The Dirty City

by Jim Cogan

  And so it turned out...But not for me.

  There was a hint of movement at the entrance to the alley, then I heard a peculiar sound, a strange series of low pulsing and modulating tones. It had no other affect on me other than to pique my curiosity as to what it was. The same couldn’t be said for McLane.

  He fell to his knees, hands grasping his ears – his sharp finger nails visibly lacerating his own flesh. And he began screaming, such anguished wails the like of which I’d never heard, his agony appeared excruciating.

  Faint wisps of smoke began to emanate from him as he writhed and convulsed on the ground, his screams rising in pitch and ferocity. I began to back away, reaching the far corner of the alley, recoiling at the macabre display occurring in front of me.

  What happened next was truly incredible and shocking. McLane’s whole body sprouted bright yellow flames and he quite literally disintegrated into a cloud of smouldering ash.

  “Whoa!” I looked on in stunned disbelief.

  As the smoke and ash began to clear I could see that there was little left of McLane other than an area of scorched asphalt on the spot where he had expired.

  And through the haze I could see a figure approaching down the alley. My head was spinning so I couldn’t make out the features, but the poise, the gait and stride, I knew it was a female approaching. It appeared that I did have an angel looking out for me after all...

  CHAPTER 9

  I must have blacked out for a little while because the next thing I knew I was sprawled out in the back of a moving car.

  As my vision cleared I looked across and found myself looking into the big brown eyes of Dr Reana Del-Ray.

  “Why, Dr Del-Ray. You certainly are a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Shh, you’re heavily dehydrated, drink this.”

  She shoved a flask into my hands and promptly tipped half of its contents down my throat. Normally I wouldn’t let anyone take such a liberty but I’d literally just been preparing to accept my own mortality mere moments before, having a pretty girl pour water down my throat was pretty tame in comparison. Besides, I was actually really thirsty.

  I looked over to see who was driving – sure enough, it was the doctor’s smarmy little associate at the wheel. I still couldn’t remember the guy’s name.

  “Hey there, uh...”

  “Walter, Mr Jerome, Walter Smitts. How are you doing, feeling a bit better?” He still had that tone of indignation about him.

  “Yes - thank you, Walter. I have to say, I know I was a bit dismissive of you both when we first met-.”

  “A bit?” Smitts was loving this, I could tell.

  “Okay, look, I was out of line, I was a total ass. I should have listened to you both, the world is indeed full of these, I don’t know what else to call ‘em, vampires, you were right, I was wrong, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s quite alright, Mr Jerome, I guess it’s lucky we were on hand to help you out.” Del-Ray was at it now, her tone sounded concerned, but her eyes just yelled, ‘I told you so, dummy!’

  “But I have to ask, how did you know where to find me – and what the hell did you do to that vampire?”

  “We’ve actually been following you for a little while. You gave us the slip a few times, but eventually we figured if we watched your office for long enough then you’d surely appear,” She smiled a little, “can imagine our surprise when we witnessed a female vampire in high heels exit your office via the first floor window? We would have followed her but she was far too quick, so we were stuck with tailing you.”

  “You’re in a hell of a lot of trouble, Mr Jerome, it seems everyone wants a piece of you, vampire or otherwise,”

  “No shit, Walter, I had noticed. Mobsters and dirty cops I can deal with, but vampires, they’re something else.”

  “Indeed they are, we’ve been tracking them for quite a while.” Now that I appeared to be onside with the whole vampire situation, Del-Ray’s demeanour softened somewhat. “And to answer your other question, this is what happened to the vampire who attacked you in the alleyway.”

  She held out a small, rectangular device, smaller than a transistor radio.

  “Is it a weapon? It looks a little, uh, underwhelming.”

  “Size isn’t everything, Mr Jerome,” she said with a slight hint of flirtatious innuendo. “Walter is something of a genius when it comes to microelectronics, it’s all his handy work, really.”

  “But what does it actually do?”

