Demonspawn

by Glenn Bullion

  She gave a nod. “You'll do fine. You're stronger than you think.”

  I said nothing, chewing on her words.

  “Okay,” Victoria said to us all. “The army won't let anyone out till daybreak. It doesn't matter whether you're infected or not. Alex and I have to go help out whoever we can. Put this barricade back up, then barricade yourselves in the kitchen. Don't make a sound, and you'll be okay. We'll come back for you when we can.”

  “I'm afraid no one's going anywhere.”

  The new voice came from just outside.

  Chapter 31

  Bachner stepped inside the restaurant. Right behind him was Heins, along with three of their flunkies. Behind them, I saw two of their men fire their flamethrowers, followed by some vampire screams. Alicia and Donna covered their ears. The same two vampire killers stayed outside to keep watch.

  “Damn, I'm sorry, Alex,” Bill said. He'd been quiet this whole time. “I fucked up. I should have stayed outside to keep an eye out.”

  I nodded to Bill that it was okay.

  Victoria threw her hands up in the air, like she was more frustrated than afraid.

  “Come on, Bachner. Don't you have better things to do than be obsessed with your little revenge fantasy?”

  He didn't say anything for a moment. He stared at the woman whom he'd been chasing nearly his whole life. He and Heins both had crossbows trained on Victoria. He looked at the humans in the room.

  “You four, step away. Move over to the other side of the room.” He looked at me. “I wish you could go with them, but you picked your side.”

  “Fuck you. I'm not moving a step,” Alicia said.

  I patted her shoulder. She looked me in the eye. I could see she was scared. She could see I was serious, and confident. Everything would be okay. Sibling communication.

  She moved away along with everyone else. Chris stood in front of her and held her hand. Brave guy.

  “Uh, if I could say something,” he said. “I'm still trying to catch up, but the hot lady and Batman did save our lives.”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Heins said. His first words, and he pointed his crossbow at Chris.

  “Would you calm down?” Bachner shouted. He lowered Hein's crossbow with his hand.

  I could see Victoria react, just slightly. She noticed the tension between them, like I did when I first met them.

  Bachner looked at Victoria.

  “I've waited so long to kill you, for my grandfather. So I have to admit, the revenge part is nice. But I wish I could have killed you before spread your filth.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Are you that clueless? Bachner, yes, I killed your grandfather. We both know this. I gave him every single chance I could, tried to pound it through that thick head of his, before he backed me in a corner. I am not a fucking monster. Now here you are, following in his footsteps. If you want to kill me, fine, but this feral vampire bullshit that's going on right now, you did this, with your little cooked up stolen cure-gone-wrong.”

  He chuckled angrily. “I've spent my life killing vampires. I don't make them. You helped create it in that research center, then blew it up.”

  I could see Victoria was angry, but also confused. We both could see Bachner actually believed what he was saying.

  “Bachner. Jake. Listen, and think. I know you hate me, and to be honest, I don't like you either. But I'm the one who called the army. I'm trying to contain this. I've got sources that told me you did this.”

  “I've never seen him,” Bill said, pointing at Bachner. Then he looked at Heins. “He's the guy that was running the show, at the research center, and at the service tunnel here.”

  Of course.

  Bachner was getting ready to say something, then closed his mouth. He was thinking, keeping his eyes locked on Victoria the whole time. A smile flashed across Heins' face, and Victoria, Bachner, and I all realized it at the same time.

  Heins.

  Bachner turned his head in time for Heins to hit him with the butt of his crossbow. Bachner's nose shattered and blood poured down his chest. He dropped his crossbow and stumbled back into Victoria and me. Of all people, Victoria kept him from falling. As she caught him under the arms, Heins fired his crossbow. The bolt went through Bachner's shoulder, and pierced Victoria's heart. She fell instantly to the ground. Bachner, screaming in pain, went down with her. They were stuck together, Bachner's back pressed against Victoria's chest. I knelt down next to them and grabbed the bolt. Alicia, along with everyone else, was screaming.

