After the Fall: A Vampire Chronicle (Book One)

by Mary Ellen Gorry

  Chris had offered to come with her, but it was the middle of the day and as much as she enjoyed his company, she wanted to be alone. She used to do things by herself all the time – go to the park, go to the movies. She had enjoyed being alone. If only she had known…

  So now she was waiting. She didn’t mind the wait. She needed to clear her head of vampires and killers and death. She leaned back in the plastic, hardback chair and closed her eyes. In her mind, she could see her mother in the kitchen, grading papers, her sisters playing video games in the bedroom, her father parked in front of the television, watching the Yankees play. Just as they had been last time she saw them. Her father was always promising to take her to Yankee Stadium to see the team up close and personal. He knew she had a huge crush on Derek Jeter. Maybe they would go next spring, after the family came back from that trip out west that they had been planning for years. Katie and Lauren would bicker constantly, and Mom would ask her how school was going and why she didn’t call more, but it would be fun. They always had fun together. She knew it wasn’t real, that these things would never happen. But sometimes just picturing her family in her head made it feel like they were still here, like she wasn’t quite so alone.

  Caroline opened her eyes, brought back to reality by the realization that a commotion was occurring in the lobby. Cops were running by, out to the garage, and two of them were her detectives.

  “I’ll meet you downtown,” one called to the other, before they disappeared through different doors. Caroline watched them leave. The killers had struck again. That was the only explanation for them leaving in such a rush. They were the detectives covering the vampire killings, all of them, though they didn’t know it. That meant her family’s killers had struck again. Fear stabbed at her heart, but she forced herself to shake it off. Running outside, watching several police cruisers squealing down the street, sirens blaring, she grabbed her cell phone from her purse and dialed the number of the hotel. She heard the other end ringing.

  “Come on, dammit, pick up,” she muttered under her breath, sighing in relief when she heard the connection being made.

  “Lorenzo, it’s Caroline. I’m at the police station, but you and Chris have to meet me right away… There’s been another murder.”

  Caroline stood with Chris across the street from the building where the murder had occurred and watched Lorenzo approach. Caroline was trying very hard to detach herself from the situation, but it must not have been working very well because Chris kept asking her if she was okay.

  “I’m fine,” she snapped for the twelfth time. She was about ready to hit him.

  “Well?” he asked as Lorenzo finally reached them, but the grim set of the old priest’s mouth told them what they needed to know. He told them anyway.

  “From what I could overhear, which wasn’t much…it was another vampire attack.”

  “Dammit,” Christian cursed.

  “Christian,” Lorenzo warned.

  “I’m sorry, Lorenzo, but how many more people have to die before the Master Vampire is defeated?” His voice was full of anger, but both Lorenzo and Caroline knew it was anger directed solely at himself.

  “Christian, you have killed how many vampires in the past two weeks? Eight? Nine? Believe me, you are saving lives. And the people who die will get their revenge on their killers because the pattern of their deaths will lead you to the culprits, and you will destroy them all.”

  Angel had a plan. It was a really good plan, too. She was proud of it. The only problem was, she needed Anya and Gideon in order for it to work. As much as they hated her, she hated them even more. But this was for the Master. She could work with the two freaks if it was for him. And it would work. It just had to. There was no other way.

  They were back in the hotel. Lorenzo was in his bedroom, going through his books again. Caroline was going through her pile of books in the sitting room. Christian was getting ready to go out. It was getting late.

  “I know you hate when I ask you this,” he asked, plopping down on the couch next to where she was curled up, “but are you okay? I mean, I know it was hard for you to be there today. It’s so soon. It’s not good.”

  Caroline sighed. She knew he was being overprotective because he cared, but she didn’t know what he wanted her to say.

  “Chris,” she said, putting a hand on his leg. “I’m fine. I mean, this is my life now, right? I have to learn to deal with it.”

