by Lucas Thorn
“A woman? What kind of woman?”
“A whore. A whore with a voice worth praise and skin worth skinning.”
“What did they do?”
“Gave her cash. For a bed.”
“Three men with one whore?” Adele looked to Amelia. “Is that possible?”
The Angel-maker snorted. “Why are you asking me?”
“Because I didn’t think it was worth asking him.”
“It’s possible,” Renfield said. “With a bit of work and a girl who’s easy to bend. But this one ain’t like that. You read it all wrong. A bed is all they craved. And a bed was all she gave. Well. If you count the cold floor a bed. Although, I’d wager they slept not a wink for fear of staining their finery.”
“Oh.” Adele’s tone made it hard to tell if she was disappointed or not.
“Renfield,” Lucy said. Her smile parted her teeth and her tongue flicked across the edge of her lip. She uncoiled against him, her fingers moving through his hair. Pulling his head back so he was staring up at her with utter adoration across his face. Her fingers traced his smiling lips. Lust glimmered in the dark pupils of her eyes. “Tell me it was them. Tell me you know where they are.”
“It’s why I sent message, Mistress. Why I asked you to come, ain’t it? Hoo hoo, too rah.” Paused to drink in her pleasured smile. “I saw the pippers. One. Two. Three. I know where they popped.”
“I love you, Renfield. I really do.”
“Sir Renfield.”
“Lord Renfield.”
Amelia sighed. “I’m going to be ill.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Max Kuhn was seventeen when he met the man called Abraham Van Helsing.
Kuhn was a hunter.
His father had been a hunter.
His father before him. A family line of hunters stretching back into the lost realm of history.
It was his skill with hunting which had led him to a crypt outside of a small town in Northern Germany. Inside the crypt, he found the creature which had killed his father.
He’d cut its head off with an axe.
Was sitting in a puddle of blood, head in one hand and axe in the other when Van Helsing crept up behind him.
“It’s not dead yet,” the old man had said. Clipped voice. Just letting him know the facts. Kuhn had liked that about him. “You need to stake its heart while it’s incapacitated. This will reduce it to ash. We can dispose of the ashes in an urn of holy water. I have some with me.”
“Do you just?” Kuhn didn’t turn around. “That’s lucky.”
“Would you like me to do it for you?”
“No. I can manage.”
He did. Didn’t hesitate.
Years later, he was still working for Van Helsing. Had helped the old man form small pockets of vampire hunters all over Europe. Had thought they’d made a difference. But it seemed all they’d done was pick off the weakest, leaving the more powerful monsters to expand their territory.
But that was all going to change. Harker was going to kill Dracula, the King of Vampires.
And then?
Then their evil empire crumble. That’s what Van Helsing had said.
Had promised.
Now Kuhn sat in a pub with a cup of watery beer. A plate of half-eaten food beside him. He Couldn’t stomach any more than that. What the English thought as food was better left on the midden.
Wesley Cook, a local Englishman and former poacher, sprawled in a seat beside him. Legs pushed out under the table. Head against the wall. Eyes closed.
Snoring loudly. A hacksaw rasping back and forth across wet wood.
They’d been waiting for two days. Two days with no word.
One more, he’d told Wesley. One more and then they’d have to consider the stories coming out about Van Helsing being involved in the Jack the Ripper murders were true.
If the old vampire hunter didn’t show today, they’d book passage back to Germany.
Return to the castle.
Wait there.
And if Van Helsing didn’t return to the castle? Didn’t want to think about that.
The door opened and a man entered. Hat pulled low over his head. Hands in his pockets.
Muttered an apology as he pushed between two burly men. Who didn’t seem to mind. They parted to let him through.
He looked left and right and slowly weaved through the crowd to take a chair next to Kuhn.
Lifted the hat brim and nodded.
Grim nod.
One which accepted the seriousness of the situation. Kuhn sighed, then prodded Wesley with a fork. Not unkindly. “Here, you English shit. Wake up.”
