The Vampire War

by Eric S. Brown

  “When I peel you out of that suit, little man…” Mavet snarled, “I am going to show you what Hell is, for your death will be as slow and painful as I can make it.”

  Blah, Blah, Blah, Scott thought inside the Omega Psi-mech. He was holding his own with the vampire god thanks to the new suit, and he damn well knew it. Scott wasn’t afraid anymore. He was just ticked off and ready for it all to be over with. His mind ran through the list of weapons at his disposal, trying to pick the perfect one to hit the vampire god with next.

  Mavet came running toward the Omega Psi-mech. The tentacles that had grown out of his back whipped over his shoulders at the giant mech. They slapped into it, tearing at its armor, and alarm klaxons blared within the suit around Scott. Whatever the hell the tentacles were, they were actually hurting the suit. Each of their hits left deep, smoking grooves in the giant mech. Several of the Omega Psi-mech’s weapon systems went offline.

  One of the tentacles, through luck more than aim, made contact with the armor that covered the Omega Psi-mech’s power core. It didn’t penetrate the armor but still did enough damage from its impact to disrupt the flow of power in the giant mech. The Omega Psi-mech collapsed onto its knees in front of Mavet as other black tentacles wrapped themselves around its arms and ripped them away from the suit’s torso. Hank had left enough room inside the suit that Scott’s own arms didn’t go with them. They were exposed now, though, to whatever Mavet might do to them.

  Out of sheer desperation, Scott activated the Omega Psi-mech’s forehead UV beam. Rays of UV light flashed outward into Mavet’s eyes and face. For all the vampire god’s claims of being immune to sunlight like other vampires, the concentrated blast still burned out his retinas. Blinded, the vampire god hurled himself onto the front of the Omega Psi-mech again, venting his rage. His first punch crushed the UV blaster in the center of the giant mech’s forehead, rendering it useless. His second and third punches shook Scott inside the mech. Scott knew he’d lost the fight as Mavet reached for one of his exposed arms. Something stopped Mavet before he could grab it, though; the vampire god’s entire body went rigid and was dragged away from Scott.

  “That’s enough,” Ringer’s voice echoed in the vast control room. The telekinetic had managed to wake himself up from whatever the vampire god had done to him.

  There was fear in the vampire god’s eyes as Ringer calmly walked toward the field of telekinetic energy holding him.

  “It’s not possible,” Mavet rasped, staring at Ringer in utter disbelief.

  “Oh, it is.” Ringer smiled. “I had a little help.”

  A creature as old as Mavet himself shimmered and twisted into existence next to Ringer. It was taller than a man, and giant wings extended from its back behind it shoulders. The thing wore a shirt that read “Woodstock Forever” and carried an old, banged-up guitar in one of its hands.

  Scott recognized the creature. It was Jimi, the Mothman.

  “You’re not allowed to fight me,” Mavet shrieked.

  “I’m not,” the Mothman chuckled. “I only woke Ringer over there up so he could. No rules against that.”

  Mavet snarled, trying to break free of the telekinetic hold Ringer had on him. Ringer clutched his fists so hard his fingernails drew blood from his palms but held onto the vampire god, keeping Mavet where he was.

  “It can’t end like this!” Mavet howled. “I am eternal!”

  To Scott’s amazement, the Omega Psi-mech was repairing itself with astonishing speed. The metal of its armor flowed and shifted about, forming new arms over his own.

  “Scott…” Ringer told him. “The honor is yours…if you want it.”

  “I do,” Scott answered, still staring in amazement at the suit’s newly regrown arms. He moved to pop the suit’s right arm blade, and it deployed as if it had never been damaged.

  The heavy footfalls of the Omega Psi-mech rang out as Scott walked up to where Ringer held Mavet. The vampire god thrashed and struggled about but remained caught by Ringer. Scott smiled inside the giant mech as he raised its arm blade, bringing it down into the vampire god’s heart. Silver and wood pierced Mavet’s heart together. Alone they might not have been enough, but the blade pulsated with a high-intensity ultraviolet light inside Mavet as well. The vampire god howled, dying, as Ringer continued to hold him. Energy built up inside Mavet’s body. It began to leak out of the vampire god as it cascaded toward an explosion of epic magnitude.