  “Yeah, but you can talk to me about it,” he insisted. Sometimes she worried him. In the few weeks she had been with him and Lorenzo, Christian had learned that there were times when Caroline never shut up, but there were some things she never talked about, and her feelings was one of those things. He didn’t think that could be healthy. How could someone just keep those kinds of things inside forever? All he could do was keep trying. Until she opened up, or until she killed him.

  “I could,” she agreed, smiling, “or, I know, you could go out and do your job.”

  He frowned, but got up.

  “Don’t think I’m giving up,” he warned. “I’ll be back later.”

  “Okay,” she answered softly, not looking up. She didn’t say it, but she knew that he wouldn’t necessarily be back later. She hated that. But she never said it, because then maybe the issue would disappear and he really would be back.

  He wanted to stay with her and hug her and let her cry on his shoulder. She never cried. But he had to go out. He had his job. People’s lives were at stake. And so he left. Alone in the room, Caroline allowed a single tear to slip down her cheek before she wiped it away, and returned to her book.

  Angel watched from the shadows as the Hunter left the building and walked down the street.

  “Okay, he’s leaving,” she said to the three figures standing with her.

  “So, what’s this grand plan of yours?” Anya asked, sounding extremely bored.

  “The three of you are going to attack me,” she began.

  “Oh, fun,” Gideon said slyly, his eyes lighting up.

  “Would you let me finish?” Angel asked crossly. God, he was a pain in the neck, in more ways than one, she supposed. She turned to the third figure.

  “Excuse me, but what’s your name again?”

  “His name is Todd. We grew up together,” Gideon told her.

  “Great,” Angel said unenthusiastically. The third vampire looked like he had been a total meathead in high school. Probably dumb as a post, too. She just hoped he got the job done right.

  “Okay, we’re going to follow the Hunter, and we’ll set it up so he finds you guys attacking me. And then you’ll let him save me. That way, he’ll take me in, at least for a little while, and I can find out what the Master needs to know. Does everyone understand?”

  Her three companions nodded. Angel smiled coldly.

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  It was a quiet night. Christian walked the streets, trying to focus on the shadows and anything that might be out of the ordinary, but his mind kept drifting to Caroline. She was shutting herself off from everyone and everything, including him. He could feel it. He knew that every time he left to patrol, Caroline worried he wouldn’t come back. She never said it, but he could see it in her eyes, and the way she refused to say good-bye to him when he left.

  There was nothing he could do, though. This was his job. It was his calling. It was so frustrating. Yet another reason why his life didn’t really allow for having friends. But it felt good to have a friend, to have Caroline as a friend. Maybe he should try to spend more time with her outside of looking for the Master. It was important to find him, but he could spare an hour or two to take her to a movie or something, right? She had mentioned she liked going to the movies.

  He was contemplating picking up a Daily News to see what movies were playing when he heard someone screaming. He stopped in his tracks. Maybe he was hearing things. But no, there it was again. It sounded like it was coming from the parking garage underneath the next building. Christian d
idn’t even think, sprinting towards the screams. He didn’t know why the woman was screaming, but whatever it was, he could help.

  She was backed up against the far wall, crouched in a ball on the ground, surrounded by three figures. Christian approached them, saying nothing, but walking loudly. All three figures turned and the closest one, a pale, blond young man, sneered at him, his oversized canines glinting in the harsh fluorescent light of the garage.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, his voice icy cold. His female companion started giggling, reminding Christian of a hyena, as if the male vampire had just said something insanely funny.

  “Yeah, actually, you can,” Christian said. “I’m looking to kick some ass and well, here you are. What do you say? Can you help me out?”

  The lead male snarled and lunged for Christian, who hit him once, twice, before taking a blow to the gut. The second male was upon him, kicking him in the side. Christian whirled and landed a blow to the vampire’s face, his stomach, his face again. The vampire crumpled to the ground, a bewildered look on his face as he and Christian noticed at the same time that the other two vampires had disappeared into the night. Christian didn’t care. He pulled out a stake, and buried it in the vampire’s heart. He disappeared in a burst of dust. Ashes to ashes, Christian thought, as he always did when that happened.