  “Hey!” Heins said. The two goons behind him aimed their crossbows at me. “Hands off.” I let go of the bolt. Bachner was in pain, but lucid. We locked eyes before I stood up.

  One of Heins' goons leaned in his ear.

  “I'm telling you, boss. That's the freak. Fire don't work on him.”

  Heins looked me up and down. He shook his head.

  “I knew I should have killed you when I first saw you. But Uncle Sweetheart on the floor there wouldn't have it. Just what are you? Some kind of vampire experiment? Like our wonder-cure that ended up making more of you bastards?”

  I didn't say anything.

  “Alex?” Alicia said from across the room. She looked at Victoria. “Is she okay?”

  “I told you to shut the fuck up,” Heins said. He gestured for a goon behind him. The goon pointed the crossbow at Alicia.

  I felt rage inside me. Just seeing someone threaten Alicia.

  “Hey,” I said to the goon. My voice sounded different. A quick flash of demons in my head, slobbering and howling. He looked at me. “I'm the most dangerous thing in this room. You'd better point that thing back at me.”

  He actually did so.

  But the rage wasn't going away.

  It was like I said to Victoria. I hoped I could reel it in.

  “I always knew you were a piece of shit, Heins,” Bachner said on the floor next to me.

  He laughed. “I've waited a long time to see you on your back where you belong. You're a pitiful excuse for a vampire killer.”

  “Listen,” I said. “Whatever it is you had in mind, it's over. The army's here, getting shit under control.”

  “How can you say that when you don't even know what I've been up to? Ask that cream puff on the ground there. You know what the hardest part to killing vampires is? Getting help from other people. Convincing them vampires even exist. Well now, I've done that.”

  I shook my head. It sounded insane.

  “You're okay with destroying an entire city, just to prove to the world that vampires are real? That's what this is all about?”

  He didn't even hesitate. He smiled and nodded.

  “Yes. Sacrifice a few to save the world. The sunlight will kill most of them, me and my men will round up the stragglers. That's the difference between me and you, Jake. I will do what needs to be done. You'll lose sleep if someone's little butcher shop falls to the ground.”

  “You've fucking lost it. This isn't what killing vampires is all about,” Bachner said.

  I saw a stream of flame outside. There was a scream, followed by someone poking their head in.

  “Boss. We've got a group forming up out here.”

  “Alright. Time to go, boys.”

  I looked at Bill. He nodded, knowing exactly what I wanted him to do. It was all he could do, really, to follow them.

  “What should we do with them?”

  Heins looked at all of us. “They'll be dead by morning anyway. Kill him.” He pointed at me. “And we might need some hostages. Bring the two girls.”

  One of the goons smiled, and looked at Alicia and Donna. “Now we're talking.”

  And that was it. I snapped.

  I vanished and ran toward them. They barely had time to look surprised. I vanished in and out, landing punch after punch, but disappearing before they could get their bearings. I swung at the guy who leered at my sister and her friend. I caught him twice on the nose. I knoc
ked the other goon to the ground with my wings.

  I didn't see Heins slip through the front door.

  Alicia called my name. I turned to see the goon whose nose I broke aiming his crossbow at me. I vanished, feeling the bolt pass through me. The bolt hit the wall behind me.

  One of the goons who was keeping watch outside stuck his flamethrower inside the door. Alicia and the rest had gathered around Bachner and Victoria now, making sure they were okay. I stood in front of them and spread my wings.

  At first I thought I was hit in the face with a bucket of warm water. Then I realized it was the flame. It felt great.

  “Alex!” Alicia called.

  They were all safe behind me.

  “I told you!” someone shouted. “Fire doesn't do shit!”

  I ran forward, not quite seeing where I was going. I reached out where I thought the fire was coming from and grabbed the nozzle. I pulled hard and knocked the guy off his feet. He was alone, Heins and his men had left him. I punched him hard a few times in the face. He looked up at me, terrified.

  I was close to the front of the store, and could see the vampires running. Three of them stopped and looked at me. I looked at the man who had tried to burn me and my friends.

