Vlad Tepes, the Vigilante Vampire

by Lillie J. Roberts

  “Bobby was a bad choice, but I wanted to get back at my father, and what better way than sleeping with someone he hadn't chosen. He wasn't like any of the men my father tried to foist on me, twice my age, his cronies, bartering me away like some prize to the highest bidder. But once we were married, Daddy took Bobby right under his wing, gave him a job.” She spoke bitingly, there was anger in her words. “We do stupid stuff when we're too young to know better. That's how we came to be together, Mr. Tepes. How was I to know it was what my father wanted all along? Someone to help with the family business. The worst part is now my father loves Bobby, and I can't stand him.”

  “Cripes, I'm sorry, I had no idea. I'm an idiot. Please, forgive me.” My big mouth couldn't control itself. “Your father didn't mention a grandchild. Is your child here? They could be a risk too.” My eyes darted around inside, seeing no evidence of a child.

  “There is no child, Mr. Tepes, when I was four months pregnant I slipped on the stairs and the baby miscarried, but I still got to keep Bobby.” She squinted her eyes. “You see, my father doesn't believe in divorce either, says it goes against the church.” She sneered with sarcasm.

  Touching her mind, I knew she spoke the truth, except for the part about the stairs, something else happened there. If I was as good as Vanic, I'd know the truth. “Still, Mrs. Jennings, I think you should stay at your father's.”

  “Not a chance, Mr. Tepes. Now, either come in and sit down or get off my porch, but I think you should tell me what's going on.” She crossed her arms to wait, her toe tapping.

  Taking her invitation, I explained how someone was stalking her father and his employees. He'd already kidnapped Paulie, and I didn't have any doubt he'd come after her too. “Now do you see why I want you to stay with your father?”

  She shuddered. “If this freak is so bad, why didn't Bobby say anything?”

  Lying, I said, “He probably didn't want to scare you.” But she peered into my eyes, letting me see she was as aware of my deceit as she was of Bobby's preference for self-preservation. He was out there somewhere, watching out for himself, protecting his own ass, while she sat, bait for the monster. I'd be surprised if her father wasn't party to his plan.

  “It's okay, Bobby only looks out for Bobby, survival of the fittest kind of thing. But I'll be staying here, one thing I don't need is my father browbeating me.” She shrugged. “I've been on my own long enough to know how to take care of myself.”

  How very well I understood her bitterness, but she was so young to be so cynical, she hadn't my years to earn her cynicism. If I could have, I would have shielded her from the harsher realities of life. Then I realized this woman had worked her way under my skin, I wanted to protect her, keep her safe, and the Gods help me, to make her mine.

  “If you won't go to your father's, I'll have someone come over here.” Feeling like a heartless prick, I left her home, but stayed on guard outside with the shadows drawn around me, watching, but Bobby never returned.

  For the next several evenings, I guarded her when I could. Eventually Bobby would come home, he and I, we needed to talk. One evening, I followed her to her favorite market. When she returned home, Bobby was waiting. She sighed when she saw his car, shaking her head, and then went inside.

  I stood in the shadows, drawing the night around me, closing my eyes. I focused on the small house that Sheree called home. His slurred voice came to my ears, Bobby had too much to drink, she told him. He screamed back, something unintelligible, something that made her scream, “No!” I flew across the street, leaning into the window. It took every ounce of my preternatural strength to keep from going through it.

  As I watched, his hand swung back, knocking her to the floor. My beast roared, Bobby was a dead man, he just didn't know it. But then Sheree stood, facing him, she wiped her mouth laughing at him. She danced out of his reach as he stumbled, trying to hit her again. He fell in a heap and she left him where he lay, until finally he dragged himself to stand and stumbled out the door.

  My eyes narrowed, my beast groaned, this was new to me. But one thing that I did know... Bobby would meet his end and it would come quietly and quickly. Sheree would not suffer at his hands anymore.

  *****

  Strange things happen to those who think they are beyond the reach of the laws of man. Stranger still are those who think themselves beyond the reach of the vampire.Bobby had made his own bed, now he'd have to lay in it. His only company—death, but he and death were already well acquainted, . Would he visit hell? Would the Devil greet him? It was my sincerest hope.