  “We must leave,” Scott heard Jimi’s telepathic voice tell him as the Mothman extended his arms from his sides. Cocoons of psychic power engulfed the Omega Psi-mech, Ringer, the young unconscious cop where he lay on the floor, and the Mothman himself. They all blinked out of existence as the vampire god exploded, taking the entire warehouse with him.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 41

  A light rain fell from the heavens, wetting the grass of the cemetery and soaking into the clothes of those gathered to say their goodbyes. The sky above was dark, filled with thick, bloated, gray clouds. The number of fresh graves outnumbered the living who had come to mourn them. Ringer, Officer Glen Dubin, and Scott stood in front of the graves. Scott wore gloves and boots that seemed to glow in the dim light and rain. The regenerated and fully restored Omega Psi-mech armor was contained within them. At a thought, Scott could summon the giant mech armor forth to engulf his body and make him one of the deadliest weapons on Earth.

  The Mothman had left them after depositing them a safe distance from the explosion that had blown up their warehouse base as Mavet’s millennia-long existence had been brought to an end. The Mothman had then departed to God only knew where. Whether or not Jimi would return one day was anyone’s guess, but Ringer wasn’t counting on it.

  Officer Dubin hadn’t felt much like returning to his old job in the wake of the events he’d experienced and had stayed on with them for the last two days as the mass funeral was arranged and dealt with. The kid reminded Ringer of himself in his first days with Psi-Mechs, Inc. There would’ve been too many questions waiting for Dubin. Questions he couldn’t answer honestly and stay out of an asylum.

  Ringer looked at the grave stones. Katherine Grimm, Donald Grimm, Tonya Bellmore, all of Scott’s pilots, as well as those for Richard, Selah, and Eddie. So many lives had been lost in one night. It hurt like hell emotionally, but Ringer knew the price they’d paid was worth it. Had it not been for them, the world would have ended, and Mavet would still have been out there, scheming and plotting to wipe out humanity.

  There was a grave stone for Hank, too, but the tele-mechanic wasn’t truly dead like the others. He’d lost his flesh and blood body, yes, but his consciousness lived on inside the computer system of the Omega Psi-mech he’d left in Scott’s possession.

  It was a lot to take in and process. Worse, there was so much yet to be done. Mavet and his minions might be gone, but that didn’t mean the world was safe. It never truly was. Other dark forces would arise to take the vampire god’s place, and Psi-Mechs, Inc. had to be there to deal with them. Ringer accepted that it was up to him build a new team and company. Thankfully, he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Katherine Grimm had left what remained of her vast fortune to him, and he’d put it in Hank’s “hands,” so to speak. The tele-mechanic had already acquired a new base for them in the rural, wooded area of North Carolina. For those of the old team who had survived, it was like coming home. The company’s original base had been in that area, and it was only fitting that it was there where they would start again. Hank had also recalled the support staff and sent them on ahead to the new base to prepare it for their arrival.

  Ringer was coming to terms with the knowledge that he’d loved Katherine Grimm more than he’d known. Had it not been for Mercy, the two of them very well might have become an item. Had she survived, it would have almost been a certainty. Her loss stung him badly, as did the loss of her son. Donald had been a more than competent leader for the company, and Ringer was going to have a hard time taking their place at the company�
��s head. Ringer knew he wasn’t really up to the task, but there was no else. Scott’s talents lay in combat and piloting mechs. Hank, for all his genius, wasn’t cut out to lead. And Dubin, well, he was just a kid and new to the entire mess.

  In some ways, it was Eddie’s loss that bothered Ringer the most. Like Mercy before him, the psycho-porter represented a big hit to the company’s ability to function. Mercy had given them a priceless edge, being able to heal their wounded instantly and put them back into the fight. Eddie had been their transport, whisking them from one part of the world to another in an instant. Both of them would need to be replaced. The upside was the company finally had a locator to call on again…assuming the young Dubin stayed with them after the funeral. With his gift, they could find others like themselves more easily and recruit them into the war against the things that lurk in the shadows, ever-waiting to prey on mankind if given half a chance to do so.