“Wha-?”
“Hello, Wesley,” Harker said. “It’s good to see you.”
Yawning, Wesley thrust a hand out to the other man. “Jonathan! Hell, man, where have you been? We’ve been stuck here for days. Haven’t we, Max? Fucking days. Been going crazy. Booze here is bloody awful. Don’t have any, I warn you.”
Kuhn put pushed his mug aside and leaned close to Harker. Lowered his voice.
“It’s been a long wait, Harker. Too long. And while we sat here like ducks, we’ve heard things. Nasty things. About you. And the doctor from Whitby.”
“And Van Helsing,” Wesley said. “Heard his name crop up more than once.”
Kuhn nodded. “The police are after you.”
“More than just after you,” Wesley said. “They had a few chaps in here not too long ago. Throwing around a picture. Not a good one, mind. But it’s got your name on it. They say they want to talk to you. About the Ripper murders. You ain’t been naughty, have you, Jonathan?”
“This better not be another bloody Belfast,” Kuhn said. “I won’t pull you out again if it is.”
“Look, will you two please slow down?” Harker eased in his chair but didn’t take his hands from his pockets. “Honestly, that’s a bit much for a chap to have thrown at him as soon as he takes a seat, isn’t it? I haven’t even asked how you are, yet. But first of all, let me just say the Ripper murders have nothing to do with me. Or with Van Helsing. And I deeply resent the implication that they might be. You of all people should know us better than that.”
“And the doctor?”
“I’ll vouch for him, too.”
“That’s not saying much,” Kuhn said.
“Well, it’s all I’ve got, Max.”
“Have you found the vampire?”
“Yes, we have.”
“Destroyed her?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Wesley shook his head. Rubbed at his arm where Kuhn had poked him with the fork. “Bad business, Jonathan. You letting it creep about the place. Longer you let her, the quicker she’ll spread her infection. It’ll be like Highgate all over again and we’ll be up to our ears in bloodsuckers in no time.”
“I know. But I wasn’t there when she escaped, so you’ve no call to be looking at me like that. I’ll admit she was a little more trouble than expected. But we’re ready for her now. We’ve got a plan.”
“Well, that explains the police,” Wesley said. “Told you, Max. Told you. Jonathan Harker’s learnt his lesson, I said. It won’t be him hurting all those girls. It’ll be something to do with the vampire, and I’m sure everything can be sorted out.”
“How could you honestly think it was me?” Harker demanded of the German.
Kuhn scowled. A harsh set of lines which carried a history of resentment and distaste. “I was with you in Belfast, remember? Had to get you out when the police came after you there, too.”
“That was very different,” he said, rearing indignantly in his chair. “It was all just a misunderstanding. That’s all. If they’d given me half a chance, I’d have explained it to them. Besides, they were only bloody Irish. I really don’t see what all the fuss was about.”
Kuhn wiped his hands and stared back with cold eyes. “If it weren’t for the old man, Harker, I’d slit your throat and drop you down the nearest sewer where you belong.”
<
br /> “Lucky for me he knows the truth of the matter, then,” Harker said, not bothered by the threat. “He wants you to meet us. This evening.”
“Where?”
“At the Club.”
“You’re mad,” Wesley said. “Every policeman in London is after you and you want to go to the one place they’re guaranteed to look?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way they’d even know he was a member. Besides, we’ve already made contact and Van Helsing’s name still means something there. We’ll be safe. Lord Salisbury himself has provided guarantees. He’s going to put it about that we’re the victims of a political conspiracy to undermine Her Majesty. And who wouldn’t believe that? We’re gentlemen after all.” He gave a jovial chuckle and winked before grinning; “So, do dress up, won’t you? At least make the effort.”
“Salisbury, eh?”
“Yes. We’ve spent two dreadful nights on a grubby little kitchen floor, so we’d like to recover from the experience with a pleasant evening before finishing this ugly business once and for all. I’d go tonight, of course, but Abraham would like us to have a few more bodies. Just in case.”
