by Leo Romero
"Already?" Dom asked. "I haven't even had breakfast."
"Well, then we'll call it brunch for today. I have some other things to take care of, but Trixie and Rufus will look after you from here. Won't you?" Vincent glanced at Trixie.
"Oh sure, Daddy," she replied with a faux grin.
"Good. Now, Trixie has some leads on vamps that are loitering down south, so you'll find yourself on the job pretty quick, Dom. So, get ready for it. Any questions?"
"Yeah. Where's the bathroom?"
Trixie rolled her eyes. Vincent laughed. Rufus just stared on, not saying a word.
CHAPTER NINE
Rufus stood between Dom and Trixie, who were facing off. The kid raised his hand in the air. Dom winked at Trixie; she curled her top lip back in response. Rufus then brought his hand down in a karate chop, and then stepped back.
Dom sucked in a quick lungful of air. Before he had a chance to release it, Trixie was on him. She went straight into a forward handspring, flipping across the training mat like a wind-up toy. All Dom saw was a spandex-clad blur rushing toward him like an unstoppable typhoon. His head darted left and right; his instincts told him to dodge, roll, move. Do something! Anything!
Trixie thundered up to him. He was rooted. He watched on, helpless as she flipped over, the backs of her legs coming down above his head. Before he could react, Trixie caught his throat between her thighs while on her way down. Dom let out an ug! just as he instinctively grabbed hold of them. Trixie's momentum sent him down. His back hit the mat with a thud, Trixie coming down on top of him, her butt landing on his chest. He struggled to release himself from her grip, but it was no use; it was like being caught in the pincers of a giant lobster.
Give it up, Dom, he thought to himself. She's got ya!
He flopped back. "Okay, I give in," he said. She didn't release her grip.
"Hey, on second thoughts I quite like this," Dom said, squeezing out a grin. "Keep going."
She clenched her thigh muscles, and then he couldn't breathe. "Okay... Maybe not so much now," he managed, beneath the pressure, his head ballooning with trapped blood. "You... can... stop... now..."
She growled before finally releasing him from her vise-like grip and rolling away.
Dom collapsed back, his chest heaving. "Man, I'll never wash this neck again," he said, gently rubbing it better.
Trixie leaped to her feet. "If you're not gonna take this seriously then there's no point in continuing," she said, dusting her hands.
Dom frowned. He used his elbows to prop himself up. "Hey! I take this deadly serious. I just don't feel comfortable fighting a chick, okay? If I hurt you, I'll feel bad."
Trixie titled her head back and laughed. "You? Hurt me? That's a good one, Jack."
"The name's Dom, doll. I don't know who this Jack is you keep referring to. Maybe he ditched you for someone else?"
Her smile vanished; her face turned as dark as thunderclouds. "Hey, don't make jibes about stuff you know nothing about."
A wicked grin spread across Dom's face. "Sooo, I'm hitting a nerve, huh? That's good, that's real good. Means I'm onto something."
"The only thing you're on is your ass. After you were floored by a chick." Dom's wicked grin was now matched by the wicked gleam in Trixie's eye. "Now, are you gonna put up a decent fight, or are we calling it a day?"
Dom got back up to his feet and arched his back. "You know, maybe I should take on Rufus." He turned to face him. "What do you say, Roo? How about me and you go toe-to-toe?"
Trixie laughed. "He'll break every bone in your body."
Dom gave her a sideways look. "Puh-lease. The guy's four feet nothing. If I can't get him on the ground, then I may as well give in."
Trixie sighed. "Be my guest." She glanced at Rufus. "Go easy on him."
Rufus nodded.
"Although I know it's tempting not to," Trixie added under her breath.
Rufus faced up to Dom. He bowed at his opponent before he put his hands up martial arts style to protect his face, a steely look etched into his youthful features.
Dom put up his dukes, street brawler style. Hey, if you lose to the chick and this midget then there's no chance for you, he told himself.
He laughed to himself in a nonchalant manner. There's no way this dude can take me.