  Smitts didn’t need to be asked twice, “We managed to get some samples from the local police department of what we believed to be vampire blood and matter. We didn’t have much to work with, but we had enough to experiment on. We discovered that vampire blood reacts violently to sonic oscillations between a particular range of frequencies.”

  “Sonic what?”

  In the reflection of the rear view mirror I could see him roll his eyes in disdain at my ignorance. “Okay, and I’m seriously dumbing this down for you. There is a certain sound that literally makes their blood boil. right?”

  “Okay, and this device reproduces that sound? That’s pretty neat.”

  “Indeed. And it’s small enough to fit in your pocket.”

  “You’ve invented a portable sonic vampire exploder?”

  “Not exactly the name I’d choose for it, but essentially, yes. Impressed?”

  “You know what, I honestly had you down as a bit of a dick, but you’re definitely going up in my estimation, you know that?”

  “Thanks, Mr Jerome, I’m truly honoured.”

  “Well done, boys, now we’re all buddies we have to level with each other. Mr Jerome, we’ve just saved you from certain death, the least you can do for us is tell us everything you know about the vampires – it’s pretty evident that you now know a lot more about them than you did the last time we met. You can start by telling us all about the blonde with the glowing green eyes and a penchant for clambering up and down buildings?”

  So we drove and we talked. Del-Ray and Smitts knew part of what was going on, so I essentially filled in one or two gaps. I wouldn’t normally have been so open with anyone, but when people save your life it kind of changes your attitude a little.

  Again, with hindsight I think I’d have possibly asked them a few more questions myself – most notably, exactly who was funding them in their research and investigations in vampirism? I should have asked, but I didn’t. A near death experience can really play havoc with your judgement.

  *

  The Santa Justina Institute for Advanced Studies was something of a double bluff. It was housed in an extremely ordinary looking office block, not unlike the one that housed my own office. Yet the reception area was something akin to a science fiction movie – dazzling in its clinical, bright white plastic decor. However, the lab that Del-Ray and Smitts were working from left a massive amount to be desired and destroyed illusion – evidently the reception was just for impressing the public.

  The lab was sizable, about 100 square feet, but the equipment looked aged and worn, the lab tables were battered – the whole place looked tired. Del-Ray picked up on my reaction.

  “Not as glamorous as you were expecting, eh?”

  “I don’t know what I was expecting to be honest. The reception area prepped me for something a bit more, I dunno’ – modern? This reminds me of the chemistry lab at my old high school.”

  “It’s the work that counts,” sneered Smitts, “not the splendour of the surroundings.”

  “Indeed,” I glanced at my watch, I had somewhat lost track of time. It was just after 10pm, “Say, can I use your phone, I really ought to contact my PA, she’ll be worried.”

  “It’s right over there,” indicated Del-Ray, donning a white lab coat.

  I dialled Lydia’s home number. It rang a few times then her mother answered.

  “Good evening, Mrs Stokes, it’s Johnny here. Can I speak with Lydia, please?”

  “Hi Johnny, I’m actually slightly worried. She said sh
e had to pop into the office, just to collect some papers, you know how she is? She wanted to get some work done from home.”

  “Oh Christ! When did she go?”

  “Well now, about 8pm. I was expecting her back within an hour-.”

  “Shit!” And without regard for the fact that I’d probably deeply offended Lydia’s poor mother, I hung up the phone and then frantically dialled my office. It rang twice then a male voice I certainly didn’t recognise answered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “Is that you, Jerome?”

  “Listen, punk, you’re in my God damn office, talking on my telephone – I think that warrants some explanation, so I’ll ask you again – who the hell are you?”

  “Okay, if you’re gonna’ be rude then I guess I’ll just cut to the chase. You don’t need to know who the hell I am, all you need to know is that I got that I’ve got that little bitch of yours right here, and unless you do as I say I’m going to rip her throat out, are we clear?”

  “Now you listen to me, if you hurt Lydia so help me I’ll-.”

