“Wow. How fast do we have to move?”
Yuri shrugged. “I’ve never clocked it, so I have no idea. We need to stay close behind them since I’m not sure where exactly they are going.”
Keisha’s eyes clouded over and then she smiled. “I am. They’re just ahead of us. We need to go in that direction.” She pointed to the southwest.
“They told you that?”
“Yes.” She frowned. “They said to get a move on. Fine, fine. We’re coming.”
Yuri reached over for her hand. Together they flew the indicated direction into the night.
Chapter Seventeen
Casimiro and Apolinar had already landed when Keisha and Yuri flew up to them a few hours later. Yuri stopped forward motion and gently floated to the ground. Keisha stopped moving, then dropped like a rock and crash-landed.
“Oof.” She straightened up and dusted herself off, assiduously adjusting her clothes before she looked up into the amused faces of all three men.
“What? I suppose you all did everything perfect the first time you tried it?”
Yuri shook his head. “No, I most certainly didn’t. Somehow you manage to look ravishing even as you are most ungracefully plopping onto the ground.”
“I just thought you looked funny...” Casimiro began. Apolinar shook his head at him and he decided not to finish his thought.
Any retort Keisha thought of was forgotten when suddenly lights switched on all around them and a voice called out in first Spanish then English, “Stop. Do not move. Identify yourselves immediately or be destroyed.”
Movements in the darkness beyond the lights suddenly revealed themselves as dogs with vampire teeth and heavy red drool dripping from their feral faces. There were people holding the leashes of the dogs as they strained forward, desperately trying to get at the invaders.
Apolinar snarled as he turned. What Keisha saw in his face was horrifying. Humanity was stripped away and he looked like the monster of old, of whom stories are told to scare superstitious people. There were no gun shots. A man dropped from the sky directly in front of Apolinar, who stopped snarling immediately and hurriedly rearranged his face back into his normal self.
“Apolinar Villalba. Mi amigo,” the man now in front of them exclaimed. He threw his arms around Apolinar in a familiar embrace.
It was Casimiro’s turn to snarl. His was more muted—a low guttural expression of his dislike of another man hugging his lover in front of him.
“César Cortes, mi compadre. It has been too long for us...”
“Sí, it certainly has, my old friend. What brings you to my villa with no advance notice that would have spared us both this embarrassing scene? Who are these delightful people you brought with you?”
Apolinar turned and waved towards each of them in turn. “Casimiro Pavlenko, mi compañero, you have met before.”
César nodded in acknowledgement while Casimiro managed a strained smile.
“I would guess that this blond man also hails from the far north lands, as does your Casimiro, eh?”
“Sí, this is Yuri Kozakov, brought across by Rasputin himself in the waning days of the Romanov Empire.”
Yuri shook hands with their host.
“And this delightful mulata? Please tell me she is your gift to me in return for my hospitality.”
It was Yuri’s turn to growl softly. Keisha smiled at him as Apolinar finished the introductions.
“Lo siento, amigo. This is Keisha Brown of U-S-A. She is frighteningly intelligent, so I fear she would not be the kind of woman you prefer. At any rate, she and Yuri are...”
“¿Amantes? You are not the only one who is sorry, my friend.” César bowed low before Keisha. He took her proffered hand and kissed her knuckles softly.
“No, I am sorry because I didn’t bring you any gifts this time. I’m afraid we are on urgent business and we your help. There wasn’t time to contact you beforehand. We have only just arrived and must act quickly.”
“Then you must come with me into my villa. We can sit comfortably while you tell me why you need my help, my friend. After all we have been through together over the long years? There can be no question in your mind but I would give you any aid you need. Come everyone, bienvenido á mi casa.”
Keisha was glad to note the dogs were removed from their general area. Having grown up in the inner city surrounded by often vicious guard dogs, she didn’t look forward to getting closer to their snarling jaws, dripping blood-tinged saliva. She shivered with distant memories. Yuri moved closer to her and put his arm around her waist as if he felt her distress and wanted to ease it.
Looking ahead, she was amused to notice César watching them. Disappointment clouded his face. She decided that even though Yuri obviously touched her to mark his territory, it was still a gesture she appreciated.
They followed their host into a brightly-lit room decorated in bright colors and filled with the local flowers. Keisha moved closer to a vase on a nearby table and inhaled deeply.
“How beautiful. What a lovely fragrance.”
César, who had been speaking to a servant, now crossed the room. He indicated they should all sit on the comfortable wicker chairs near the open balcony doors.
“They are flors de lun—moon flowers—which only bloom at night. They pale in comparison to you, lovely Keisha.” He flashed a quick smile to placate Yuri. “You are a very lucky man, señor.”
Keisha moved over to perch on the edge of one of the chairs. Yuri immediately moved a chair closer to hers and sat in it. Casimiro and Apolinar sat also. César, the consummate host, waited until they were all seated to take the tray from the waiting servant. There were two bottles on it, along with five glasses. César poured some of the dark red liquid into each of the glasses and offered them to each of his guests in turn. Once they each had a glass, he raised his in a toast.
“To being able to do favors for old friends,” he proposed.
