The Eville Protection Plan

by Holand Peterson

  Vega wasted no time, scooping Alex off the ground and tossing him through the hatchback’s broken window. With the butt of his gun, the detective shattered the driver’s side window, opened the door and immediately set to work hotwiring the vehicle.

  Lying atop broken glass, next to the crate, Alex became aware of a throbbing, tingling sensation on his nose and lower lip. He placed his hand to his face and his stomach began to churn. It wasn’t the sight of his own blood which made his heart stop, but rather the sounds of many feet running, heavy footsteps echoing off the concrete. “Oh my god! Vega, they’re here!”

  The hatchback’s engine kicked in with a roar and Vega slammed on the gas pedal. Smoke spilled from the tires as the vehicle surged backward, only to come to a sudden stop as it rear-ended another parked car. And there they were: a pack of Cosa Nosferatu charging them, their weapons brandished. One fired at the driver, piercing the windshield only inches away from Vega’s head. A quick shift forward and Vega slammed on the gas, barreling directly at the mob. The Spaniard leaned his head down, toward the steering wheel, as the vehicle rushed forward. Several more shots cracked through the windshield before the attackers leapt away. One vampire reacted too slowly, his body rolling up the hood with a sickening crunch before being flung behind the car like a ragdoll.

  “Watch your aim!” a CN yelled, rising to his feet. “Necrosia must not be harmed!”

  Vega turned a corner sharply, following the painted arrows on the concrete indicating the direction of the exit. Several more impacts hit the car near the rear bumper as the enemy attempted to disable the fleeing vehicle’s tires. Alex’s body rolled back and forth, smashing against the crate as the detective weaved around the garage’s concrete support pillars. His trapped friends continued to yell and beat against the crate, demanding to be let out.

  “Just stay down!” Alex yelled. “You’re safer in there!”

  Suddenly the car’s brakes seized, the rear of the vehicle fishtailing wildly. Alex raised himself up high enough to peek through the cracked windshield. A car charged toward them head on, a vampire leaning out of the passenger window, aiming down the sights of his weapon. Vega kicked the vehicle into reverse and began zigzagging through the garage backward. The high-pitched squeal of tires and the thunderous pop of weapon fire rose to such a degree that the racket of those trapped in the crate could hardly be made out.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Look out!” Alex jabbed his index finger repeatedly toward a new vehicle speeding at them from the rear.

  The driver of the new vehicle did not expect to see the hatchback racing backward. The startled vampire slammed on the brakes and attempted to veer off. Vega didn’t bother adjusting his course. The two cars grazed sides, spewing sparks and flinging side-view mirrors through the air. Having lost control, the vampire’s vehicle smashed into a pillar, crumpling the hood like an aluminum can.

  The CN car pursuing the hatchback easily wove around the crash, matching Vega’s moves turn for turn. Vega snaked down aisles erratically, ensuring that the enemy leaning out of the pursuing car could never get a steady aim. As Alex’s body jerked from side to side he heard what sounded like Fabio puking his guts out, followed by a string of profanity from the hunchback.

  Still traveling in reverse, Vega had now managed to get back on course, heading toward the exit. The pursuing car narrowed the gap and the shooter began to discharge his firearm. The detective crouched down again, hiding as much of his head behind the steering wheel as possible. The exit came into view, guarded by a handful of armed men. Only a couple of shots were fired at the escaping vehicle before the guards scrambled out of the way.

  Sunlight at last, something they had not seen for days. The battered hatchback squealed across old, cracked asphalt as Vega hit the brakes. The pursuing enemy vehicle roared out of the garage in reckless pursuit. Sunlight flooded through the CN vehicle windows. Simultaneously, the driver and shooter exploded in ash and flame and an empty car passed the hatchback, eventually colliding into a decrepit building.

  The Spaniard turned to watch the wrecked vehicle for a moment, and satisfied that this particular threat had been handled, shifted back into forward and raced onto the nearest street.

  “Oh, freaking … ” Alex lifted himself up, bits of glass rolling off his clothes. “Holy crap! That was … that was amazing.” He patted Vega on the shoulder and wiped his bloody face with his arm. “Oh jeez, I feel like I’m gonna … gonna freaking pass out. Damn. We made it, guys. We’re out of the market. The sun’s up. Bad guys can’t follow us.”