Kuhn looked to Wesley, who shrugged back at him.
Grunting, Kuhn tapped the table with his thumb. Said; “Alright. Get to the root of it. How’d she escape exactly?”
“Well, mostly it was a bit of freakish luck. You see, there was a riot among the patients.”
“A riot?”
“Yes. Well, not a real riot. More like a few of the patients got a bit rowdy one night and she slipped out while the guards were distracted.”
“Slipped out?” Kuhn’s eyes narrowed as he studied Harker’s face. “You’re hiding something.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Pause.
Then Wesley groaned; “A riot? Jesus, Max. She’s a bloody mind-bender, ain’t she?”
“Ah, fuck.”
“Oh, I do think you’re overreacting a little bit,” Harker said. “You see? This is why we didn’t want to say anything. We knew you’d think too much of it.”
“Since when do we keep secrets?” Kuhn hissed. “Especially one like that, eh? A bloody mind-bender, and you think that’s not enough of an inconvenience to share?”
“Keep your voice down, Max,” Harker said. Looked over his shoulder and back. “Alright. So, she’s got a little bit of power over weak minds. Very weak, I tell you. She’s nothing at all like the others you’ve faced. Lucy has only been a vampire for a little while. Barely more than a month.”
“You know what, Max?” Wesley frowned in thought. “All those stories we’ve heard about mobs of crazy people killing folk in Whitechapel? Bet you a shilling she’s behind those, too.”
Kuhn scowled as Harker struggled to mask a grimace. “Well, Harker? Is Wes right?”
“I really think everything is being greatly exaggerated. You haven’t met Lucy, Max. I have. Oh, sure she has some intelligence, but it’s not the kind which a vampire needs. I’m telling you, she’s not cunning at all. She’s a simple girl at heart. With simple needs. I’m sure she’s very overwhelmed and more than a little afraid. There’s no possible way she’s controlling as many as that, and I’m certain what’s happening in Whitechapel probably has more to do with this Ripper nonsense than with Lucy. At most, she’d be responsible for one or two incidents and even Van Helsing believes them to be mostly accident rather than design.”
“Simple, is she?” Looked to Wesley. “Harker says she’s simple, Wes. Says not to worry our little heads. Thinks we’re being very silly. She’s not dangerous at all. What’s a few fangs and the ability to break a man’s mind? Hardly worth talking about.”
Wesley sighed. “Ah, shit. This is a right mess.”
“I think you’re both being very negative,” Harker said. “Look. Doctor Seward has a theory. So far, she’s only been able to influence extremely damaged minds. Patients in Whitby and the wretched refuse of the streets in London. Which means everyone she’s been able to control has issues with compulsive behaviour and very little or no ability to control their most basic urges. To put it bluntly, they’re about as civilised as a pack of stray dogs. It wouldn’t be too difficult for her to trigger them into acting out. I mean, it’s not like she’s controlling their actions. Not really. She’s sort of using them like a wind-up toy. She turns the key and then lets them stomp all over the place. She’s got no way of controlling them after she takes her fingers off.”
“I don’t like this,” Kuhn said. “Not at all. What about you, Wesley? You like it?”
“Mind-benders,” Wesley whistled between his teeth. “Difficult. So unpredictable and hard to fight. Even in daylight they can creep into a man’s head.”
“Which is why we’ll be going in at night.”
“Night?” Kuhn choked the word. “Are you fucking crazy?”
“It was Abraham’s idea, Max. Not mine. If you’ve got anything against it, take it up with him. Actually, it’s sort of clever. You see, the incidents in Whitechapel have all occurred during the day. Doctor Seward believes it’s Lucy’s subconscious which is causing people with weak minds to act out her whims. He says they’re just the vampire instincts manifesting through her dreams and he doesn’t believe her conscious mind has any control over her power.”
Max’s face stared at him disbelief. “That’s a stupid bloody guess!”
