by Drew D'Amato
“Well it makes sense. So your problem with all of this is that no one died.”
“No one even got hit. These had to be the worst damn shooters ever. There is not one spray of blood anywhere.”
“Well maybe once Remus started firing the men got out of his limited range because of the small opening of the hole. Remus was safe because he was in here.”
“But some grenades did get in here, they did explode, and the guy was unscathed? Look how small this room is, how could not one, but a few grandes explode in here and you are not even touched?” Gonzalez looked out the glass to the basement thinking to himself. “We haven’t even found one scrap of DNA.”
“They probably came in outfits designed to protect against that. Gloves, things like that.”
“We still usually find something, anything, at least one strand of hair. There is nothing in this entire house. Shit, you’d think the bathroom was never touched.”
“So this is your miracle you are stumped on?”
“I am stumped, but there are no miracles. After the horrors I’ve seen, there is no God out there that would allow these nightmares to happen and then help men like this escape capture. This whole thing is fucked. We don’t even know which department of Interpol is going to get involved in this. Interpol is divided into six units: drugs and criminal organizations, financial and high tech crime, fugitives, terrorism, trafficking in human beings, and corruption. We got drugs, trafficking humans, terrorism, and from what you said probably finiancial crime too. We should stay in contact. Can you give me the file you have on him?”
“That Vatican bank protects the identity of its investors.”
“And Interpol protects the intergirty of their crime scenes and yet you are here. Am I the only one who has to compromise?”
“No, I just might have to cut some corners to get the information you want.”
“I understand and I will be discreet. The last thing the Vatican Bank needs is another scandal, like word of how you were about to do business with a man such as this.”
“It appears, Agent Gonzalez, you now need my help with this investigation so I am no longer wasting your time.”
“Touché.”
“Quid pro quo.”
“Deal, but I may not be heading up this investigation in the long run until it is decided which crime area Interpol wants to focus on. I no longer work in human trafficking. Now I work in terrorism, which is what originally got Interpol interested in this case.”
“How so?”
“Well, we assume the silver bullets might be a calling card of some kind of gang. Either Remus, or the rival crew that attacked him. They are not really even silver bullets, just painted silver. I think it is just some kind of gang symbol, like how some gangs cut off a certain piece of the body or kill people in a certain way. Well, these same silver bullets were also used at the attack at Geneva Airport the other day. That is how my terrorist department ass got involved in this fucking enigma.”
“What did you learn from Geneva?”
“First, we obviously thought it was terrorists because it was at an airport, but as I looked more into it I found most of the people that did the shooting were cops of some sort from all over Europe involved in all different branches of law—some even from Interpol. This one guy Peterson worked out of Whitechapel. His senior officer Warburton couldn’t believe it. Cops involved in something like this, and their supervisors not knowing about it, tells me they were dirty cops. That could explain the silver paint on the bullets. It’s some kind of symbol for their badges, I think. I’m thinking this group also attacked Remus. Either he was paying them off and they wanted a bigger piece of the action, or they wanted it all for themselves.
“I don’t know, I’m piecing that part together, but it looks more like Geneva was not a terrorist attack. That could mean I’m off the case, but I hope not because we do have one hot lead.”
Bandini ears perked up. Sweat formed under his arms.
“What is this hot lead?”
“We found a car abandoned right next to the Eurorail station at Cluj-Napoca. The name was a dead end, but it was rented by six men dressed in all black. Six men dressed in all black also checked into the Sibiu Hilton yesterday. The name that checked into the hotel also landed at Geneva a few hours before the attack. He took a private jet. This same private jet is right now at the Munich airport preparing to depart later tonight around 2. We sent men to that plane about an hour ago. We might get a big break pretty soon.”
Bandini couldn’t hide his shock at this revelation.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all Special Agent Gonzalez, but hearing that you are this close I think I might have to make my way back to the Vatican sooner than I expected. If you catch Remus we have to—”
“Get your spin doctors working, I understand. Here’s my card,” Gonzalez handed it to him. “Get in touch with me, once you talked to your holy men.” Gonzalez smiled. Bandini uncomfortably smiled back and started to make his way out. Then a cell phone rang. Bandini turned to the sound of the ring, it was Gonzalez’s.
“Hold on General Inspector, this is my man from Munich.”
Bandini stayed. He needed to find out if he still had a chance to warn Clerc and Bodmer. Gonzalez’s face didn’t seem too happy. He hung up and looked at Bandini.
“They got aboard the plane, once they entered it they were fired upon. They killed one of my men, but we killed both of them, which sucks because that lead is dead now. The assailants were a Clerc and Bodmer, two men who worked for Fedpol.”
Gonzalez shook his head and then continued. “It makes sense though. It explains what happened with that surveillance tape from the airport when we asked to watch it. Fedpol was in charge of that crime scene. The two of them also had silver painted bullets loaded into their guns. It’s two more dirty cops that help out with my theory.”