There's no--
Without warning, Rufus lunged, catching Dom off guard. In the next instant, Rufus was in his face, unleashing a barrage of karate chops and slices like he was trying to fell a tree. Dom's eyes bulged in a panic. He put his dukes up, hoping to protect his face. In doing so, he took his eyes off his diminutive opponent. Rufus took the initiative. He bent his knees and extended a leg. He swung it around in a fierce circle. Dom felt a smash in his calves. The blow swept him off his feet. He became airborne, his arms flailing. His mind had enough time to think 'oh crap', before his back smashed into the mat, winding him. He lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in agony.
Trixie laughed and clapped her hands. "Wow. You lasted all of two seconds," she stated, staring down at Dom, who was still seeing stars.
Rufus rushed over and offered him a hand. Dom took it and gingerly got to his feet. Rufus began rubbing Dom's back and chest, a look of concern on his face.
Dom winced, grabbing his side. "Two's better than none," he said. He showed Rufus his palm, indicating he was okay. Rufus stopped rubbing and stepped back. He began making hand gestures while staring at Dom.
Dom looked at Trixie. "What did he say?"
"He said 'you suck!'"
Rufus gave her a look of thunder, wagging a strong finger across the air.
Trixie got the message. "Okay. He said 'sorry'," she corrected herself with a shrug.
This time, Rufus nodded emphatically before giving Dom a sympathetic grin.
Dom waved his hand on the air. "It's all right, buddy. I was just warming up anyways."
"Yeah, right," Trixie countered. "Oh, you mean warming up the mat?"
Dom sent her an ironic grin. "Ha ha!"
Trixie giggled, her tongue caught between her teeth.
Dom then straightened his back. "Okay, let's try that again." They retook their positions. Dom geared himself up, this time concentrating on Rufus' hands.
Keep your eye on him, Dom, he told himself. He's a sneaky one. Hits when you least expect.
Rufus faced off and then began waving his hands left and right. They danced and flew on the air like elegant birds. Dom found himself mesmerized, unable to keep a lock on either hand. In the meantime, Rufus was advancing. Before Dom knew it, Rufus was on him. He hooked an arm under Dom's armpit and spun away, bending his knees.
Dom's feet left the mat. "Woah!" was all he could manage before Rufus used his momentum to Judo throw him forward over his shoulder. Dom smashed into the mat with a grunt.
Trixie clapped and laughed.
Dom wheezed his way up to his knees. Rufus gave him no respite. He was on him like a runaway train. Dom gasped, showing him his palms, but it was no use. Rufus went to work. He smashed Dom down on his back. Then on his front. On his side. Upside down, around the globe, over and over. And then back again.
The world turned into an insane amusement park ride, complete with bumps and lumps; every time he made it to his feet, over Rufus' shoulder he went. After the last smash, everything became calm.
Dom's head stirred, his bleary eyes zoned in on the white ceiling.
Come on. Get up and fight! he urged himself.
He got to his feet and tried again. Rufus effortlessly threw him over his shoulder. Dom hit the mat with a crack.
Trixie sucked air in through her teeth. "Ooh, nasty," she said.
Dom lay where he was, an exhausted heap. "Man, I'm gonna feel this in the morning," he groaned.
Rufus went over and helped him back to his feet again. The bones in Dom's neck cracked. "Okay, okay, I give in," he declared. "I'm the weakest of the three. You two have royally kicked my ass."
Rufus began hand signaling. Dom glanced at T
rixie.
"He says to practice," she told him.
Dom snapped his head around to meet him. "With you? No way!" The bones in his back then cracked. "Wow, that hurt."
"Of course," Trixie said with a nod. "Rufus is a black belt. You're a street punk."
"Hey, I'm not from the street. I used to have a family."
Rufus pointed down at the ground and began gesturing.
Dom looked at Trixie and raised his eyebrows.
Trixie's face turned serious. "He said 'this is your family now'," she told him.
A shiver raced up Dom's spine. For a split second, he was back in the basement with the Father and that other fanghead. 'This is your family now,' the Father said before he cruelly tore up Dom's only memento of his real family.