  The vampire community might be in shambles, but the Sasquatch, the werewolves, and quite a few demons loosed during Mavet’s quest to free his master from eternal slumber were still out there, rising up to take their place.

  Ringer and Scott said their goodbyes to those they’d lost as Dubin stood with them in the rain. Hank was present and part of it all through the concealed Omega Psi-mech suit Scott wore. When their tears were dried, they left the field of graves and headed south.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 42

  Three days after the funeral, Ringer sat in his office. It was small and spartan. Its walls were lined with photos of those who’d died protecting the world as part of Psi-Mechs, Inc. The new base was still under construction, despite Hank’s superhuman engineering and planning, combined with the massive number of workers the tele-mechanic had hired on for the project. It was shaping up nicely, though, and was truly impressive. The base’s design was an upgraded version of the original one Ringer had known when he’d first joined the company. The new mech hangar was a work in progress as well, but already shaping up to be more than Scott could have hoped for. Ringer had tasked Scott with hiring and training pilots to replace those who had been lost in what they were now officially calling, “The Darkness War.”

  Ringer’s laptop was open on the desk in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, puffing on a cigarette. Despite everything he’d been through, or perhaps because of it, smoking was an addiction he couldn’t conquer. Frankly, he didn’t care, either. He was the boss now and could bloody well do whatever he wanted to.

  On his screensaver was a picture of the old team from when he’d first joined up. It shifted into an image of Hank’s face, though to say that was wrong. It wasn’t an image of Hank. It was the tele-mechanic’s new self which existed entirely in cyberspace. Ringer couldn’t quite wrap his head about that one, but he knew it was true.

  “Hey, boss,” Hank said over the laptop’s speakers. “Just thought I would check in and make sure you were doing okay.”

  “I’m fine, Hank, but we’re really going to have to come up with a way for you to let me know you’re coming before you just pop in like that,” Ringer said, exhaling a mouthful of smoke.

  The tele-mechanic turned virus—or program, or whatever the heck he was—laughed. “Roger that. I’ll work on it.”

  Ringer’s expression turned solemn. “I miss them, Hank. All of them.”

  “We all do, boss man,” Hank assured him. “Scott’s really torn up about Eddie. The two of them were as close as he and I are.”

  Nodding, Ringer changed the subject. “This new base is really coming along. You’re doing a great job with it.”

  “Yeah, not bad for a guy without a body, right?” Hank quipped.

  “How about you? Are you adjusting okay to your…” Ringer didn’t know quite what to call it.

  “Frag, yeah!” Hank’s image smiled. “This is like paradise for me, Ringer. I can go anywhere and do pretty much anything I need to. There’s not a computer in the world I can’t slide into and have a peep around.”

  “That should really come in handy for the company in the future,” Ringer agreed.

  “You know it,” Hank said. “You had that chat you were planning with Dubin yet?”

  “It’s next on my agenda, Hank,” Ringer told him. “The kid should be here any minute.”

  “I won’t hold you up then.” Hank’s image mock saluted him. “Just make sure that kid stays, Ringer. We need him.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Ringer leaned forward in his chair, snuffing out his cigarette in the ashtray that sat atop his desk, and a knock sounded on the door of his office. He looked at the door and then back at the screen of his laptop. When he did, Hank was gone.

  “Enter,” Ringer called out. It opened, and Glen Dubin walked into his office.

  “You wanted to see me?” Glen answered, his red hair ruffled. He was dressed in a Duran Duran t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The kid sure had no problems being himself when he was out of uniform.

  “I did.” Ringer nodded. “We need to have a talk about what you’re going to do now. Take a seat.”

  Glen plopped himself into the chair in front of Ringer’s desk.

  “I always knew there was a lot more out there than most people realized or would admit,” Glen said. “Seeing you guys take on that vampire…that was a life-altering event.”

  “Trust me, I know how you feel.” Ringer grinned. “When your uncle Frank showed up to recruit me into the company, we were attacked by a bloody werewolf…in the station where I worked as a detective. I had to use my powers to save everyone I could. If it hadn’t been for your uncle and this company…God only knows what would have happened to me.”

  Glen chuckled. “Uncle Frank was always a character, but he was a good man, too—one of the best, if you ask me.”

