“Well. Okay then. I’m gonna contact some folks and see about getting this stuff ordered. I think a bit later I’m driving into Seattle, have a beer and see if I can’t get some…”
“Fine, I think we get your drift, Romeo,” Nikka interrupted, laughing. “Just remember what I told you. If you glamour for sex, or glamour to feed, make sure you do something with their memory. I’m not sure if you even need to glamour, most women are gonna want to see what that package looks like unwrapped. Don’t disappoint them, you little stud muffin. You’re pretty good at your mind power, so use it wisely.”
------
The next evening, wanting to get out of the house, the three walked the streets of Everett. Robert had arrived back near dawn, not wishing to get caught in the daylight. Newly turned vampires were much more susceptible to the danger of the sunlight, and the chance for painful burns became a high risk. He had slept most of the day, the walk a chance for the three to talk about their plan; as well as how Robert spent his evening in the big city.
There was a street carnival set up in a shopping mall’s parking lot, and the crowds, enjoying the mild spring weather, were out in force. The screaming and laughing of children as they rode the rides, the hawking of the carnies to the crowd, and the smell of hot dogs, and popcorn, and funnel cakes filled the evening’s air.
The three walked along the edge of the festival, not wanting to get too close to the festivities. At this time of year, with humans having not been in the sun all winter, the pale vampires didn’t particularly stand out. It was summertime, when most people had their tans going, that vampires received second looks from those curious about their pale complexions.
“I talked to a few friends of mine on the phone, trying to see where we need to be on an action plan. Everything we talked about was hypothetical’s, so there’s no need to worry about anyone knowing what we’re doing. Nobody would believe it anyway. Shit, I don’t believe it every day when I wake up. I ordered our arms and ammo, which was easy. It will be available for pickup in a week.”
“There wasn’t any problem ordering the gear?” Nikka asked.
“Nope, it’s actually such a small order it didn’t raise an eyebrow from anyone.”
“I would give anything to eat a frankfurter sausage covered with sauerkraut,” Amp said. “One of the few things I miss about humanity.”
“Maybe wash it down with an ice cold Bud,” Robert added, smiling.
“Sorry, we didn’t have hot dogs and Bud when I was human,” Nikka said. “I do remember the taste of roasted pig, my favorite. It was not plentiful where I was from. It was always a treat, which is what made it so good.”
They found a bench in the shadows away from the carnival, the music of the carousels reaching them as they talked.
“I think there are a couple other things we need to discuss,” Robert continued. “We need to insert somebody for advance surveillance. We need to know layout, guard changes, numbers, and habits. Somebody has to get us intelligence, the more the better. It’s been over a year since you were there, Amp. We need to know if they are on high alert or if they have settled into some type of routine behavior. If Riley and you killed ten, has he somehow found ten replacements? There’s so much shit we don’t know.”
They considered the problems that this would present; a look of concern on Nikka’s face. “I understand the need,” she said. “The problem is we are three, and I’m not certain we can afford for one of us to do that. Furthermore, if an outside vampire shows up in Petersburg, they’ll know. They would eventually sense one of us, passing us on the street, in a bar, or store. That’s a chance I don’t think we can afford.”
“Agreed,” Robert said, surprising both Nikka and Amp. “I wasn’t thinking a vampire. I’m thinking an expert, somebody that spent ten years sitting around in jungles, and deserts, and up in trees…and was never detected. It would cost us, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we can get the best guy available.”
“A human?” Amp asked, surprised.
“A Ranger sniper,” Robert answered. “The best I ever knew. We could send him there specifically to collect data, and I promise you, we would know everything but the brand of underwear that Wilson wears.”
“How do you explain your…uh…transformation?” Amp asked. “You are a bit different, Robert.”
“I think we can do the majority of the planning with him over the phone. We go way back, and I found out last night that he’s living in San Clemente and just finished doing a job overseas. He’s available, and I was told he’s chomping at the bit for a challenge.”
“He’s liable to see things up there that will blow his mind,” Amp answered. “He’s not going to be spying on the normal. How’s he going to react to that?”
“Don’t know…something for us to think about.”