  Christian turned to find that the girl who had been attacked was standing up. She was sickly looking – thin as a rail, her strange red hair hanging in strings in her face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. She had a dazed look on her face. She was probably in shock. He couldn’t blame her.

  “What just happened?” she asked incredulously, her eyes finally focusing on Christian’s face.

  “You’re okay now.”

  “But…” she sputtered. “I was attacked. They were vampires. And you killed them. You saved my life.” A sound of awe entered her voice and he was caught off guard by her spontaneous hug. She pulled back and gazed wondrously into his eyes.

  “What are you, some kind of superhero?”

  “No. Do you have some place to go?” He was worried. If she was homeless, she didn’t have any family. He couldn’t have her sleeping on the street, and much as he hated to admit it, he had himself in a new predicament, because she didn’t seem so out of it that she didn’t know what it was that had attacked her.

  “Did you see them?” she asked in awe. “Vampires! Real, honest to God vampires! Am I crazy?”

  She certainly looked it, and Christian thought if he just left her here and she kept going on about it, other people would think she sounded crazy and avoid her. The two vamps who got away didn’t know whether or not she had survived. They probably wouldn’t come after her. Unless they got wind of the redheaded waif who wouldn’t shut up about vampires roaming the nighttime streets of New York. He was torn. Maybe if he just took her in for the night, got her to calm down enough so she would stop babbling and putting herself in danger…

  She was shaking her head now, in response to his question about her lodgings. “No, I don’t have any place to go. I could go to that shelter down on Church Street. I’ve been there a few times and it’s fairly clean and fairly safe. They are not going to believe what happened to me tonight!”

  Great. She was still at it. Christian sighed. He couldn’t have her yapping to anyone and everyone about what had happened. Even if most people dismissed it as the ramblings of a crazy person, the wrong someone might hear her and believe. That wrong someone included any vampires lurking around the city. There was only one thing he could do.

  “Come. You can stay with me tonight.”

  “But who are you?”

  “I’m someone who’s trying to save your life.” He started walking, and the girl started following him. Lorenzo was going to kill him. He frowned.

  “By the way, my name is Christian. What’s your name?” he asked.

  The girl smiled, cold and empty, when she answered, but Christian didn’t see.

  “I’m Angel.”

  Caroline was asleep in his bedroom when Christian got back, and Angel fell asleep soon after on the roll-away cot he set up next to the bed. He and Lorenzo convened in the sitting room.

  “You did the right thing,” Lorenzo tried to reassure Christian, but the frown and worried look on the old man’s face belied his words.

  “She’s not safe,” Christian repeated. “I couldn’t just leave her to get herself killed.”

  “I know,” Lorenzo sighed. “And I mean it. You did the right thing. It’s just awkward. I don’t know how we can explain to Brother Anselm having to divulge our secrets to two civilians in less than a month. It’s simply unacceptable.”

  “Well, maybe we don’t have to tell her everything,” Christian said. Lorenzo pursed his lips for a second, thoughtful, and then nodded.

  “Yes, I agree,” he said. “We don’t have to tell her what we do. We don’t have to tell her about Manus Dei or the Master Hunter or any of that. Obviously she knows about vampires, so if she keeps talking about it, we can confirm that and stress the importance of keeping quiet about that knowledge, and just tell her that we fight them.”

  “I don’t know if she’ll buy that,” Lorenzo continued, sounding worried. “But I suppose it’ll have to do.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll tell Caroline in the morning,” Christian said. “She’ll understand. And who knows? Maybe Angel will be someone Caroline can finally talk to.”

  He hadn’t meant that last part to come out as bitterly as it did. Lorenzo heard it, but decided to ignore it.

  “You’re tired, Christian. Get some sleep. We’ll deal with this in the morning.”