Dom met Rufus' warm stare. "No family I know of beat each other up," he quipped with a wry smile.
Rufus let out a voiceless laugh.
"Don't worry, you'll be tougher for it," Trixie stated.
Dom puffed his cheeks. "Let's hope so." He rubbed his head. Man, I'm nothing compared to these two.
"I think we better call it a day," Trixie then decided. "We don't wanna kill you so early."
Dom gave her a peeved look. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..."
Trixie grinned before heading for the exit.
Dom shook his head. Man, I look a real chump.
Oh well, nothing new there then, he realized.
He got to his feet and raced over to the pull-up bar. "Hey, Trixie, check this out!" he shouted.
Trixie stopped and turned to face him, hand on hip.
Dom leaped up to the bar and began pumping out pull-ups.
Trixie watched him wheezing for a few seconds while he managed a whole two before she turned away. "You try too hard."
Dom groaned under the strain as his strength left him. He stopped and hung off the bar like a monkey at the zoo. He managed a grin. "At least I do try."
He couldn't hold any longer; he slipped off the bar and landed hard on the wooden floor.
"Catch you later, Roo," Trixie said as she strode by him.
Rufus waved her off.
Dom darted over to Rufus. "Hey Roo, what's the story with Trixie?"
Rufus shrugged.
"Come on, man. Spill the beans. She got a boyfriend?"
Rufus shrugged.
"You're impossible, dude, you know that?" Dom groaned. "She is kinda hot, though, huh?"
They both turned to see her walk out of the gym, that spandex hugging her perfect butt tight. "Don't you two be long," she said without breaking stride. "We got a job on in the morning." In the next instant, she was gone.
Dom sighed. "But as cold as ice."
Dom caught Rufus' stare; he nodded, then gave him a shrug that said, 'what can you do?'.
Dom decided he'd been beaten up enough for one day and left the gym to go take a shower. On his way back to the mansion, he spotted Vincent laid out on a lounger. He was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and white tee. Dom smiled to himself; the old guy looked like he was about to go on safari. His nose was stuck in a thick, heavy book that was bigger than his head.
Dom strolled up to him. "Catching some rays, Vincent?" he asked, glancing up at the sky to be met with gray clouds.
Vincent lowered his book and peeked at Dom over the top of it. His eyes were obscured by glasses with the thickest lenses Dom had ever seen. "Ah, Dominic. How's the training going?"
Dom winced as he rubbed the small of his back. "Great," he said with a fake grin.
"Splendid," Vincent retorted, genuine joy pasted all over his face.
Dom locked eyes on Vincent's book. "What are you reading?"
Vincent held the book up high so Dom could see the cover.
Dom read the words 'Holy Bible' embossed on the front. "I didn't take you for a religious man."
Vincent removed his glasses. "Believe it or not, there's a lot of truth in this tome. It just has to be put into context." He closed up the Bible and laid it down on his belly. "Take a seat."
Dom pulled up a nearby garden chair and sat down, his bumps and bruises moaning at him. He winced.
"Are you okay?" Vincent asked, detecting his discomfort.
"Yeah, you should see the state of those two! You wouldn't recognize them."
"I'm sure." Vincent then reached down and picked up a glass of mineral water from next his lounger. He took a sip. "Now," he said, placing the glass back down, "tell me what happened at the discotheque."
"The discotheque? Geez, Vincent, when was the last time you went clubbing?"
"Well, it's been a while, I have to admit."
"We call them clubs now. This one, in particular, was called Club Venom."
"Ah, very topical."
"Quite."
"So, tell me what happened there."
"Well, I almost got killed by Order vamps."
Vincent scratched his head. "Why were you there?"
Dom let out a long breath. "I was hoping to find some clues as to how I got in this mess in the first place."
"But why Club Venom specifically?"
"I had this card, in my wallet. A member card to that club. I couldn't remember ever going there, so I went to check it out, hoping it would jog my memory."
"And did it?"
"Kinda. I got this sense of déjà vu. They seemed to know me in there as well."
