C.O.T.V.H. (Book 1): Creation

by Dustin J. Palmer

  “Those are grunt fangs. Worth about five grand a piece.”

  “Damn!” Henry said, his eyes growing big. “You weren’t kidding!"

  "To answer your question, yes, some of us do it for the cash.” Ben admitted, motioning to the bikers walking back into the house. “Not that I have anything against making money, but some of these guys cut a lot of corners to make a buck.”

  “How long has this been going on? Hunters I mean?” Henry asked, his eyes following the two men back into the house.

  “As long as there have been vamps is my guess. No one really knows exactly how long they’ve been around. Some say they've been around for thousands of years. Others say they've always been here, hunting man from the very beginning.”

  “So how do you kill them?”

  “Anyway we can," Ben, said his face completely serious. "They are hard as hell to kill and can regenerate entire limbs. Bullets will slow them down. Fire most definitely does some serious damage, but you usually end up setting everything else on fire in the process. The only sure way to kill one is to stake its heart, cut its head off and put its remains in direct sunlight. Even the tiniest bit of UV light will slow their regeneration; direct contact with sunlight will stop it altogether.”

  Four more bodies were thrown into the pile of ash and bones, each one burst into flame. John walked back out with his own set of teeth in his hand. "God damnit! She's not here!" He kicked one of the charred skulls across the yard where it shattered into ash. Angrily he walked over to their truck and stared at his mangled face in the mirror. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled out. "Why didn't someone tell me the bastard damn near ripped my face off?"

  "That's what you get for letting him get the drop on you. It's your own damn fault." Diez said, coming back from the white van. “Has-been.” he added stepping past John. John in one swift motion turned and punched the man square in the face breaking his nose and knocking him to the ground. He was out cold.

  Wes Turner walked out and looked at his friend on the ground, “What the hell happened to Diez?”

  “He called John a has-been,” Ben answered.

  “You stupid son of a bitch,” Turner said, giving Diez a hard kick to the ribs. “That has-been just staked the grunt that nearly had you for dinner. Show a little respect!”

  “We’ve got a survivor!” A voice called from inside the house.

  Everyone including Henry charged back into the house. Their gazes fell on the top of the stairs where a rickety wooden ladder stood leading to the attic. A woman’s high-pitched scream filled the small space above. John pushed passed everyone and climbed to the top of the ladder. Henry was right behind him. What he found wasn’t what he’d been expecting. It was a woman with her shirt ripped completely away exposing her breasts. Her long blood soaked blond hair hung down past her shoulders. She was bound with wire to a large post running through the middle of the room. Black blood poured from her mouth and nose. Wounds all over her were oozing blood.

  “Let me go!” She screamed out in an inhuman voice. “You hunter bastards! I’ll kill you all!”

  “Kelly?” Henry said, recognizing her voice.

  “I swear I will rip your balls off if you don’t let me out of here!”

  “Well . . . in that case, let’s untie her boys! Time to go home!” Wes Turner said, sarcastically. “My you're a feisty one aren't you sweetheart! And look at that rack! Boy howdy!" Turner's crew laughed and whistled. It turned Henry's stomach. These were some sick, sick men. "So how’d you boys manage to take her alive?” Turner asked.

  “It was the big Indian.” One of Turner’s men motioned toward the Native American Henry had seen earlier that day. He was kneeling in the corner with his .44 Smith and Wesson pointed at her head.

  “We came up here and he had her pinned to that post with that big lance of his. He jabbed her right in the throat, nearly cut her head clean off! So quick as we could we wrapped as much wire as we had on us around her. She’s not going anywhere.”

  “Damn fine work Slayers! Damn fine work!” Turner yelled.

  “She’s one of them?” Henry asked his voice full of shock.

  “You know her Ranger?” Turner asked.

  “Who ripped open her shirt?” John asked disgustedly, interrupting Henry’s answer.

  “What?” Tank Russell asked shrugging. “Like Wes said, she's got a nice rack.”

  John turned to slug the man but was quickly stopped by Ben. “Not now John, later.” he said. Tank stood with a long knife in his hand ready for John’s advance.