“Yes,” Bandini said with a silent mourning going on in his head. “It does all makes sense.”
However, there was still one loose end. Vlad was still at large, and their lead on him was dead.
TEN
1
Vlad relaxed in his freedom class “couchette” with an old book. The couchette was basically a big blue room for six people to relax in as they rode toward Paris from Zurich aboard RailEurope. They had been on the train for over twenty hours including layover time, starting at Cluj back to Budapest and then Zurich—each time a different one of them purchased three tickets. Malachi and Jericho returned from the dining cart. They had a look in their eyes like two children about to ask their parent something that they know will upset them.
“What’s up guys?” Vlad said as he put down a pen and the translated Dark Bible manuscript.
“What are you doing?” Jericho asked.
“Underlining the parts that would be of interest to Pacami.”
“You found the exorcism part?” Malachi asked.
“Yes, it’s in here.” Vlad looked the two of them over. “Is that what you guys want to ask me, or are you having second thoughts?”
“No, it’s not that,” Jericho said.
“Is it about Pacami? I called him earlier. He is relieved and will be at our house Sunday afternoon after mass.”
“Nope, not that,” Malachi said.
“Is it about Warburton? I spoke to him briefly. He did purchase the tickets.”
“Not that either,” said Jericho
“Jasmine?”
“Nope,” said Malachi.
“Then what?”
“So, Michael betrayed us,” Jericho said and let the air out of the room. “You were right master and I doubted you.”
Vlad closed his eyes and looked down. They hadn’t really discussed Michael, but it had passed through each of their minds throughout the trip back.
“Don’t be mad at yourself for trusting your friends. It was just a gut feeling and I had no proof. Not enough of a reason to act.”
“You instincts are enoug
h to act on, master.”
Vlad nodded. “Well, there is no doubt as to what his motivation was,” Vlad answered. “He didn’t want to be a human. It hurts deeply, but I don’t think of it as he betrayed me for Radu. He chose staying a vampire—even if that meant under the control of Radu—over becoming a human.”
“He still is a piece of shit. He just betrayed us like that.”
“Anything can be bought. Michael’s loyalty was bought with the blood of Judas. That was his price. And he would do anything for it.”
“Even if it meant our deaths?”
“To him it meant his life. The Blood is that powerful, that tempting. I know I have held fast to my beliefs in this war, but that doesn’t mean I was always so stern about it. Early on I was just like Radu. I was worse, I was a monster. Even after the war there were times I had been tempted to just say fuck it, let’s rule the world brother. The Blood, the power persuades you. This was why I couldn’t allow the blood to still exist, or even let you guys have it for yourself. What if you grew bored and decided to try to rule the world? Or what if I made all three of you your own master vampire, and then no longer bound to each other? What dynamic would happen over time? The only safe bet was destroying the blood and allowing no possibility for vampires.
“But, don’t hate Michael too much. He was desperate. He wasn’t thinking straight. If he was, he would have known Radu was going to kill him anyway.”
“Really, he would have just given you over to Radu. You don’t think maybe Radu would have kept him alive?” Malachi asked. “What would it matter to just make him another vampire? Michael would have been a good asset.”
“Radu doesn’t commit evil acts just for personal gain. Most people have a goal when they do something wrong. They rob and kill for money. Radu isn’t like that. He robbed and killed just because it would spur misery. He lived for that. That is his sense of humor. Look at how he wanted me to die. He wanted to see the joy on my face of thinking I was about to kill him, then see the shock in my eyes as a close friend betrayed me, right before I disappeared into nothing. Then for dessert he would see Michael happy at the thought of staying a vampire, and then kill him too. He is the essence of evil.
“But you caught it, Jericho. When did you suspect him?”
Jericho took out Michael’s cellphone. He held on to it knowing this question would eventually be asked.
“It fell out of his pocket when Victor punched him. I found this.” He showed them the text to Gabriel.
“It’s just a blank text,” Vlad said.
“But look at the number.”
“It’s Romania.”
“He sent it at 9:09, just before we walked in.”
“And that’s all it took. Did you see his gun pointed at me?”
“No, I didn’t see the gun, but I figured I had to act fast and live with the consequences. This text though wasn’t all it took for me. I had a feeling the whole time we were walking into something blind. That’s why I walked over to try the blood. You can’t be considered uninvited if you are walking into a trap.”
“Why did you think it was a set-up?”
“Because Radu believed your bullshit. That you were giving up. I don’t know you as well as your brother does, but even I knew you would never give up.”
“I know, but I told you sometimes people believe what they want to believe when they want something so bad.”
“And that is exactly what happened to you. You wanted to believe that Radu believed you and that it would be this easy.”
Vlad had been mentally slapped. He had been blind.
“We were successful, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t reckless,” Vlad said. “That phone doesn’t fall out of Michael’s jacket we are all dead, and the world is fucked.”
“But it did. Now we have to look at what we are going to do next. You’re not going to see this girl again until you are transformed, right?”