  The old rogue still occupied the majority of my thoughts, as well as the need to protect what was mine and what I hoped to make mine. Who would be his next victim? The mobster, his daughter, someone from the streets? Or was he watching my own family, waiting, ready to strike? For the next week, everything quieted down. That should've been my first clue everything was going to get bad. That's when the killings started again, bloodier than before.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Bobby didn't come home that night or the next or the one after. Franc Crifaseno knew about the problem, but he refused to call the police. Bobby was known to take off, have wild flings that would last for weeks. Then he would return, contrite, ready to make up for his sins, until Sheree gave him cause to lose his temper. Not this time though, not ever again.

  Finally, it was Sheree who called the police to report him missing, but he was never found. To my knowledge, the case is still open.

  *****

  As the next week approached, Loupgarin stayed mysteriously silent. We waited for him to make his next move, to make his presence known. Vanic came to the place where he'd made his lair, the scent of Valerian still overlaid the others. It wasn't as strong anymore, he'd changed addresses. But we took care of the property anyway, buying it from the slum lord who hadn't seen it in more than two years, greedily accepting the offer, happy to be rid of the property. A small contained fire destroyed most of the interior. Now it stood empty, waiting for repairs.

  Between Vanic, Raymond, and me, we kept an eye on the neighborhoods Loupgarin frequented. But there only so much time to devote and so few of us, and somehow, he managed to sneak back in, leaving us a message scrawled on one of the charred walls of the abandoned home. I'm coming for you written in blood, but whose blood? It was a gruesome find as we worked to see who he'd taken.

  The Council remained mysteriously quiet in regards to the old rogue, but that was expected. They had washed their hands of the situation that was of their own making. The only time we expected to hear from them was if we didn't find him, unable to put an end to his unnatural existence. But then again, we expected to hear from them if we did find him and put him down too.

  It was on one of these evenings when I was once again contacted by Franc Crifaseno. I wondered if he suspected my involvement in his son-in-law's disappearance, not that he would do anything. We were his only hope. Loupgarin had piled up six more bodies in one of Crifaseno's neighborhoods, but instead of being in one central location, they were scattered about. Again, I had to come to investigate and I asked Crifaseno to meet me in the area.

  *****

  “I hope you haven't disposed of all the bodies, I'd like to examine a few of them.”

  Crifaseno turned to me. “There's not much left, but you can take a look if you want. I'm more worried that this insane bastard should come to my house. What he might do once he gets there.” He shrugged. “Sheree's been to see me since Bobby didn't come back.” It was an afterthought he added for my benefit.

  “You know he was beating her? You know that's what happened to the baby, regardless of what was said.” He looked away before turning to meet my eyes.

  “Look, he was a prick, but he always got the job done. If I told him to go collect, he'd go collect with no skimming. He was a stand up kinda guy that way. Maybe not the best husband, but we all can't be saints.”

  My sunglasses slipped on the bridge of my nose, I gazed at him ov
er their edge. “I would’ve killed the bastard who touched my daughter. Then again, not everyone is willing to stick their necks out.” His eyes widened, I was pushing his buttons.

  He eyeballed me. “I'm no coward, but I gotta watch out for my business too. Who do you think is going take to care of things, should something happen to me?” He jabbed his thumb in his chest. He might want to lie to himself, but I could smell the truth miles away, cowardly fear reeked from his pores. If it came down to the decision between himself or Sheree, I had no doubt which choice would be made.

  Dismissing the subject of Bobby Jennings, I glanced at Donny. “Where are the bodies you found?”

  He peered at Franc in the rearview mirror, and I saw a slight nod of his head. “We've got them on ice in one of the warehouses, Mr. Tepes. We're headed in that direction now.”

  I relaxed into the car seat, then said loud enough for both to hear, “See anything of Paulie lately?” Both men paled, glanced in the mirror at each other and tensed, but neither said anything. He was still on their minds, his body hadn't been found. Smiling, I clapped Donny on the shoulder. “Don't worry, if he's still around, I'm sure he'll stay away, having abandoned you all like he did.” Yeah, right. He'd be dining on Donny in an undead heartbeat.

  A few minutes later, we arrived at the warehouse. Franc had more guards around the building, not that it was necessary, as soon as I took a look, the bodies would be disposed of. I didn't ask how, I didn't want to know. We pulled up to the building, Donny opened the door, and I glanced at Franc. “You coming?”