“And to having old friends to ask favors from,” Apolinar added.
They all drank most of what was in their glasses, and then put them down on the low table in front of them.
Keisha still held her glass and sipped delicately. “This is delicious,” she murmured, smiling at César.
He grinned at her. “You are a young one, aren’t you? You will notice as you age in our life that blood tastes different in many countries because of the foods the donors eat. For instance, I enjoy the garlic in Italians but really prefer the mingling of garlic with hot peppers and cilantro in my native people.”
Keisha smiled. “I never thought of that. You must be right. It has to be similar to the idea of terroir in wines, right? Where the blood is sourced from is influenced by the foods of the local culture. What a fascinating idea.” Her eyebrows rose as she remarked, “If I were to synthesize a really usable artificial blood, I would need to experiment with adding different flavorings. Perhaps this would allow me to mask the unnatural taste.”
César smiled broadly at her. “You are delightful,” he said before turning to Apolinar. “You said you had a favor to ask. How might I help you?”
“There is no easy way to say this,” Apolinar began, and then grimaced. “We need you to help us find the Mayan. We need to find Xaman Ek.”
César spat out his blood he had just sipped. He jumped up and paced back and forth in front of them.
“No. Tell me you’re kidding, please. Any year that pandejo doesn’t appear among us is a good year. It has been many decades since he last walked the Earth. We hope to keep it that way.”
“We need to find him,” Apolinar said.
“Do you have any idea what it is like for us when he appears? The kinds of things he insists we do to honor him and his gods? The pain he makes us suffer if we don’t willingly torture ourselves to produce blood for him to waste by tossing it to the wind?”
“We need him.”
“Pardon my language in front of the señorita, but I know more than I ever wanted to know about how lo
ng it takes for a penis that was split open to recover. He brings the instruments of torture with him and then demands our tribute. We spend all of our time hoping he might finally be dead and gone, and you want us to help you find him? Can you tell me what the fuck for?”
“He keeps intruding into my head and taking me over,” Keisha said simply. “He makes me kill others, maim myself, and imprisons me in the recesses of my mind.”
César stopped pacing to light a cigarette and then he turned to her. “How? Why? You are from so many miles away. What possible interest can he have in you?”
“I’m afraid that is my fault,” Apolinar began. “When I insisted on sharing blood with her, I had no idea he would be able to use that as a connection into her mind.”
“No, it’s my fault,” Yuri interrupted. “Because I am the one who asked her to answer my questions once and for all about how and why we are what we are. She is a neurobiologist who has identified spores within our blood that keep us alive, and that change us to suit their needs as they bind to the iron in our red cells. That was fascinating enough but it wasn’t until she researched the connection with aliens that he took notice of her.”
César whistled softly. “Aliens? As in little green men?”
Casimiro shook his head. “Probably not green since their blood—by definition—also must be based on iron.”
“We have no idea what size they are either. He used to tell me he was made by them and that they would return someday.”
“This year? Pah. More of that white people bullshit about the Mayan end of the world. The long-count calendar only means the end of a cycle, not the end of civilization as we know it. Those of us who live here aren’t afraid.”
“This year is only the beginning,” Apolinar said. “It’s the year the planet Nibiru-Tzoltze Ek comes close again, after five-thousand years. It will take nine more years for the travelers to get here.”
Suddenly Keisha jumped up. She ran over to the wall and grabbed the decorative obsidian knife hanging there. She plunged it into her arm and sank down onto her knees, rocking back and forth as she pulled the knife completely through her arm. Blood gushed all over the floor as the startled men reacted quickly.
Yuri ran to her side and pulled both of her arms back while Apolinar knelt in front of her. César pointed at her face.
“Her eyes. They look like his. Blood red.”
Keisha chanted in Mayan again until Apolinar took her face in both of his hands and spoke to her.
“Keisha, come back to us. You were not doing the talking. He should not punish you. Take me, Old One. I am the one who has served you.”
Keisha grabbed the knife. She thrust it towards Apolinar, who was pulled backwards by Casimiro. César squeezed her wrist until her grip relaxed slightly. He cautiously eased the knife from her hand as Yuri restrained her arms to her sides.
Keisha pulled an arm loose and pointed at Apolinar as she screamed out some Mayan words. Then she collapsed backwards into Yuri’s arms.
Yuri sat back. He pulled her onto his lap, rocking and murmuring softly to her until her body stopped trembling and she was still.
César sank onto a chair and surveyed the scene with incredulity.
“What does she mean, He’s coming back? He has never done this kind of thing before...not even to us. We are the closest nest to him, yet he has never taken any of us over like that. Forced us to inflict terrible pain on each other and ourselves, yes, but never under his total control.”
Apolinar nodded before speaking sadly, “It is all my fault. I love the most beautiful Keisha for the intelligent, unique creature that she is...yet he used my blood connection with her to torture her, even from very far away. I fear that if we can’t convince him to leave her alone, there won’t be any place on Earth where she will be safe from him.”
César nodded. “We—who have hosted him repeatedly—all know what a twisted fuck he is. I can’t imagine how awful it must be to have him in your mind, controlling your every movement.”
Yuri looked up and into César’s eyes. “So, will you help us?”