  “Mind slowing them down for us?”

  It wasn't a question. I grabbed the gas tank off his back before pushing him out of the restaurant. The three vampires tore into him quickly. He screamed in agony as they pinned him to the ground.

  I didn't even flinch.

  I turned back to the others.

  “Sam! Take this.”

  He stood up and looked at the flamethrower I was handing him. It would have been funny any other time. A well-dressed businessman holding a flamethrower.

  “How the fuck do I use this?”

  “I don't know. Just stand at the door and pull the trigger.”

  Alicia and Donna were kneeling next to Bachner. Alicia was crying.

  “Get ready for some pain,” I told him.

  “Felt nothing but pain my whole life.”

  I grabbed the bolt and broke it off as close as I could to his shoulder. Then I grabbed him and pulled him up. He yelled and let out a deep breath when the bolt was clear.

  Bachner moved fast. He grabbed some kind of mini-crossbow strapped to his ankle. A regular boy scout. He fired a single shot that barely missed Sam's head, who was staring at us. He hit the heart of a vampire trying to make his way in. Sam wasn't paying attention to the front door, and if it weren't for Bachner's quick reflexes, who knows how that would have ended.

  “Focus!” Bachner shouted. “Come on, man. Be careful with the flame, though. Or you'll burn us alive in here.”

  Sam nodded, and gave a light spraying to the next vampire that tried to climb in. He didn't kill the thing, but it did run away.

  “A fuckin' mutiny right under my nose,” Bachner said as he put a hand to his shoulder. “Unbelievable.”

  “Well, just goes to show yo. Some humans are assholes. And some vampires are actually okay.”

  He looked at me. I saw what might have been a little remorse in his face.

  Alicia grabbed me and gestured to Victoria. “Is she dead?”

  I was gonna grab the bolt sticking from her chest, but Bachner bent down next to her.

  I could almost see the emotions he was dealing with.

  He'd chased Victoria his whole life. She was the reason he hunted vampires. She was motionless in front of him with wood in her heart. She was finally vulnerable. Revenge was his for the taking.

  He grabbed the bolt and gave it a few pulls.

  Victoria's eyes grew wide and she took a huge breath when the bolt was out. She winced in pain, but still kept quiet. I could see her nose twitching, like she was sniffing the air.

  Then she pounced on Bachner.

  “What the fuck!” he yelled.

  She locked her mouth onto his shoulder wound.

  “It's okay!” I said. “She's just getting some blood.”

  “Get the fuck off me. Get off me!”

  I pulled gently on Victoria's shoulders. She let go and fell backwards on her ass. Bachner scooted away, and they made eye contact. Blood dribbled down Victoria's chin. Her fangs were out now, a sure sign she was weak, slightly out of control. She looked up at me.

  “Heins?”

  “Gone. But he couldn't have gone far. The army's not letting anybody out of here.”

  Bachner shook his head. “That won't matter. I'm sure he's got an escape plan.”

  “Yeah. You trained him well, right?” Victoria asked, ice in her voice.

  “Guys?” Sam said near the front. “I'm hearing a lot of noise out there.”

  Victoria stood up. I was surprised she extended a hand to Bachner. And he took it.

  “What is he doing?” she asked.

  “He wants this thing to spread,” Bachner said. “Probably stumbled on the virus, and figured he'd make use of it. I didn't know anything about it, cause I'm an idiot.”

  “No arguments here. He needs to be stopped.”

  Bachner didn't hesitate. “Yeah, I know.”

  “Where's he staying? You have a hideout of some kind?”

  A new voice, right by Sam. It was Bill.

  “A helicopter came and picked them up. Don't know how they got out with the army flying around. But they did. I heard them talking about an old office building on Russell Street, right behind where Buster's used to be.”

  Bachner was confused. He thought I was staring at nothing. “Kid? You lost your mind?”

  “An old office building on Russell Street. Make sense, Bachner?”

  He nodded. “We got a few places. Gotta keep moving, you know? That's one of our best.”