“An educated one.” Harker’s face showed some indignation as he sat straighter in his chair. “He graduated from Heidelberg. He’s a learned man, Max. Which is more than you are, so I’d appreciate it if you could show the good Doctor some respect.”
“I don’t care where the Hell he graduated from.” Kuhn leaned forward. “I’ve met students, Harker. They don’t impress me. Especially not rich ones. He might know his way around a bloody library, but he’s not got any real knowledge. At least, nothing useful. Me? Well, I’ve fought vampires, I have. All kinds. And I know you don’t underestimate them with a few lines of absolute bullshit. She’s a mind-bender. Now, I don’t give a fuck how weak you think she is, she’s more dangerous than you’re giving her credit for. It doesn’t take a man educated in some daft university to know that.”
“We know what we’re doing, Max. We’ve discussed it at great length.”
“So Abraham agreed to this madness?”
“He did.”
“And how many men have we got, eh? Don’t tell me it’s just us.”
“Well, there’s the five of us in London at the moment.”
“Is Sloper one of them?”
“Unfortunately, Abraham sent him on another mission. We can’t wait for him to return, but Lord Salisbury will surely commit a few good men to assist. They should be fine. The old man thinks we’re more than enough, given Lucy’s still sort of new to the game of being a vampire. She’s inexperienced and, by going in at night, we’ll catch her by surprise.”
“Do Salisbury’s men know what we’re hunting?”
“They have no experience, of course. But they’ll be solid characters, I’m sure. Lord Salisbury doesn’t employ fools, you know. He pays well and expects only high quality. And the old man’s running them through what needs to be done. Trust me, Max. They’ll be ready for anything when he gets through with them.”
“Bloody outsiders,” Kuhn said. “They’ll muck it up. You mark my words. She’ll get away again.”
“No. They won’t. They’ll be coming with us, but they won’t be facing her with us. There’s still the police to think about, Max. Remember those? This isn’t some country lodge or hidden cemetery. This is London. You won’t get in so easily. Patrols will be all over the place during the day. Even at night it will be difficult, but the fog is expected to be quite heavy the next few evenings. A few extra men could cause a decent distraction. We hope to use that to our advantage.”
“It’s also to hers, you blasted fool. In fact, more hers than yours! What if she has other powers? What if she summons a swarm of rabid bats? Or wolve
s?”
“Wolves? In London? Don’t be absurd.”
“You know very well what I mean, Harker. Vampires have more tricks than any of those whores you like to hang about with.”
“But they only have one each.”
“Dracula didn’t just have one. He had many. And she’s one of his Brides. They’re always cunning and not as easy to kill as you think. You should know that more than anyone. You met his others, didn’t you?”
“I did,” he said. “And I wasn’t as impressed as you might think. I got away from their clutches rather easily, in fact.”
“Then you had a lot of luck, Harker, that’s all I can say.”
“You can think what you like about that, Max. I know what happened. So, the only question we have now is where will you be when we go after Lucy? Will you be with us, or will you be running away with your tail between your legs?”
“Now, Jonathan,” Wesley cut in before Kuhn could speak. “That’s uncalled for, that is.”
“You’re right.” He put his hand on his brow and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Max. Really, I am. It’s been a long week for me. My nerves are a little more than stretched. Look. Let’s put all this aside. We’re fighting for the same cause. Let’s trust in Abraham, yes? It’ll be like old times.”
“What? Like, you hide in a whore’s bed while we do the work and then you rush off back to the old man with your own tail up high so you can take credit for it all?”
“Oh, don’t be so bitter. It wasn’t anything like that in Belfast, and you know it.”
“I was there.”
“And I’d like you to be here. So would Abraham, and you wouldn’t like to disappoint him, would you? Not after all he’s done for you.”
“Go to Hell.”
“One thing I don’t get,” Wesley said, scratching at his nose. “Doesn’t seem to be anything there worth paying attention to In Whitechapel, I mean. Why would she even think about going there?”