“Okay, I think you’re right,” Nikka said. “We’ll put that on the back burner, and talk about it later. What else, Robert?”
“This is the most important thing, at least to me. Anne Marie, Nikka told me about Danner and Riley, and I’ve listened to you talk about them. I’ve always been all in on the operation, I like fighting battles, and you guys are pretty much my family and all; there’s never been any doubt where I stand. I found out something last night that really lit my fire. Nikka told me how you met Riley, him being in the Army, and coming back wounded and with malaria. Last night, I was in a bar with an old bud of mine, and we were talking and sipping beers, and he had just lost his father who had fought in War Two. He was on his laptop, right there in the bar, and looking up his father’s war record. It was amazing the information we got on his dad, a real trooper. He had been in Italy with the snow troops…the 10th Mountain, and they were awesome. After we talked about his dad a bit, I asked him to put Riley Toole in the database, find out what might pop up.”
“Oh my god, you can do that?” Amp cried.
“Yep; if you know where to look, and this guy had all the passwords and shit. Here’s the thing. You know from your first conversations with Riley, when he was dying, he had seen some action in the Pacific.”
“Right, he never talked about it again. I think the only reason he discussed it with us at all was because he was near death, like he wanted somebody to know, even though he had lost everything during the war, he had fought, and was proud of himself.”
“Well Anne Marie, he had a right to be proud of himself. He fought for three years in the Philippines. He volunteered to be put ashore after General Wainwright surrendered to the Japs. A bunch of the Americans refused to surrender, and headed into the jungle, where they teamed up with some other hard-heads and Filipino loyalists. They fought the Japs in maybe the greatest display of guerilla warfare in the history of the world. Riley went ashore with a platoon of volunteers in order to train and help organize the Americans and Filipinos hiding in the hills. He did himself proud…CIB, three Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars with Oak Leafs, a Silver Star, and all kinds of foreign awards and patches. The man was a bona fide hero.”
“Oh god, he was so young, just a kid,” Amp said softly.
“No honey, he was a man, a tough-as-nails first sergeant. And here’s the deal…he was a member of the First Rangers, Darby’s Rangers…the original bad asses of Special Forces. Your friend was a Ranger, and suddenly this fight has gotten very personal for me. Rangers…and I don’t care from what war or era, are brothers. The cowards that killed him will pay, Anne Marie. I promise you, we’ll win this thing; for you, for Danner, but mostly for Riley Toole.”
The two girls digested what Robert had said, their minds swirling with the revelations of his trip to Seattle. Finally, to break the somber mood, Nikka asked one more question.
“So Robert, not to be personal…but did you happen to get laid?”
The man smiled, looking sheepish, while the other two burst into laughter.
“Well, as a matter of fact…” he started, the three standing and moving down the street from the crowd, their arms around eac
h other’s shoulders. “I did meet this one ol’ gal who likes her men tall, dark, and dead…”
------
“Come on, girlfriend, we’re going to town,” Nikka said coming through the door, finding Amp sitting in the living room looking through a magazine.
“Shopping?” Amp jumped up excitedly.
“Not exactly. It’s a surprise, but I think you’re going to like it. No questions until we get there. Oh, and tomorrow, let’s ride over to Mount Vernon so I can pick up some gear at my house. I have some clothes and stuff, and I want my sword. I haven’t practiced with it in a while, and I want it when we go to Alaska.”
The girls drove into Seattle, Nikka listening to the GPS device direct her to the address she had plugged in. When she pulled in front of the storefront in a seedy part of the city, Amp looked out at the sign.
“A tattoo parlor?” she asked surprised.
“Yep, a special tattoo parlor. Come on; let me show you the surprise.”
The girls walked through the front door, the place empty except for a man sitting on a stool behind the counter, and another coming out of the back room.
“Are you Dag?” Nikka asked. The man, huge and well built, with shoulder length black hair, had tattoos from his wrists up his arms under his t-shirt and around his neck. Amp was certain they covered everywhere else he could fit them on his body. He was obviously a biker, his dress and manner leaving no doubt. He was frightening looking in a good way, a tough as hell man with a sweet smile.