  “Did he know you were a locator like him too?” Ringer asked.

  Glen shook his head. “I think he knew, but we never talked about it. He was always just there for me, ya know?”

  “I do.” Ringer smiled.

  “It’s nice to know what I am…a locator,” Glen told him. “I figured I was just a freak, or crazy.”

  “Anyway.” Ringer stared at Glen. “Now that you know what you are and that your uncle worked with us, have you given any thought to staying on with Psi-Mechs, Inc.?”

  Glen shrugged. “I have, but I’m not really sure this is the life for me.”

  “Why not? You could make a lot more difference in the world here than you ever could as a cop. I’ve lived it. I know. And I’ll be honest with you, Glen…” Ringer paused and then continued, “We need you. Psi-Mechs, Inc. never really recovered from the loss of your uncle. We were almost beginning to think he was one of a kind until you found us. Please consider taking his place, Glen. With you as part of the company, we could really start over again, and I don’t just mean all this…” Ringer waved a hand around at his new office. “I mean really rebuilding…replacing the powers and skill sets that were taken from us in the war, finding new powers that could make the difference next time we head out into the field.”

  “That’s all a lot to take in,” Glen admitted. “Are you sure you’d want a rookie like me in such an important job?”

  Ringer nodded adamantly. “Glen, you’re the answer to a prayer. I wasn’t blowing things out of proportion when I said we need you.”

  “Scott and that guy who’s a computer program agree with you?” Glen asked.

  “One hundred percent.” Ringer rose from his seat to stand behind his desk. “I’m asking you to at least give it a shot before you just walk away. That’s all. If you won’t do it for us, think about doing it for your uncle. I think it’s what he would have wanted.”

  “That’s hitting below the belt,” Glen said, but laughed.

  “You’ll find here at Psi-Mechs, sometimes you have to do whatever is needed to get the job done. Too many people out there don’t even know that the supernatural dangers lurking in the shadows are real,” Ringer explained.

  “Oka
y then,” Glen said and rose to offer Ringer his hand. “I’m in…at least for now.”

  Ringer clasped the kid’s hand. “Welcome to Psi-Mechs, Inc. 2.0, Glen.”

  “Cool.” Glen smiled. “So what comes next?”

  “Scott will get you some training, then I want you find us a telepath. We sorely need one. Heck, we need a lot of things, but I think that’s where we need to start,” Ringer said.

  “Consider me on it, Mr. Ringer,” Glen assured him.

  “It’s Ringer. Just Ringer,” the telekinetic said. “We’re a family here, Glen, or rather I hope we will be, just like the original company was.”

  “Onward, then.” Glen grinned.

  “Onward indeed,” Ringer agreed with a wide smile.

  Ringer watched Glen leave his office, then sat behind his desk. The future seemed to be getting brighter all the time. It was a very nice change. Lighting up another cigarette, Ringer leaned back in his chair, taking a drag from it. The future lay ahead of them, and Ringer had faith that everything was going to be just fine, after all.

  # # # # #

  Author Bio

  Eric S Brown is the author of numerous book series including the Bigfoot War series, the Kaiju Apocalypse series (with Jason Cordova), the Crypto-Squad series (with Jason Brannon), the Homeworld series (with Tony Faville and Jason Cordova), the Jack Bunny Bam series, and the A Pack of Wolves series. Some of his standalone books include War of the Worlds plus Blood Guts and Zombies, Casper Alamo, The Squad, Monsters of the Reich, The Last Days of Mythreal, Beyond Night, The Roaring, Bigfoot, Day of the Sasquatch, Sasquatch Lake, Mecha, Dropship Marines, Kaiju Armageddon, Megalodon, Megalodon Apocalypse, Kraken, Alien Battalion, The Last Fleet, and Attack of the Yetis, to name only a few. His short fiction has been published hundreds of times in the small press and beyond, including markets like the Onward Drake and Black Tide Rising anthologies from Baen Books, the Grantville Gazette, the SNAFU Military horror anthology series, and Walmart World magazine. He has done the novelizations for such films as Boggy Creek: The Legend is True (Studio 3 Entertainment) and The Bloody Rage of Bigfoot (Great Lake films).