  “You’ll do what, Jerome? You got lucky earlier, you know that? Well your luck has run out. We have someone here who is important to you, and her life depends on you ceasing to be a giant pain in the ass and playing ball. Now, you are going to haul your worthless butt down to the Old Docklands, and you are to bring your friends and their fancy vampire slaying gizmo with. Got it?”

  “And if I do that, you’ll let Lydia go?”

  “Screw you, Jerome, you’ll do it regardless or you’ll hear the bitch die right now – listen.”

  I heard the muffled sound of an obscenity and then the sharp, percussive sound which I perceived to be a hand slapping across someone’s face. Then I heard a scream, followed by a muted, pitiful sob. I couldn’t be sure it was Lydia but I couldn’t take the chance – he had me by the balls.

  “Okay, okay, please, stop. I’ll be there.”

  The phone line went dead.

  I stood for a moment. Smitts and Del-Ray had been following my side of the conversation and now they looked at me with enquiring eyes. I slowly put the telephone receiver back onto the hook, then reached inside my jacket and rested my hand on the handle of my gun. They weren’t going to like the proposal I was about to make to them.

  CHAPTER 10

  To the casual observer it will have looked like Dr Del-Ray simply exited the front door of the institute, she walked a couple of steps in front, myself just trailing behind slightly. The keener observer will have noted that, although expertly concealed, the barrel of my gun was trained on the Doctor’s back.

  When we reached her car I unlocked the passenger door then ushered her in, then I climbed into the driver side and quickly pulled away.

  She said nothing during our journey. We were both apprehensive and the tension was palpable.

  When we were a couple of miles away from the Old Docklands I deliberately slowed the car to a crawl. I checked my watch, it was 11.35pm. Timing was critical – if I arrived ahead of schedule it would be potentially disastrous.

  We crossed the Old Portland Bridge at 11.50pm, I glanced down towards the banks of the river below, I couldn’t make out any of the people, sleeping rough down there, but I could see the familiar glows of improvised campfires. I couldn’t help thinking that what I was about to do was for their benefit as well – for their missing friends.

  I glanced over at Del-Ray, “Okay, Doctor, it’s time to roll. He’d better not screw this up.”

  She allowed the briefest of smiles to creep onto her face, just for a moment, then it was gone and she turned her head away and gazed out of the passenger window as I depressed the gas pedal and got us moving at a decent speed again. As the road stretched away in front of us, heading in a gentle incline, I could see the ominous looking steel gates of the Old Docklands getting ever closer.

  *

  We reached the gates at exactly one minute to midnight, bang on schedule. I’d always believed that immaculate timing is the hallmark of a good private detective.

  A welcoming committee of goons stood by the sides of the open gates, brandishing automatic rifles in threatening poses. I assumed these were Vitalli’s regular hoods, I figured vampires wouldn’t need to bother with guns.

  I pulled up at the gates and almost in tandem, every goon trained their guns on us. I signalled to them that I was armed and indicated that my gun was trained only on the Doctor. The nearest goon, evidently the senior character here, approached the car.

  “Lady, get out of the car and keeps your hands high,” he said, gesticulating to Del-Ray. “And you, throw the gun out the window, then get out, slowly, hands up. And don’t try anything clever.”

  I did as he ordered and then two hoods approached and patted us both down. The goon searching me quickly located the Doctor’s vampire slaying device – he removed it from my pocket, looked it over then passed it to a companion. When they were satisfied that we were not carrying any additional concealed weapons, we were ushered through the gates, guns pressed uncomfortably into our backs the whole time.

  A short walk into the complex and the goons then handed us over to a different group who obviously were vampires. They weren’t trying to hide it either, their eyes glowing that familiar luminous green, and they all displayed the contorted features and fangs. I ascertained that vampires had an element of control over whether they chose to look reasonably ‘normal’, in human terms, or whether they decided to show their true form, presumably the hideous, green eyed, fanged and contorted variation. I glanced over at Del-Ray – she’d not previously seen one up close, she couldn’t disguise the mix of shock and disgust on her features.