“Yep, you must be Nikka? Glad to meet you. This is my brother Pete. Who might this little lady be?”
“This is my friend Amp. Amp, Dag, Pete…who I understand are the best tat artists in the state. And what’s special about these characters are that they are vampire, so their work is going to be outstanding.”
Amp had picked up the vibe that the two were vampire, but was wondering what the surprise was. Nikka must be getting a new tattoo, and wanted Amp to be there with her.
“Did you get what I wanted, Dag?” Nikka asked.
“Let me show you a couple versions, and you guys pick what you like. If you don’t like any of it, we’ll work until you do.”
Reaching below the counter, he pulled out a folder with several designs, and spread them out on the counter.
“These are the most beautiful pictures,” Amp said, looking at each of the drawings.
The two girls looked at the drawings, and then Nikka pointed at the one she liked.
“This one, Dag. Amp and I are creating a memory. Someday soon, we’ll come back and add the ending to it. This is what we need right now.”
Amp looked at her friend, finally snapping to what Nikka was doing.
“We’re both getting this?” she asked quietly, feeling emotions that were as strange as anything she had ever known. She looked down at the picture of two women, one blonde, one black haired, both wielding swords, and wearing dusters and boots walking into a representation of hell, demons and spirits hidden in the boldly colored flames . The legend was intertwined between them in black, bold script:
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell…rode the two.
“It’s from Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade. It’s an awesome poem about honor and bravery against all odds. I changed the last line from 600 to two. I think it’s perfect for us. What do you think?”
“It’s perfect, Nikka…more than perfect. Where should I put it?”
Dag worked on Amp, and he was better than advertised, creating a masterpiece on her upper back, and onto her right shoulder blade. Pete did Nikka’s tattoo down her right side, using the limited free space she had left. The procedure was almost painless to the girls, which surprised Amp. Their pain tolerance was strong, and the healing was complete before they paid Dag. The two walked out of his shop almost seven hours later sporting stunning, matching tattoos.
The six girls leaning on Amp’s rental car looked to be mid and late teens, big girls dressed alike in yoga pants, sweatshirts or windbreakers, and cowboy boots. They were a mixture of races, two blacks, and the other four Spanish.
“Fashion alert,” Amp said as they approached the car, Nikka taking the key out and hitting the unlock button. “Yoga pants and cowboy boots. Very chic.”
“The sweatshirts make the whole thing work,” Nikka replied, chuckling.
When they didn’t move when the car unlocked and the lights came on, Nikka spoke.
“Get off the car,” she said, not loud, but every word clear. Nobody could have mistaken what she said.
Amp was trying not to laugh, knowing how this looked. These girls were heavy, and ugly, and tough looking, obviously a street gang with violence on their agenda. She and Nikka looked like two little suburban high school girls, caught out late on the wrong side of town.
“Right, we meant to talk to you about that, cupcake,” the biggest girl said, obviously the gang’s leader. “What you think you’re doing on our street at four in the morning? Where you been, and who you been seeing?”
“I told you to get your fat ass off my car,” Nikka said, her tone changing, Amp knowing the fat girl was on dangerous ground. “I’m not going to tell you again.”
The other five girls were now standing straight, grins on their faces, anticipating the beat down that was coming.
“There’s one way you can maybe get out of here without me getting all over your skinny white ass,” the leader moved up into Nikka’s space, a mistake that she realized when Nikka’s forehead connected with the middle of her face.
The girl’s nose exploded, spraying blood in every direction, the girl going to her knees and holding her face, blinded by the blow, tears pouring out of her eyes, and mixing with the steady flow of blood; howling in pain and out of the game.
There was a moment of absolute silence from the others, then as if in slow motion, one of the black girls, and one of the Spanish girls went for Nikka, the first catching a boot in her left ear, rendering her unconscious for the next several hours; the other a boot to her kneecap, this blow breaking bone, both girls down and out. As the girl who had taken the shot in the knee grabbed for the pain, she felt the jagged edge of her tibia sticking out of her ripped skin. She passed out from shock, her head hitting the pavement with a dull thud.
