Vampire Esquire's War: A Novella

by Wells Jr. , Michael

  The last vampire stood and hissed at Roland. "Those first two were lucky. I'm going to rip out your guts and set them on fire while you are still alive."

  "Sure," Roland said. In a flash the vampire flew at Roland, but Roland ducked. The vampire crashed into a marble column and fell back stunned. This was all the time Roland needed. Roland dove towards the vampire, his arms outstretched, thrusting a silver stake downward at the vampire’s heart. Then he felt blood spray over his face, and he hurried to wipe it out of his eyes, preparing to land the next blow.

  Before he could recover, he felt a hand on his arm. It was Magnum. "Come on. Let's go. This place will be crawling with vampires soon, and we can't kill them all. You are a natural Roland!"

  Magnum walked out of the bar as if nothing had happened. Roland tried to show the same level of confidence, but he could not. He was too afraid. When they got in the black Expedition, Roland gasped and almost threw up. Magnum laughed and said, "Your first three kills. The first is always the toughest, but you had three kills. That's even tougher. Fucking awesome my man."

  _____________________________

  Pierre wanted Roland to do well. Roland needed to do well. Without people like Roland, the Restoration vampires would take over. But he knew it would be a little while before he heard anything. If it didn’t go well, it would be a long time before he heard anything at all.

  Pierre tried to focus on other things, namely on his law practice, but current worries, future worries and burdens of past memories and the gravity of preserving the peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires distracted him.

  "Pierre, this is Hamilton Parker, your New York counterpart. I hope things are going well for you. The reason I called is the private blood bank corporation you are trying to set up."

  "I'm hoping the news is good."

  "It is. The concept of allowing people to sell their blood to a private blood bank is a good one. It appears Congress and the state governments don't have a problem with it. Now I’m not sure what will happen when the Restoration vampires find out about it and try to influence Congress."

  The majority of the blood would be sold to hospitals or sold to non-profit blood banks. Approximately twenty percent of the blood was designated for "scientific purposes." And this was a euphemism for sold to vampires.

  "Thanks Hamilton. That sounds good. I'm encouraged. Sounds like it will work out. I will talk to you soon." Pierre could hardly contain his excitement. He couldn't eradicate Restoration vampires, but this kind of measure would slow them down somewhat.

  Pierre couldn't get too excited though because the Restoration vampires and others were out there. That was why Magnum contacted him.

  _______________

  Pierre tried to work, but he grew more and more anxious. His mind raced. A sharp knock hit his door. The knock startled him, and he turned on the security camera. Roland and Magnum still alive.

  Magnum gazed up at the camera and grinned. “Petrovich is no more, and our boy killed three vampires. Not bad for a first hunt.”

  Pierre felt better now.

  “No bad at all.” Pierre let the two men in eager to hear about their adventures.

  _______________

  President Thomas Elder knew poor black people and poor Hispanics would be easy prey for vampires if these people went unnoticed and unaccounted for by the government. People went missing everyday, and not much was done about it. When people went missing, the either didn’t come back, or they came back or they came back as something other than human.

  Then it was just a matter of time before they became vampires. Eventually, they would seek out others as a food source. Then the numbers of vampires would swell. One day people would wake up to millions of vampires and wonder where they all came from.

  Therefore, Elder knew he had to protect the poor and the vulnerable. The only way he could protect them was through the law and with the aid of the government. Sometimes this meant physical defense from domestic terrorists, and this meant vampires.

  Private industry certainly hadn't helped these people, but, if he could get them back on their feet, they could work and be able to contribute. In fact, private industry probably had a hand in it. And that was why he could not allow key government programs to be unraveled, but it was more of a mentality, a lack or caring that let the vulnerable slip away. Ultimately it was an issue both of national and international security, but how could he explain that to people if they didn't know about vampires or wouldn't believe in them if they were told about them?

  "Sir, I have a Mr. William Magnum on a secure line."

  "Put him through please."

  "Mr. President I suppose you heard Roland Walker performed very well the other night. He's a natural. A lot like you were."

  "I heard that Magnum. That is great news. And that was an important kill. Petrovich has plagued the South Side for years. He was a nuisance when I started out, but I never had the chance to get rid of him."

  The president reminisced about those early days. They were so exciting. He’d felt so alive. Strange how he felt most alive when death loomed close. He supposed this helped him live life to the fullest. What was it Thoreau said? "Live deep and suck the marrow out of life?"

  He laughed. The idea of sucking marrow out of anything when you were hunting vampires gave one pause

  The president continued as the wave of nostalgia ended. "Something about these Restoration vamps feels more connected this time. Ever since I became president I've sensed a great threat mounting. Maybe I am just paranoid."

  Magnum responded, "I don't think you are sir. In the last few years, the Society has been much more active around the world, even in places we’ve never needed. I think the Restoration vamps numbers are growing.”

  “So you really think the Restoration vampires are a major threat? They’ve always been so disorganized.”

  “Not now. Now it is different.”

  “Let’s hope we are ready then.”