  “Come on Bishop! I hear you used to be a real badass before your wife had you neutered. Let’s see what you’ve got!”

  “Shut up Tank!” Turner yelled. “Put that damn blade away! This man’s killed more vampires than any of you little punks could dream of.”

  “Yeah right.” He grunted sheathing his blade. “You got lucky this time bitch.”

  John rolled his eyes. “You know her Ranger?” Turner asked.

  “Yeah, we met momentarily.” Henry nodded. “I thought she was a victim. Someone else these monsters had kidnapped.”

  “That’s how they get you.” One of Turner’s men spoke up. “They play the ‘please help me card’ and get you feeling sorry for them. Right up until they sink their fangs into your neck. Man I hate Makers.”

  “But why? They already had me tied up!”

  “Because they get off on it! Bunch of sick freaks.” the man answered.

  “Sick freaks?” Kelly spat out. “We’re the sick freaks? I kill for food, hunter! What do you kill for? For sport? For money? You dare call us freaks.”

  “Where is she?!” John said, stepping up, mere inches from her face. “Tell me!”

  She spat a mouthful of black blood on his Kevlar vest. “Go to hell.”

  John smiled at her. “You first. Ben . . . get Anderson out of here.”

  “What? Why?” Henry stammered as several of Turner’s men began pulling him away.

  “John . . .” Ben started to argue.

  “You’re not going to want to see this either, Ben.”

  “Don’t do this, John. I know you want to find Julia but this isn’t the way to do it.”

  “Have it your way.” Turner said, pulling a sawed off from his hip and pointing it at the woman’s foot. A loud deafening boom filled the small, enclosed space. Her foot disappeared in a large stain of bloody gore. Wes moved his aim and did the same to the other foot. The woman’s screams echoed through the entire house as she slouched forward, only the wire holding her in place.

  Henry and the other men covered their ringing ears. “That was for Dozer and FatAss. I’m going to burn their names right into your forehead.” He said, running a long knife blade across her cheek. “Right before I cut off all your limbs and toss you out into the sunlight.”

  “Where is she?” John screamed again slapping her with the blunt side of his machete. “Tell me!”

  Turner grabbed the pliers from John’s carpenter belt and latched on to one of her fangs. He yanked as hard as he could. It came loose with a pop. Kelly pulled at the wires binding her to the post. They cut deeply into her wrists leaving deep gashes in the post. Pushing her head against the post, he grabbed the other tooth and yanked even harder. She cried out in agony, blood pooling from her mouth.

  “You bastard!” She spit. “Those don’t grow back!”

  “Oh I’m just getting started sweetheart. You ain’t seen nothing yet!” Turner answered.

  Henry looked down disgustedly at the woman’s feet to see they seemed to be regenerating. He felt sick to his stomach. Ben grabbed him by the shoulder and almost pushed him down the ladder as the woman’s screams grew louder and louder behind him.

  “What the hell is going on up there?” Henry asked when they were outside.

  “You don’t want to know.” Ben answered blocking the door.

  “It looked like her feet were . . . coming back together! They can do that?”

  “Henry, I told you ab
out this . . . she’s not a woman. She’s a monster. They can regenerate limbs, heal bullet wounds all kinds of crazy shit.”

  Even from outside they could hear her screams. “My God what are they going to do to her?”

  “She’s one of the Makers that kidnapped John’s wife. John and Wes are just . . . getting information. You see, she’s not alone there are several more of her kind in the area. So John's going to find out where the others went.”

  Henry started to say something else but Ben held up his hands. “I’m not saying I agree with it. I’m just telling you how it is. This isn’t usually John’s thing, but Turner has his own way of doing things. He can get a little twisted at times.”

  “A little twisted? Seems to me the guy is an A one psychopath! He would have killed me if you hadn’t come in. Wouldn’t he? Hell he damn near killed his own man down in that basement!”

  “If John hadn’t interceded I have no doubt that he would have killed you.”

  “That sick sadistic bastard.” Henry said, shaking his head in disgust.

  “Come on Ranger. Let’s get you back to your car. I’m sure your superiors are looking for you.”