  Christian sighed heavily and Lorenzo waited for him to say what was weighing on his mind.

  “It’s just,” Christian said thoughtfully, “that sometimes I think there must be somebody better for this job.”

  Lorenzo put his hand on top of Christian’s, and the weight of it was comforting, even as his words were not.

  “My son… there isn’t.”

  Caroline was sitting up in bed when Angel awoke. She had already spoken to Christian and had agreed to keep his and Lorenzo’s secrets, but she was curious about her new roommate, especially since she was so familiar.

  “I know you,” Caroline said as Angel sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It took her a moment to focus, to wake up, but when she did, her eyes lit up with recognition.

  “I bumped into you on the street,” Caroline continued. “You said something really weird and freaked me out.”

  The girl gave a short laugh.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “And now you’re here,” Caroline mused. “This really is a small world, huh?”

  “Definitely.”

  It was strange, running into Angel again. Caroline didn’t believe in coincidences, but stranger things had happened. All she knew was that as much as she enjoyed Chris and Lorenzo’s company, it was nice to have a new face around. A female face around. No matter how close you got to a guy, there were just some things only another female would ever understand. From where she was sitting, Caroline heard Angel’s stomach grumble. She smiled.

  “Let’s go get something to eat, okay?” Caroline suggested, getting up. “I’m starved.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Christian left the suite as soon as it was dark, but he waited until midnight before he made his way to the scene of the murder that had taken place the other day downtown. The police tape was still up, but the crowd was gone, as were the police. He decided against going into the apartment; he didn’t want to disturb any evidence, on the off chance that any was left behind. Besides, he already knew what he would find: the white chalk body outline, always disturbing, and dried blood. Dried blood everywhere.

  He passed a drunken couple on the sidewalk. New York City, the city that never sleeps. No wonder the Master Vampire had come here. Manhattan was the perfect feeding ground. Long after dusk, even into the wee hours of the morning, th
e city was alive with people going to bars, to parties, to work. New York knew no off time. Two in the morning was as good a time as any to do your grocery shopping, and only in New York would you find a grocery store open at that hour. And so many people like Angel – no home, no family, no friends – who would never even be missed once they were gone.

  Christian walked around a bit more before heading back to the hotel. He was a few blocks away when he realized he wasn’t alone; someone was keeping pace with him from behind, and suddenly, two black figures materialized out of the darkness in front of him, another on a fire escape above him. He stopped walking, watching as they approached. Unsure of whether they were simply muggers or creatures of a more unnatural sort, Christian watched as one passed under the white light of a streetlamp, outlining the harsh features of his face and the sharp fangs in his mouth.

  “You guys picked the perfect night to show up,” he said to himself, as he crouched down low, ready to attack. “I’m just itching for a fight.”

  Christian watched as they slowly circled him. He grabbed a stake from a hidden pouch in his pants leg. He was attacked from behind, but he was prepared. Vampires were notoriously unimaginative when they fought. He had learned to know what to expect in a fight. He easily flipped the vampire over his back, knocking over another in the process. A quick thrust of his arm, and one vanished into dust. Using his legs and fists as weapons, Christian defended himself against a simultaneous side and frontal attack. A swift kick to the solar plexus of one vamp doubled him over, an easy target for the pointy end of Christian’s stake. An uppercut and sweeping leg kick made quick work of yet another.

  Fifteen minutes more, and the fourth vampire had now joined his companions as dust on the already dirty New York street. Christian quickly scanned his surroundings for more attackers, breathing hard and fast, a stitch in his side. They all seemed to be gone. Something was dripping into his eye. He wiped it away with his hand, but found that it wasn’t sweat – it was blood. One of the vamps must have gotten a decent shot in. Everything seemed quiet now, though, and he decided to head back to the hotel. Now that his adrenaline rush was dying down, he was starting to hurt all over. Grimacing, he began the long walk home. Another night, another fight. If he was lucky, he’d get to do it all over again tomorrow.