  “Then get us the hell out of here!” a voice yelled from the crate.

  Vega shook his head in the negative, his face tense, and motioned for Alex to climb into the passenger seat.

  “What? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Chapter 33- Broad Freaking Daylight

  “What do you mean?” Alex crawled into the passenger seat and strapped himself in. Vega now sped down the road at an alarming pace, weaving in and out of traffic like a lunatic. “Watch it! Holy … Jeez! We almost nailed that guy. Do you really have to drive this fast? I mean … the CN can’t chase us anymore, right? It’s broad freaking daylight now.”

  His eye still glued to the road, Vega shook his head in the negative and slapped his right hand against the passenger seat glove box. Understanding his meaning, Alex opened the compartment. Inside the small area two more handguns had been stowed, along with a number of clips full of ammo. Vega then jutted his finger downward to the underside of the passenger seat.

  The young man leaned forward and shoved his hand beneath the seat. “There’s nothing under here. You’re just … oh, wait … I got something. Ah crap. Please tell me we won’t be needing this,” Alex muttered as he pulled out a long, shotgun-like weapon. Vega tore his eyes away from the road long enough to glance at the weapon. He then made a “gun” out of his index finger and thumb. “Yes, I know this is a gun,” Alex replied with exasperation. “These freaking vampires are loaded for bear. Jeez, this thing is heavy.” Vega shook his head in frustration and smacked Alex upside the head. “The hell? What was that for?” Vega pointed at Alex vigorously, formed a “gun” again with his fingers, pointed two fingers at his eyes and then pointed out the window. “Seriously? I could barely shoot a freaking harpy from a couple feet away ... standing still. I’m going to be …”

  Vega turned sharply to the right, merging onto a new street, plowing through a short roadside sign in the process. At that same moment, a vehicle but a few yards back spun wildly and veered off into traffic, a tremendous crunch of twisting metal accompanying it. A larger vehicle had arrived seemingly out of nowhere, speeding recklessly, shoving traffic aside in its pursuit of the hatchback. The passengers of the enemy vehicle, though dressed in a similar fashion as the CN, were mortal men and rode fully exposed to the sun’s light. Among their ranks, the Cosa Nosferatu had loyal servants, agents who could operate in areas that their vampire masters could not. Vega pushed the gas pedal to the floor, zigzagging through traffic wildly, near-misses screeching by on each side, horns blaring in shock and anger. The enemy vehicle showed no difficulty in matching the detective’s path, shoving anything aside that stood between them and their catch.

  Vega frantically slapped the glove compartment again. “Oh god.” Alex pulled a handgun out and held it gingerly in his shaking hands, heavy and ominous. It looked similar to the one Vega had lent him, back during the harpy attack in the forest. This fact did nothing to ease his anxiety. “What if I accidentally hit … ”

  Alex’s words were cut short as a heavy impact smashed their car from behind. Alex surged forward, his chin slamming into the open glove compartment. The hatchback began to slide and Vega wrenched the wheel to keep from losing complete control. The hatchback rammed into the rear bumper of another vehicle, shoving it off the road. The loss in speed allowed the enemy driver to pull up parallel to Vega, and with a controlled bump, attempted to shove them off the road. Rather than resist, the detective car
eened off the pavement, over a sidewalk, through a bench and onto another street. People screamed, leaping aside, desperate to avoid being run over. Honking his horn, Vega made for a street coming up fast to their left. The hatchback screamed through cross traffic, forcing cars to slam on their brakes, to veer off in a frantic attempt to avoid a collision.

  Alex turned back to see the enemy vehicle’s current position. They had lost ground. Unfortunately, they had been joined by another, smaller vehicle. “Oh my god. There’s more of them.”

  The smaller enemy vehicle sped up, quickly closing the gap. Another hole suddenly appeared in the windshield as firearms cracked like thunder. Alex sunk down in his seat as several more shots peppered the vehicle. Within seconds the smaller enemy car had moved up to their right side. He could clearly see the driver sneering at him, looking just as evil and sinister as his vampire masters. A man in the back seat leaned out the window, weapon aimed at the detective, poised to fire. Vega went on the offensive, steering the hatchback into the enemy vehicle. The enemy about to discharge his weapon lost balance and fell back into his seat. Vega began slapping the dashboard in a fury.