  Henry nodded thoughtfully, his mind still in a daze. He had a lot to process. “What will you do now?” He asked looking over at Ben after they were well on their way back to his car.

  “We’ll finish mopping up the house, and then we’ll torch it. Only way to make sure we didn’t miss any. After that . . . we’ll try to find John’s wife.”

  “The arsons . . .” Henry said, thoughtfully.

  “You’ve been chasing this a long time haven’t you?” Ben asked turning into the motel parking lot.

  “Most my life.” Henry answered. “But now . . . it all makes sense.”

  “I’m sorry you had to see all this Henry. This is a world no one should have to know about.”

  Henry shook off his head in disbelief and shock. This world was real. He could either let it overwhelm him, or deal with it and do what he could to help. Right there he made up his mind. “Ben, listen. If you or John need anything at all, if there is anything I can do to help find his wife or help with the hunts, just let me know. You boys saved my life. I won’t forget that.”

  “Thanks Henry.” Ben extended his hand. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Henry shook it and climbed out of the car. Ben pulled away heading back to the big house. Henry stood there watching him drive away. He had a lot to think over. Turning he looked at his wrecked car. Number one was how he was going to drive back to Dallas in a car that was missing its driver side door.

  ******

  Turner’s filet knife cut another long piece of flesh and muscle from Kelly’s arm. “Just tell us what we want to know and I’ll end it.”

  Only Wes, John, Talon and Tank Russell remained in the room. The rest of Turner’s men were finishing up with the cleanup downstairs.

  “I . . . can’t . . .,” she whispered, bloody black tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please, please . . . don’t do this . . .”

  “Oh I can do this all day long sweetheart.” Turner tossed the flesh onto a pile on the floor as her arm slowly regenerated. “You see, you aren’t human to me. So I have no qualms about doing things to you that you can’t even imagine. Things you don’t want to imagine and when I’m done . . . I’m letting my boys have a chance at that ass.”

  “That’s enough, Wes.” John said disgustedly, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Let me talk to her.”

  Turner shrugged and sheathed his knife. “You’re in real trouble now, bitch. Do you know who this is?”

  John leaned The Cleaner gently against the wall. The cut on his cheek was burning wickedly. If he didn’t see to it soon it could turn life threatening. First, he had to know what she knew. “Kelly.” he started gently. “If you give me what I want I give you my word we won’t hurt you again.”

  “You’ll let me go?” She asked her black stained red eyes pleading with him.

  “You know I can’t do that. I let you go and I’ll have two dozen corpses on my conscious by the end of the month.”

  “I can’t help what I am! I didn’t ask for this!”

  “I can’t help what I am either. I didn’t ask for you and your friends to come beat down my door and kidnap my wife. I haven’t killed one of your kind in seven years.”

  “We had orders!” She screamed at him. “This wasn’t my idea! I swear!”

  “Who gave you the orders? What’s his name?”

  “I can’t tell you that! Don’t you understand! I want to tell you, I really do! I just can’t! He won’t let me!”

  “Who won’t let you?”

  “My Maker’s Maker!”

  John looked around the room for affect. “I don’t see him anywhere around. Do you Wes?”

  “Nope.” Wes answered playing his part. “Only bloodsuckers around here are in a burning pile in the front yard.”

  “It’s just us here Kelly. Your Maker’s Maker’s Maker’s Maker can’t help or hurt you now. The only way you can end this is to tell us what we want to know. I promise I’ll make it quick.”

  “You dumb redneck son of a bitch!” she screamed in his face. “I can’t! He gave me an order not to say a word about who he is or where he is! I can’t, no matter how hard I try, tell you. I can’t disobey an order given by my Maker or by any Maker that made him!”

  “So it’s a mental control thing?” Turner asked. “Wow that’s new.”

  “I’m telling you the truth!”

  John nodded thoughtfully. “You know what Kelly, I believe you. But you have to give me something. Here’s an easy one, where did they take my wife? Where did they take Julia?”

  “I honestly don’t know. The others . . . they all had different locations they were headed towards. After we hit your house, we split up. I was ordered here so that’s where I came.”