  “We are doing what we can, sir, but the vampire threat may be multifaceted.”

  President Elder clenched his jaw. Multiple threats, he thought, one threat is bad enough.

  “The more we hunt the more we will know. Vampires keep good records, and they aren’t good about hiding their information. So, when we successfully kill them, we usually find a lot of good intelligence.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I will give you more details when we can speak offline, sir, but we think both threats come from Europe. They have competing interests too. We are still trying to figure out the other group.”

  “I’ve got to go Mr. Magnum. Until then, happy hunting.”

  “I will try, sir.”

  The president hung up the phone and sat for awhile in the Oval Office behind his desk. As president he was never really alone, but he felt alone. He always knew there would be a clash with the vampires, and his election would force the issue. One side would win. He wanted to believe it would be humans. And he believed in the human spirit. I’m ready for the fight, he thought. But is being ready enough? Are we the weaker species, and is this nature’s way of disposing of us?

  Chapter 11

  People from all over the world disappeared everyday. And no one knew where they went. That wasn’t entirely true because people kidnapped teenagers and young women in their twenties all the time. They sold them into sex slavery. But now the Vampire Restoration League did it on a much larger scale. They kidnapped people from every country. Not enough to make the CIA, Interpol and other intelligence agencies take real notice but enough to make a difference.

  ___________________

  “Vampire hunters William Magnum and Roland Walker just killed Peter Petrovich and three of his lieutenants in Chicago,” blared an announcement from the loudspeaker. Other vampires blanched and shifted in their seats.

  Idiots, thought Lenin. They have no clue about what they are doing. They’ve been around for hundreds of years, and they have yet to successfully subjugate hum
ans. I’m the only one amongst them who actually subjugated humans.

  Lenin seethed with the news of Peter Petrovich's murder as well as the murders of three of his lieutenants. It was one thing for vampires to get in fights and kill each other. That was to be expected. It was quite another thing for vampires to be systematically hunted down and killed by two vampire hunters.

  Lenin knew of Magnum. He had killed many other vampires, and Lenin had had a hit out on Magnum for years. But the old vampire hunter was wily and careful. Also, the Society of the Silver Stake protected him. Lenin hated these kinds of groups, and the American society along with President Elder was by far the greatest obstacle to world domination.

  Say what you want about Americans, Lenin thought, they are a tough lot. They don't put up with shit. Ever since the United States became a country, vampire rule was just a pipe dream. Lenin knew the only way to achieve world domination was to first take down the United States.

  But who is this Roland Walker, he thought, I’ve not heard of him. New vampire hunters who don’t die and stay dead and turn into other vampires are always a problem.

  Lenin's plan was simple. With a vampire Republican in office and majorities in both houses he would systematically make more vampires that would allow him to take over the United States. If he could take over the United States, then he could take over the world. He would help with the slow, Restoration human trafficking plan, but he had designs on the U.S. first and foremost. Ultimately, if those plans coincided with the Restoration vampires, great. If not, no matter

  Even though his vampires numbered in the thousands, and this number would have been sufficient to take over in the past, the weaponry now was much more advanced. The modern weaponry coupled with more humans made the task more difficult, but vampire numbers would grow. He would see to it. His plan would guarantee the critical mass necessary.

  The United States had always been such an impediment to vampire rule, but, if his plan could be carried out, it could be the greatest source of vampires ever created. He would use the republican form over government against the America people. Such a perverse irony, he thought, as their freedom would eventually enslave them.

  “They have no clue,” Claus Grimm’s voice boomed. Claus Grimm believed in overwhelming force, a notion Lenin supported.

  “That’s why we should do some parallel planning,” Lenin whispered.

  “I agree. And we shouldn’t rule out enlisting other species too. Mercenaries can be useful.”

  Lenin grinned. “You mean your regiments of werewolves?”

  “But of course. They don’t like humans either, and we need to learn to work together.”

  “I agree,” said Lenin. “I agree.”

  Chapter 12

  Fletcher Turner hadn’t buried someone after draining them, and he knew it was the essential step to making his first vampire.

  He arrived discreetly in Arlington National Cemetery in a nondescript white van, the kind of van usually reserved for the cemetery’s grave-diggers. A quivering human unlocked the gate and let him in. Fletcher quickly tied up the man and threw him in the back of the van—a snack for later.

  He easily found the grave, which was located in the middle of the cemetery and not visible unless you drove deep into the cemetery. Better to be discreet, he thought.

  Fletcher easily lifted the body out of the back of the van. He removed the body from Persian rug he’d wrapped him in. Persian rugs were carried in and out of the Capitol so often that no one paid it any mind. Good thing for him, and he was amazed how lax security was at the Capitol. Americans and their freedom, he thought. It would destroy them eventually.

  When he saw Inman’s face, he laughed at the strain of fear, the burst blood vessels in the eyes. But he laughed most of all at the cheap American flag pin with dried human blood on it. Soon flags wouldn’t matter.

