in utter chaos, tables knocked over, chairs were strewn about, and there was a considerable amount of blood on the floor. He double tapped his radio key, and Okada entered, gun at the ready, trying not to slip on the blood. They both swept the room for possible trouble; eyes focused forward weapons aimed at heart level.

  Okada took another cautious step and slipped like he had just stepped onto an ice rink. He looked down and saw that he had stepped onto a piece of torn fabric, that acted like a sled sending his foot sliding along the floor lubricated by blood. Checking his footing again, Okada saw that what was on the bottom of his boot wasn’t fabric at all but a piece of torn and bloody skin.

  “Holy fuck,” Timmons said watching Okada.

  Now shifting their focus to the floor Okada and Timmons saw the bloody mess that was once a man named Dick.

  “Oh, fuck me...” Okada said in wonderment.

  “It's like someone ate a grenade and it went off. Bam! Blood and parts everywhere.” They circled the pieces of the butchered body.