César took a long, deep breath before he nodded slowly. “I will do all I can to stop this torment of your woman.”
Apolinar asked, “Do you have a map of this area? Can you identify where he usually appears so we can make plans of where to travel?
César nodded. He left the room, returning carrying a laptop. Seeing Apolinar’s surprise, he shrugged.
“No parchments maps anymore, César?”
César’s teeth were very white against his brown face as he smiled. “It has been many years since you were last here for a visit, Apolinar. Laptops are so much more convenient. The maps can be changed quickly to suit new roads or landmarks.”
Casimiro grinned. “I’ve tried to get him to feel comfortable around computers for a long time. Maybe now you will see, querido, that it is alright for even old dogs to learn new tricks.”
Apolinar answered him by leaning his head close to César’s. They studied the local maps, discussing the last few places the Mayan was seen. Casimiro subtly moved until he was right behind Apolinar and looking over his shoulder.
As they spoke of the sporadic appearances of the Mayan, Yuri felt dismay listening to them. He still held the unconscious form of his woman on his lap. Nothing they said gave him any hope that they would be able to find someone who appeared only when he wanted to.
Finally César said, “The only reason I feel sure we can find him is that he had her say he is coming back.”
Apolinar stared at him. “When did you learn to speak Mayan?”
César looked pained. “I told you—whenever he needs blood or the worshipping his eternal suffering entitles him to, he appears among us without warning. As the leader of this nest of vampires, I am always the lucky recipient of his special attention. He takes blood from me through biting me, as well as, having me pierce myself in many places to bleed for his containers. He only rarely offered any of his blood to me but what I have had enabled me to understand him when he speaks.”
Apolinar explained to the others, “He spoke only Mayan when I first met him. Through years of contact with Spaniards such as myself, he gradually learned to communicate in this new language. I don’t know if he has ever needed to learn English but I would doubt it.”
“Oh, he has,” César explained. “He absorbed it from me, along with the knowledge of the size and extent of my holdings. That’s how he learned I was the leader and deserving of the honor of worshipping him and his gods. An honor—I might add—which I would gladly have taken a pass on, if that was possible.”
“He certainly knew what Keisha said when she talked about aliens, so he must know English.” Casimiro looked around as the others nodded “At least he understands it, if not speaks it.”
Yuri spoke, “Presuming that we find him, what will we do then? You said you doubt he can be killed. Having never met one as old as him, I must bow to your knowledge on that.”
Apolinar nodded in agreement.
Casimiro said, “He’s right. What are our plans for dealing with him? How do we convince him to leave Keisha alone?”
César shuddered. “It’s difficult enough to convince him that he has over-stayed his welcome and should return to wherever he hides out in. I have no idea how we will be able to convince him that she is not a threat to him or his gods.”
Apolinar looked thoughtful. “I have an idea but I need to ponder it longer.”
“Can you share that with us?”
Apolinar shook his head at César. “I’d rather not. You may have seen him more recently than me, but having lived with him for so long as his acolyte and servant, I might have more insight into how he thinks.”
César shook his head. “The way he looked and acted the last few times he appeared, I’m not so sure he does think anymore. He doesn’t even look human...more like a dried-up husk...like a mummy left to dry in the sun for too long.”
“Well, he is over five-tho
usand years old, after all,” Apolinar shrugged, “He does have the sentience to zone in on specific conversations and understand them. He might be able to listen while the one he uses is not aware of that...” Subtly Apolinar inclined his head toward the unconscious Keisha.
In consternation, César and Casimiro looked at her, then up into the troubled eyes of Yuri. He shook his head, mouthing, “No, no.” He pulled Keisha closer to kiss her hair.
Casimiro stood. “It will be daylight soon. I feel it approaching.”
César stood also. “Yes, you are right. I have many guest rooms safely underground to provide darkness, as well as, a barrier against the day’s heat. Let me show you to your rooms now. Tomorrow night I will help you find he-who-should-be-left-alone.”
Yuri carried Keisha as the men walked down the hall to an elevator. The electronic security system required a scan of César’s fingers and eyeballs before the door snicked open. They walked through the door and the elevator whisked them silently downwards.
“Fingerprint and retina scan?” Yuri asked.
César shrugged. “It won’t keep the Mayan out. Nothing will. But it will protect us from marauding drug warriors if my servants and soldiers are overcome.”
“Has that ever happened?”
César’s face got a set look as he answered, “Only once. The retribution I took on them will long be remembered by the very few maimed souls I forced to live as witnesses. There are always young cholos anxious to prove their machismo. Since vampires are only a myth, they might be willing to take their chances. That’s what the dogs rely on.”
He smiled. His face was an evil mask that made him look like the monster he was. “They eat well.”
“Sick as that sounds, it will help me sleep more soundly today,” Casimiro remarked.
All of the men nodded as they separated into their respective rooms for the day.
When Yuri placed Keisha on the bed, she opened her eyes to look into his. He was relieved to see their hazel color, though the gold swirls moving around indicated her distress.
“It happened again, didn’t it?”
He nodded. “Do you remember any part of it?”
Prophecy of the Undead Page 13