  He dug like an industrial machine, the rapid THWACK of the shovel sounded for less than thirty seconds as he threw the dirt on Inman. He would come back in less then twelve hours to witness the birth of a new vampire, his vampire.

  Lenin’s superior bloodline meant only between eight to twelve hours were required to produce a new vampire. Contrary to popular belief, it didn’t always take three days to make a vampire.

  ___________

  Fletcher Turner never experienced such power prior to being a vampire; he’d killed a man, had a threesome and began the process to make another man a vampire, a may who may be president.

  Fletcher had taken two girls home from Clyde's, and they had indulged in hours of delight. And he had driven them near mad with pleasure, but he sent them home with the sworn promise that this would not be the last time they all got together. Even though he’d done some good work, he still had work to do. And he would know if they told about him because he could read their minds and control their minds. Once he glimmered them, he had them under his control. They didn’t remember anything.

  Fletcher's phone buzzed the whole next day from text after text from the two girls, who remembered him but not the threesome; he didn’t want to burn his bridges with them, so he partially glimmered them. He said to himself, "I should have been a vampire sooner." But he needed to stay focused on the task at hand.

  A number appeared on his cell phone's screen, and he didn't recognize the number. But he answered the call anyway.

  "I take it you are enjoying being a new vampire. When I first became a vampire many hundreds of years ago I think I spent the first ten years screwing everything I could. Eventually I tired of it all. That is not to say I don't indulge myself now. I most certainly do, but there are other, more worthwhile endeavors."

  Fletcher enjoyed Lenin’s paternal pride. His own father had not been so proud of him. In fact, Fletcher always felt his father was ashamed of him. Lenin was a father to him––at least a father of sorts––and proud in a way his own father never was.

  Fletcher knew the maker/vampire relationship certainly was a powerful one. He hoped it would remain one of affection, but he feared Lenin and his thousands of years or rage.

  "I am glad you were able to begin the process of making Majority Leader Inman into a vampire. You will have to keep me posted on the development.”

  Clearly Lenin was interested in this future vampire, and he should be. A true Trojan horse.

  “I wanted to fill you in a little bit more on the strategy, Fletcher. We will let a number of humans stay alive for the purpose of eating them. It is not all that different than raising beef cattle or owning a farm.”

  “That makes sense, sir.”

  “We will make use of the various farms and resorts through out the world where we are growing vampires. Ronald Drum has been most helpful in that regard.”

  “I like that idea. The building projects will employ thousands, and foreign governments, especially in Asia, will look the other way. Besides, governments don’t really do shit about human trafficking.”

  “ People will let any kind of industry survive so long as there are jobs. How else can you explain the growth of the private prison industry? The human mind sweeps the unpleasantness under the rug. Vampires choose to not see the negative and the obstacles that prevent progress. Vampires aren’t all that different than humans.”

  “Similar but better.”

  “True,” Lenin laughed.

  ___________________

  Fletcher Turner felt superior as a vampire, a feeling unlike what he’d experienced as a human. As a human, he only took pride in his brain. People mocked his dumpy exterior. Girls didn’t want to date him. But everything was different now.

  Fletcher achieved the sexual allure and confidence he’d always desired but never achieved during life as a human. He viewed himself as a sexual being with power, and he did have power, both physically and through influence. People would never mock his exterior again, for even that had changed. Vampirism had put him on the other side of the cutting edge of beauty.

  In spite of his newfound traits, there we
re some adjustments. Old habits do diehard. Unlike most vampires he could not sleep during the day. He needed to work during the day. And since was impervious to sunlight working during the day wasn’t a problem.

  Besides, he found he didn’t need to sleep much at all.

  He worked most of the night too, and that was fine with him. Not needing to sleep gave him even more time. He spoke to political operatives in all of the key states: North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

  Lenin's money went a long way. He was able to hire a vast network of campaign workers loyal to the nascent Inman campaign. Of course they were loyal to the vampire cause above all else, but the two were essentially indistinguishable.

  And, in a few hours, Inman would be a vampire, Fletcher’s vampire.

  Fletcher knew many Republicans thought Inman would eventually run, but there was nothing to indicate that in public. It was still idle speculation except for those who knew the truth.

  Fletcher had always been loyal to Inman. He did everything he could to help Inman, and he supposed Inman had been like his master. Now Lenin was his master, and he served Lenin, which he felt would ultimately serve vampire-kind.

  The dramatic shift in loyalties had occurred many times, thought Fletcher, although here the student had not merely become the master. Fletcher became one of the superior species, one animal better than the other. Evolution occurring before his eyes.

  Vampires were the dominant species on Earth, Fletcher thought. He had not been a vampire for long, but he had total loyalty to vampires. He felt as if he had never been human. Existence as a human seemed like forever ago.

  "This is Fletcher," he said to a voice that came in on his private line.

  "Fletcher, this is Tom Elliott in North Carolina. Welcome to the ranks, and by the ranks I mean the best kind of vampires––the ones in control. The reason I called you is to talk about Mr. Lenin's plan. It is something many of us have known about for years.