  Victoria looked at Bachner and me. I didn't even notice that Alicia, Donna, and her new friend Chris were right with us. Just one big happy group.

  “Okay. I'll take care of Heins. Alex, you and Bachner stay here and help clean up this mess. Now steer clear of the army. They won't kill you on purpose, but they do have to contain this.” She looked at the humans. “You all stay here. When we leave, you block off this door. Then you go back in the kitchen and block off there too.”

  “No,” I said.

  She glared at me. “What?”

  “Bachner, if you're as good as I think you are, this base of yours, I'm guessing it's vampire-proof?”

  “As close as we could get it. UV bulbs in the ceilings. Backup generators. A vampire even walks through the front door, it's toast. And it makes sense for him to hide there until daylight, then kill whatever's left over.”

  “You won't be able to do it,” I told Victoria. “But I can.”

  She gave me a little smile. I think she might have been proud of me, finally taking control.

  “You just gonna walk in there and kill them, Alex? Can your conscience handle that? Because mine can.”

  I smirked. I knew what needed to be done. No more holding back.

  “They won't have a chance.”

  “Wait, wait,” Alicia said. “You're talking about sending my brother in against those guys?”

  “I'll be fine, Alicia. Trust me.” The last two words sounded weird. My voice mixed with demons.

  “You be careful, kid. Heins, he won't be playing.”

  “Neither will I.” I looked at Victoria and Bachner. It looked strange to me, the two of them standing side by side. “You two play nice now.”

  I looked at Bill. He nodded. “I'll meet you over there.”

  Bachner reloaded his mini-crossbow.

  “Okay, let's go.”

  I gave Alicia a quick hug, but I knew it wasn't goodbye. I was confident. I just had to make sure it didn't turn to arrogance.

  “Oh, I kissed Cindy tonight,” I whispered to her.

  She smiled. “About time.”

  The three of us left through the front door. Sam and Chris started rebuilding the barricade once again.

  Some vampires were chasing someone near the stairs not too fa
r from us. I saw someone standing over a corpse. Just standing there, looking confused and lost. I realized it was a ghost, mourning over his own body. It made me sad, and angry.

  I shook my head. I had to stop Heins.

  “Good luck,” I said.

  “Same,” Bachner said. “Do me a favor. Give Heins one good shot for me.”

  Victoria gave me a smile. “See you soon. Don't worry. I'll take care of your sister.”

  “Thank you.”

  I vanished and ran away from the stadium. As soon as I cleared the outside walls, I reappeared and flew off.

  Chapter 32

  I got a better view of what was happening from up in the sky. It looked like the army was getting things under control. They were slowly making their way inside, hopefully to save more lives. That surprised me. If they truly knew what was happening, they'd wait till daylight.

  Russell Street wasn't too far away. The army presence didn't stop at the stadium. I saw what looked like checkpoints every few blocks. The city was deadlocked. No one in or out. People were standing around in mobs everywhere. It was a scary sight to see. I hoped no riots would happen.

  I had to fly into the wind, a bit of a rough ride. I stayed high. I'm sure there was enough panic and camera phones below me as it was. I didn't need to add to anything.

  I saw where the old Buster's nightclub use to be, and the abandoned office building behind it. I couldn't see inside too well. There wasn't anyone near the place.

  I landed in the empty parking lot. I could have vanished and walked right inside. But I didn't. I wanted them to see me, if they were watching. Give them a chance to run.

  Give them a chance to escape from the Hell that was coming.

  I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to do.

  I still didn't know exactly what I was capable of. But I have the power of demons. I had taken it from them, or they had given it to me. And they talked to me in my head, in my dreams. I was gonna do what they wanted.

  Before I could take a step, Bill appeared next to me. He was obviously getting better at moving around.

  “They're in there,” he said. “Maybe twenty, thirty of them. Some are trying to catch the news on the radio. Others are just goofing off. But they're all armed. Heins is on the top floor, like the company president. He's all alone. It's weird, though, the radio doesn't seem to be covering this at all. Looks like maybe his plan didn't work.”