  “Wes do you got a piece of paper?”

  Wes gave him a strange look. “Do I look like I’ve got a piece of paper?”

  “Ask. I’ll remember.” Talon said speaking for the first time since the torture began. “But when she answers you let her die. Understand? I’ll help you John but I’m not taking any part in this.”

  “I thought you Comanches enjoyed torture?” Tank said, giving Talon a nasty snarl. “Tell me Parker, how many settlers did Quanah torture over the years?”

  “I don’t know Russell. It is a shame he didn’t torture more Mexicans though. Maybe he’d have strung up one of your ancestors and I would not have to listen to your foul mouth.”

  Tank pulled the knife from behind his back and charged at Talon. In one smooth motion Talon, sidestepped, pulled his own blade and knocked Tank’s knife across the room. The razor sharp edge of his bone handled knife pressed against Tank’s throat drawing beads of blood. “Maybe a nice incentive would help the vampire to talk.” Talon smiled. “A last meal.”

  ”Cut it out Talon.” Wes Turner said, stepping in between them. “Tank! Go help the rest of the boys clean up. We’ve got bounties to collect.”

  Tank looked past Turner giving Talon a venomous stare. “We’ll settle up later asshole.” He walked across the room and picked his knife off the floor then sheathed it behind his back. “You’re mine bitch!” He yelled from the ladder.

  “Whenever you are ready, Russell.” Talon called after him. “I will teach you what torture is all about.”

  “Where’d you find him?” John asked.

  “Vampire Hunters Anonymous.” Turner answered with a straight face. “Where do you think I found him? Most of these guys are wanted by the law; you don’t find many people that do what we do in a church.”

  John shook his head then nodded at Talon. “I give you my word, Talon. You hear that Kelly. You tell me where they are, and I’ll make it quick and as painless as I can.”

  Kelly spit out some blood then lowered her head in defeat. “San Marcos Texas, Shreveport Louisiana, Corpus Christi Texas, Albuquerque New Mexico . . .” She listed a doz
en more cities before finishing. “That’s all I know, I swear.”

  "Is she alive?" John asked.

  "Yes." Kelly answered.

  “Okay then. Thank you.” John said, relief filling his face. He pulled the machete from off his back. "I'm sorry for this Kelly . . ."

  “Wait! Wait! Please! Don’t do that. The sun - please let the sun take me. I want to see it one last time before I die.”

  “Do you think we’re just going to cut you loose and walk you quietly down the stairs?” Turner asked.

  “Please Mister! I won’t hurt anyone, I promise! Besides where can I go! It’s daylight outside.”

  “I’ll take her.” Talon said, walking up to her. He plucked the pliers from where Turner had dropped them on the floor and proceeded to cut the wires from around her wrists. She dropped to the floor in a lurch. Talon grabbed hold of one of her arms and gently pulled her up. “Do not betray my trust. If you do, I can assure you my associates will take their time cutting you up.”

  “I won’t hurt anyone.” She said, covering her bare breasts with her hands. Talon picked a ratty old sheet off a trunk in the corner and wrapped it over her shoulders. “Thank you.”

  He nodded and held out his hand to the ladder leading below. Keeping his hand close to the .44 strapped to his hip, he followed her down the steps. John was right behind them. Stepping to the first floor her skin began to smoke and smolder as the sun steaming through the open door hit her skin. She looked at John one last time then shrugged the sheet from off her shoulders. “This isn’t going to stop, Bishop. This war is just beginning. My Maker will make all of you pay for this. He will know when I die. To be honest . . . I’m glad I won’t be alive to see it. It’s been nearly thirty years since I’ve felt the sun on my face.” With that said, she turned and walked out into the sun. Her skin burst into bright blue flames, her blonde hair turned to ash. Soon she was just another skeleton in the pile.

  “At least she died bravely.” Talon said.

  “That she did old friend. That she did.” John nodded.

  Ben pulled up the drive in the Sedan and got out of the car. “Did I miss much?” He asked stepping over the pile of dead vampires. John turned without answering.