Malachi noticed the tension between the two. They were sharing a secret.
“Is it so bad if she sees him before he does?” Malachi asked.
“Vlad, should we tell him about Rose?” Jericho asked.
Vlad exhaled and looked over at Malachi. “Nothing personal Malachi, but I never told anyone of what happened with Rose. Jericho only knows because he was the only one with me when it happened. When we first got to America.”
“Who was Rose?” Malachi asked.
“Rose was a woman I married. I tried to live both lives. Sure, she might wonder about me never aging, my perfect health, but I wanted to give it a try. Maybe over the years she could learn to keep a secret, not the truth that I was a vampire, but that I was immortal. She loved me and I thought with that nothing could separate us. Then came our wedding night.”
Vlad put his arms over his gut, holding in something. What happened was hard for him to verbalize, and this was a man who used to watch people be disemboweled as he ate.
Jericho looked at Vlad signaling him with his eyes that he didn’t have to go on, but Vlad never looked up. He stared at the ground and continued.
“I guess a part of me is attracted to the type of woman I need to protect. Someone who is helpless, a damsel in distress. Maybe it stemmed from Elizabetta being killed. I wanted to protect a woman as a vampire, because I failed as a human. She was a virgin. That was the way of the world back then.
“The war with Radu had just started. It wasn’t even really a war back then, because travel was such a process at the time. I had yet to even see Radu in the new world when I met her. I didn’t fear Radu harming her, but her real danger was with me.”
Jericho held his breath. He knew what was coming next.
“On the night of the marriage she gave herself to me. The sex was unbelievable, it was love, it was… too passionate for me. A feeling built inside me. It was all too much. I saw the blood on her leg. My body ached for it like a drug. I lost it. A frenzy built inside me. I lost control and bit into her neck. She screamed but I didn’t stop. There was blood and marks everywhere. I only stopped because Jericho came in.”
Malachi looked up at Jericho. Jericho nodded solemnly and then he decided to take over the storytelling.
“He hadn’t realized what had happened even after she stopped moving. He didn’t kill her, the curse did. We left Philadelphia where we had met her, went to Pittsburgh and fought at the Battle of Fort Duquesne. Months later he sent a gratuitous amount of money to her parents from an anonymous source. It was the best he could do. It was the only thing he could do.”
“And that was when I learned vampires cannot be in love,” Vlad said. “The curse is far too strong. That was why the last time I saw Jasmine I resisted. I do love her.”
“And you won’t see her again, until you are human?” Jericho said it more like a command than a question.
“Yes, not until I can love.”
2
Warburton met the three of them inside Heathrow Airport with the tickets in his hand, a little after one in the afternoon. Vlad called him once their train from Paris had pulled into the station.
“Check the names, make sure they match up with the ones on your passports,” Warburton said.
The vampires did and the names did sync up, but Warburton still looked disturbed. His eyes told them he hadn’t slept much. His hands didn’t quite stop shaking, and his aura told them there was something on his mind.
“What’s wrong, Warburton?” Vlad asked.
“I just got back from a funeral today for one of my officers under me.”
“I’m sorry, was he killed in the line of duty?”
“No. He was killed in Geneva by silver bullets.”
Warburton locked eyes with Vlad. He had managed to say it to him. He had wrestled with the thought of mentioning it on his ride to the airport. He knew it would be better if left unsaid, but he couldn’t hide this.
“His name was Robert Peterson. He was a Detective Inspector who worked under me. There was also another attack using silver bullets at
a residence in Romania. And then just the other night at the Munich airport there was a shoot-out in a private jet.”
“Munich!” Malachi said and walked off to find a newspaper.
Warburton continued. “And here you are now. Asking me to purchase you tickets back to America, when I know you guys have your own jet.”
“I know, it looks suspicious,” Vlad said.
“Suspicious! Vlad, if I didn’t inquire, I wouldn’t be worth my salt as an inspector.”
Malachi returned with a newspaper.
“It was our jet, Vlad,” Malachi said. “Interpol shot two men who worked for the Federal Office of the Policed for Switzerland inside the plane. One man from Interpol was killed. The rounds found in the guns by the two officers of Fedpol were bullets with a silver paint on them.” He handed the latest edition of the The Daily Telegraph to him.
Vlad read the headline and by-line:
INTERPOL AMBUSHES
SILVER BULLET GANG
Dirty Cops Behind Recent Attacks in Europe
Vlad quickly skimmed the article and Warburton let him catch up.
“They think dirty cops were behind this, dealing drugs and trafficking women. Interpol is even assuming the silver paint on the bullets is a sign because they are cops, symbolic of their badges,” Vlad said with his eyes on the paper.
“And the four of us all know it is bullshit,” Warburton said. “I just want to know what the three of you already do. When we made our deal years ago, you said no innocents would ever be hurt.”
“They would never be hurt intentionally. I did tell you there could be collateral damage with this war with Radu.”