  “All right! All right! Freaking … oh man … ” With his head down below the door, Alex raised his arm, pointed the gun out the window and began firing blindly at the enemy. He squeezed the trigger repeatedly until the weapon stopped firing and brought his arm back inside a quickly as his reflexes would allow. Whether or not he hit anything was anybody’s guess, but his attack had been enough to cause the enemy to slam on their brakes. A deafening crash followed soon after, ensuring that they would not be back anytime soon.

  “I’m out! How do I reload this freaking thing?” Alex screamed, fumbling with the firearm. Vega made some manner of gesture with his hand. “What?” Vega repeated the hand motion. “What’s that supposed to mean? You want me to pull on something?” Again the Spaniard repeated himself, this time noticeably hot. “I don’t see anything to pull on.” Totally exasperated, Vega at long last lost his composure, repeated his gesture and pounded his fist on the dash. “Freaking … damn it, man, I don’t know what the hell you’re trying to tell me!” Vega mouthed a series of profanities while swerving angrily around traffic, still trying to retain his lead on the remaining enemy vehicle. “Hey! Hey! Don’t you freaking take this out on me. This was never in the damned job description, all right? It’s not my fault I don’t know how to reload a freaking … oh, wait. I got it!” The empty clip tumbled to the ground and Alex reached into the glove compartment, grabbed a replacement and popped it in. ‘Ha ha!” he laughed triumphantly.

  Mixed with the constant screaming and commotion coming from the crate, Moody’s raspy voice came out loud and clear. “You stupid dumbass! Your idiocy is going to get us all killed!”

  “You shut up! I’m doing the best I can. And for another thing … hey! Hey! I think I see some good guys! Cops are coming up!” Racing up fast to their rear came a sporty black car with flashing red and blue lights, a siren blaring to announce their arrival. As the vehicle drew closer Alex could clearly make out the UEL symbol emblazoned on the hood. “Yes! It’s the UEL! Thank god!”

  “Pull over!” a commanding voice came from the UEL car loudspeaker. “Pull over or we will be forced to fire upon you!”

  Alex leaned out of the window and waved. “No, no. It’s okay! We aren’t the bad guys!”

  “He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun!” the UEL officer said in panic.

  Alex had forgotten that the firearm still remained in his grip, and that it had in all likelihood appeared as though he were taunting the officers with it. “No! You’ve got the wrong idea. We’re not …” A bullet whizzed past Alex’s head and he threw himself back into the car. “Son of a bitch! The hell is wrong with you morons? We’re not the bad guys! We’re shooting at the bad guys! You should be shooting at the bad guys, not us!”

  The UEL car began firing at them in earnest while the enemy vehicle drew closer. The CN came up alongside the officers and began an attempt to shove them off the road. Seeing this, Vega motioned for Alex to turn around and fire his weapon. Peeking around his seat, Alex fired a couple of shots in the general vicinity of the enemy. The enemy hastily swerved to the left and out of view. Once more the UEL officers fired a volley of shots at the hatchback.

  “You freaking idiots! I’m trying to help you!” Alex slunk in his chair and turned to Vega. “Raphael Vega is the one driving here. He’s a UEL detective!” Two more shots burst forth, indicating that the police either did not hear Alex or didn’t believe a word he was saying. “Your buddies are a bunch of total freaking morons!”

  Vega had merged them onto what looked to be something of a freeway. A great sign passed overhead in a flash. Alex couldn’t read all of it, but he distinctly made out the words “UEL Headquarters.” Traffic grew heavier. Then, in the distance, a series of checkpoints could be seen, each vehicle being forced to stop and speak with a UEL official before being granted entry. Vega jerked the hatchback over to the side of the freeway, passing the slowing cars in a blur. The CN vehicle followed suit and the UEL car brought up the rear. Vega plowed the hatchback through a security gate and they had finally made it. They had crossed into official UEL territory.