Vincent's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah. One of the bouncers recognized me."
"But you didn't recognize him?"
Dom shook his head. "Uh-uh."
Vincent leaned back in his seat. "Curious. Why would you be known by the Order?"
"Beats me."
"You have no idea?"
"None."
Vincent interlocked his fingers over his chest. He stared at Dom like a detective sweating down a crook. To Dom, it was like he wanted to get to the bottom of things more than he did. "So what happened after that?" Vincent then asked.
"That bouncer took me up to the VIP booths where I was getting all kinds of venom tingles from."
"Go on," urged Vincent.
"So, I'm thinking 'hey, I might get some answers from up there', so I follow him. He said Sammy was looking for me."
"Sammy?"
"Yeah, you know him?"
Vincent nodded. "Could be Sammy the Saint. Leviah's closest henchman."
"Why is he called the saint?"
"Because he is a devil."
"That makes sense."
"Continue," said Vincent.
Dom ran his hand through his hair. "So I get up to the booths and my spine is tingling like crazy. The bouncer opens up a door and it's full of vamps and girls. I'd say around four or five vamps and the same number of girls. One of the vamps was Sammy."
"And he recognized you?"
"Yeah."
Vincent nodded. "Interesting."
"He was angry with me about something, but more specifically angry at Eddie."
Vincent frowned. "Eddie?"
"My brother."
"I see. And what was Sammy angry with Eddie about?"
"I dunno. He mentioned something about a sample."
"A sample?"
"Yeah."
Vincent shook his head. "What kind of sample?"
Dom shrugged. "I have no idea. He didn't tell me cause he iced me and went for my neck. And then Trixie came along."
Vincent leaned back in his seat and reflected. "It seems to me you and your brother had some kind of deal going with the Order before somehow you became ostracized. Following that, an outsider vamp took you into his brood. From there, your memory was dulled by the manna."
Dom looked away. "I wish you'd call it venom, Vincent. Manna sounds too nice."
Vincent raised his eyebrows. "Sorry. I'm old. These new terms are beyond me."
"So what was this deal we had?" Dom asked.
"If you can't answer that, then how could I?"
Dom sighed. "I'm worried about Eddie. I don't even know if he's aliv
e."
"Yes, I understand your concern. The problem we have is Order vampires are out of our jurisdiction. It's very important you don't go near that club again, and to stay away from the Loop altogether."
Dom's brow furrowed. "But, what about my brother?"
"Let me have a think about the best course of action to take. I'm intrigued myself to uncover your connection with the Order. I'll see what our contacts within the Order know about your brother."
"Thanks, Vincent."
"And as for them troubling you personally, they'll soon realize you're working for us now and should be left alone."
"You can do that?"
Vincent gave him a vehement nod. "Of course. Like I said, we have an alliance with the Order, albeit an unsteady one. The deal is they leave us alone as long as we leave them alone. It doesn't mean that we don't keep tabs on them, though. Once they learn you're working for me, they'll leave you alone. Just lay low for now and let the dust settle a little on what happened at the discotheque. Keep up with your training and we'll see how things pan out from here."
"Okay, Vincent," Dom said before he took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh. "It really does hurt not knowing if Eddie's safe or even where he is. The fact that these Order vamps are after him scares the crap outta me."
"I understand how you feel. However, the very fact they're still looking for Eddie is a good thing. It means they haven't got him yet, so he has a fighting chance."
Dom looked down. "I suppose..."
"If there's one thing I know, it's that these things have a funny way of evening themselves out. But for now, I believe Trixie has some jobs coming up. Vampires are spreading through the city and we need to keep them in check."
Dom nodded. "I suppose that's what my life's about now. It's what I'm paid to do." He looked away at the giant fir trees in the distance; they swayed in the breeze in faint arcs. "I just hope he's all right. Him and Dad."
PART TWO
CHAPTER TEN
Eddie Dempsey was scrunched up in the corner of the sunless crypt, his knees tucked tight into his chest. In the darkness, he rocked back and forth, his lips trembling, his eyes wide awake.