Amp hadn’t made a move, had turned her eyes to focus on the other three. The girls were staring in disbelief at their three incapacitated friends sprawled on the ground. The black girl suddenly made a move for Amp, trying to save a little face by attacking the smaller girl. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but suddenly she couldn’t take a breath. She felt no pain, just the refusal of her lungs to inhale. Amp’s straight jab to the girl’s throat wasn’t meant to kill her, but she joined her friend’s on the ground, holding her throat, and desperately trying to draw air into her non-functioning lungs.
The other two girls did the right thing and ran; not an attractive sight in the skin tight yoga pants.
“Oh my…that’s a picture that is permanently burned into my memory,” Amp chuckled.
Nikka went to the leader, the girl still bleeding heavily from her nose. The stars were starting to go away, and she recognized Nikka as the vampire bent down into her face.
“The next time a skinny white girl tells you to move your fat ass off her car, I recommend that you move it,” Nikka said. “The next time, if that white girl is me or my friend, we won’t be having this conversation because you will be dead. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The girl nodded, tears falling down her cheeks, afraid if she opened her mouth she would say something wrong, something that would make this girl kill her. She had not a doubt in her body that the white girl meant every word. “Sorry…I’m sorry,” she finally managed.
“Yes. Yes you are,” Nikka replied, stepping away from her and opening her door. “Come on, Amp, let’s get away from this garbage.”
The evening had been emotional for Amp,
the friendship the girls were forming more than a casual thing, the fight having spiked her adrenaline level sky high. It didn’t seem to matter what the girls did together, it always seemed to be the right thing at the right time. They both felt it; both needed it.
------
“Robert, do you think you can look after yourself for a few days?” Nikka asked.
“No mommy, I need you to wash my clothes, and make sure I brush my teeth,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve been on my own for my whole life; I think a couple of days is in the realm of possibility. Why, what’s up?”
“Amp and I are taking a short trip, get some things cleared up, and kinda unwind.”
Amp was looking back and forth between the two, not having a clue to what they were talking about. This was the first she had heard about a trip, although the idea of getting away for a bit sounded very enticing.
“Where we going?” she asked Nikka, Robert already bored with the conversation, going back to the baseball game he was watching.
“Pack an overnight bag for two days,” Nikka replied smiling. “We’re out of here in an hour. I’ll explain on the way.”
An hour later, the two were driving toward Sea-Tac airport, their moods giddy with the opportunity to take a girl’s trip. Being around Robert was fun, and both girls were quite fond of the soldier, but it was also taxing their patience. Thankfully the man was disciplined enough that Nikka felt comfortable leaving him alone. It would be a good test for Robert, and more importantly, fun for the girls.
“You were asking me about New Orleans the other day,” Nikka began. “It got me thinking that for all these years you’ve been vampire, you’ve never truly been exposed to the culture.”
“We’re going to New Orleans?” Amp squealed.
“Nope; something better. We’ll make New Orleans someday soon, but let me try to explain a few things. In America, the majority of Vampire communities, both large covens and small ones are located around the major cities. New Orleans has probably the highest population of vampires. The city is perfect for our species, basically because it is full of such odd and diverse cultures that we just naturally fit in. Like I told you the other day, there’s a real danger element to the vampire community. New York has a large population, and even up into New England, mainly because of the weather. There are not many communities in the Midwest or the Southwest, except around Houston. On the west coast, L.A. has several covens, and most operate as business corporations, much like Lord Morgan. Then there’s San Francisco. It’s home to many of the ancients, the vampires who settled in North America centuries before white men ever set foot on this land. It is in San Francisco, not New Orleans, where the rules are written…where the few who dictate the behavior of the vampire population reside…quietly and completely undetectable to the general population. Visiting the vampire culture of San Francisco is like taking a trip through history…and that’s exactly what we’re going to do for a few days. I want to give you a taste of who you are…of what you are. I don’t ever want you to think you have to be something you’re not. We are vampire, Amp, and there’s nothing I would rather be. I want you to feel that same satisfaction of being something special.”
Kill Wilson (Petersburg Vampires) Page 11