  The enemy vehicle did not turn back at the border. Instead they began firing wildly at their catch, riddling the hatchback with holes. Ensuring that Necrosia survived no longer mattered. If they couldn’t have her, no one would. Alex curled up, wrapping his arms around his head, as if that were enough to shield him from the bullets. Farther ahead, a line of UEL vehicles formed a barricade, lights flashing brightly, and behind them stood heavily armed officers. With both feet pressed to the floor, Vega slammed the brakes. Everything lunged forward, sending the crate smashing into the back of their seats and grinding the seatbelt deep into Alex’s chest. The hatchback had nearly come to a full stop when the CN rammed them from behind in one last-ditch attack. The hatchback was lifted off the ground and began tumbling like a thrown die, rolling three full revolutions before coming to a halt. The pursuing UEL vehicle plowed into the CN vehicle’s rear, crumpling the hood, shoving the enemy car away and into the wall of a nearby building.

  Alex discovered himself hanging upside down, still strapped in with his seat belt. Vega dangled next to him, unconscious. The crate had tumbled out of the vehicle in the crash, and now lay broken and splintered. A few feet from the wreckage lay Serene on her back, her arms and face bruised and a bloody gash on her forehead. Then, to his left, Alex saw a pair of fine shoes hop out of the burning CN vehicle. In an uneven gait they hobbled toward the crash in haste, drops of blood spattering with each step. The enemy was heading directly for Serene. Still dazed, Alex fumbled at his seatbelt in a panic. His fingers seemed to slip off the latch time and again unresponsively. At last his seatbelt unclasped and he dropped to the roof of the car. The enemy hobbled within arm’s reach now. Where was his gun? Where the hell did the guns go? Alex forced himself up, pushing through the pain, and searched about frantically. Shattered glass, splinters of wood all about, but nary a sign of the firearms. In desperation he extended out to grasp the enemy’s ankle, but the villain had already passed beyond his reach. He could hear the severely injured man’s labored breathing, grunting with each agonizing step. Alex screamed at Vega, but the detective continued to hang limp, unresponsive. The shattered glass dug into Alex’s flesh as he forced himself out the window, crawling on all fours. He had to get to Serene. They hadn’t gone through all of this hell only to fail on the doorstep of their goal. Inch by inch he forced himself along the ground, following the enemy’s blood trail, his own blood and sweat trickling down his face, blurring his vision. Where were the UEL officers? Why wasn’t anybody stopping the enemy? Finally he rounded the hatchback’s rear wheel and saw the injured man standing next to Serene. His clothes stained with blood, hand clutched to his side in pain, the CN agent pointed his gun down at the inventor’s head, his aim unsteady in his shaking hands. Please. Please, someone stop
him. But there was no one to save this woman he had grown to love so dearly. As Alex opened his mouth to scream in helpless agony, the explosive roar of a weapon being fired drowned out all sound. The enemy’s body was thrust backward as if hit by a speeding car, rocketing through the air for several feet before slamming to the ground with a sickening crunch.

  Emerging from behind the tattered mattress, Alex caught sight of Fabio. The goblin’s clothes were torn and soiled, blood and grime trickled down his squat body, his beautiful hair now oily and knotted as it flitted in the wind. At his feet Moody lay clutching her side, eyes fixated on Serene, her face full of astonishment. And in the goblin singer’s skinny arms rested the shotgun Alex had pulled out from under his seat, the double barrels smoking like a recently doused fire. Fabio straightened himself out, striking a heroic, god-like pose of victory. “Nobodies be screwing with the Fabio.” The goblin turned to Alex, his face beaming with pride. “See, Alice-boy? Fabio very handies. Always saving the day. Fabio protect his friends. Always.”

  Chapter 34- The End of One Adventure, the Start of Another

  Moments after Fabio felled the final enemy, UEL soldiers swarmed the scene, shoving their guns in everyone’s faces and acting like they had just saved the day. As soon as Vega was spotted, however, still suspended in the overturned car, the situation became clear. Most of the UEL force put down their weapons and turned to helping the injured. Several ambulances arrived soon after, and the survivors were hastily driven to the official UEL medical facility. None of their injuries was life-threatening, especially under the care of the UEL’s advanced medical technology, but everyone had been plenty banged up. Quite a few dozen stitches were sewn between them all. Moody’s right arm found its way into a hard cast, Alex’s shoulder had to be popped back into place and Serene and Vega each suffered significant concussions, which were closely watched by the medical staff. While Vega was sent to a private room for recovery, the three fugitives found themselves resting in a quiet, well-guarded room. And while Fabio did not need to remain on site, the loyal goblin refused to abandon his friends, “hunchy-flower” in particular.