  One of the hoods handed the vampire slaying device to the nearest vampire. He studied it briefly, then with a flick of his hand he dismissed the goons, then turned to us.

  “Is this the weapon?” He snarled.

  “Indeed it is,” I said apprehensively. I was considering trying to make a bit of small talk, but I caught the look in his eye and thought better of it.

  The vampire snorted, dropped the device to the floor and crushed it to pieces with a single, violent stamp of his foot.

  “Where is the Doctor’s associate?”

  “What, the jerk? He didn’t really agree with the plan to come down here, he tried to jump me. I redecorated the wall of the Doctor’s lab with his brains. Messy business, ain’t that right, Doctor?” I was going for the ‘I’m on your side’ angle – I figured that would at least buy me enough time.

  Del-Ray looked at me with convincing disgust. The vampire shrugged.

  “This way. We’ll take you via the scenic route, I reckon you’ll appreciate seeing the farm,” he sneered as he turned and marched off. The other three vampires shoved us along after him.

  *

  The farm turned out to be an enormous warehouse of prefabricated iron. From the exterior it looked pretty derelict, but the vampires has obviously been very busy inside. We were led through a couple of double doors then into the horrific vastness of the main expanse of the building.

  “Oh my God!” Del-Ray, eyes wide, was struggling to keep to her composure.

  The huge interior was pretty much filled a gigantic, uniform structure of a metal frame work – and within the individual frames, suspended upright, hung the limp bodies of countless people, all naked, unconscious and hooked up to elaborate tangle of pipes and tubes, intravenously draining the blood and presumably human waste from them into huge separate vats below. The scale of the operation was both mind blowing and horrific.

  As we reached the far end of the warehouse we passed a couple vampires pulling down some poor souls who’d evidently been drained clean, their bodies pale as ghosts, completely lifeless. We watched as the vampires dragged the corpses away and dumped them down a disposal shute, with the similar distain of someone disposing of their garbage.

  And at almost the same time, two more vampires were wheeling in more people o
n stretchers to take the places of the deceased.

  Thankfully, we were then led back outside through a rear door – if I’d had to spend any more time in that terrible place I’d have been starting to retch.

  We walked for a couple of minutes, which took us deeper inside the complex to a main courtyard. A crowd of thirty or more vampires awaited our arrival. We were frog-marched into a clearing in the middle of the throng and waiting for us was the familiar figure of Shelly Valance, thankfully back in her more appealing human form. To her right stood a tall, well built and muscular guy, I estimated him to be in his early thirties.

  I decided if I was going to say anything then now would be the time, “well, it’s nice to see you again Miss Valance, but I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your good self, Mr?” I offered my outstretched hand towards the big guy, slightly worried in case someone decided to bite it off.

  “Shut the hell up, Jerome,” evidently he was in no mood for niceties. “My name is Gianni Vitalli, and you have been a massive waste of my time.”

  So, this was the main man, the kingpin of organised crime in Santa Justina. I didn’t fancy my position, Vitalli was a lot more intimidating than I was expecting, but I decided I had nothing to lose – what the hell, it was time to play hardball.

  “Whatever, Mr Vitalli. Now, I’ve delivered the good Doctor, here - and one of your goons has taken away her little box, you know, the thing that caused your friend, McLane, to repaint an alleyway with his own innards earlier tonight,” I let that hang in the air a little – I figured vampires weren’t used to someone openly declaring that they weren’t as invulnerable as they obviously believed themselves to be, “now, I want to see Lydia. Or do I have to ask your boss, here, about that?” I said, indicating in Valance’s direction.

  I briefly saw her smirk, then my attention returned rather quickly back to Vitalli. He fixed me with a murderous glance, and then...

  “Oh crap,” I heard myself utter. His eyes had begun to glow green as well. Gianni Vitalli had not only gone into league with the vampires, he’d actually become a fully paid up member of the God damned club.