  “Nah, I've already seen them, don't need to see them twice. We'll wait here.”

  Climbing from the car, I turned to Donny. “Don't go anywhere. I'll only be a few minutes.”

  He eyed Franc again. “We'll be here waiting, Mr. Tepes. No worries.”

  Turning back, I grinned at Donny. “I wasn't worried, just didn't want to have to hunt you down later, you know, for leaving me here.” Winking and popping a little fang, I turned around and entered the building that smelled of death. A scent I knew well, had known for most of my long life.

  Franc was right, there wasn't much to see, because there wasn't much left of the bodies. But there was no doubt it was the work of a vampire. Loupgarin had become suddenly active, and I had to wonder, why? What was that about? And then, what had he been feeding on during his downtime? As much as I didn't want to, I scented the bodies. Valerian was still present amongst them. Paulie wasn't here either, and I had a feeling, he wouldn't be showing up, not in a bunch of body parts anyway.

  Returning to the car, I glanced over at Franc. “If I were you, and I'm glad I'm not, I'd increase the guards around my home. Someone should be watching your daughter's home too, even if she doesn't want it.”

  He nodded and picked up his cell, barking orders, demanding a quick response. When Franc Crifaseno requested something to be done, he wanted it ten minutes ago. His thugs would be rushing around like cockroaches suddenly found in the bright light.

  Donny dropped me back in the neighborhood suspected of being Loupgarin's new home, a place where even without the vampire, it smelled of death. Wandering through the yards where grass was a forgotten memory, I tried to pick up his scent, and instead, picked up a scent far more familiar. Blood, someone had fed recently. This was a newly made vampire, maybe Paulie, maybe not.

  Searching through another broken-down house, the presence of Valerian could still be found, not as strong, but still noticeable. I pulled out my iPhone, speed dialing Vanic's number. “I'm at the hidey-hole neighborhood, maybe you should come check this out for yourself. We have another rogue.”

  Vanic sighed tiredly. “For the love of...Cripes! We can't catch a break! What the hell's happening here?”

  I paused, it was going to be bad. “I think it's Paulie.”

  Vanic uttered four words. “I'm on my way.”

  Together, Vanic and I could be a horrific force, but I hated to leave the rest of our family exposed. Killing a newly made vampire, especially one sick with Valerian poisoning, was a decision to make with extreme caution. I'd have to depend on the newly employed vampires Sarah asked to serve as temporary guards, but I didn't like it, not even a little bit.

  Vanic arrived in a blur of speed, I was fast, but he was faster, deadlier, stronger. My beast just happened to like the violence better. Together we approached the dwelling of the newly made vampire that I was now sure was Paulie's new home. We didn't have to wait for long, he came loping up to the house, looking worse for wear. As we approached the sick vampire, he seemed incapable of speech, covered in someone else’s blood. Maybe he recognized us as a threat, because he lunged, baring his fangs. We drew small handmade wrist laced crossbows loaded with wooden spikes, especially made for the thing we were about to do.

  Before Vanic released the spike, he tried reasoning with the newly made vampire, in a low voice filled with the power and strength of a master. “Paulie,” he called in his hypnotizing voice, “stop, I don't want to kill you.” Paulie stood mesmerized for a few seconds, before he roared and lunged for Vanic's throat. Before he could touch Vanic's flesh, a spike was released to sail through the air, piercing his heart, dropping him in mid-lunge. My arm fell to my side, my job finished for the night. In moments, there was nothing left but an unrecognizable dried husk and the house to be disposed of. If Loupgarin was using this as a onetime lair, he'd have to search for a new dwelling.

  Digging out my cell, I placed a call to Franc Crifaseno, but Paulie had already been there this evening, a body had been found, one of Franc's nameless guards to be disposed of with the rest. The threat of Paulie was over, but Loupgarin remained undead and at large, a force much worse that the newly made vampire. Sheree was my next call, she needed to be warned to keep her eyes open. Franc assured me the guards would remain, though unobtrusive. She still wanted no part of her father's ill gotten gains, even if it meant her safety.

  She answered as I was preparing to hang up, breathing heavily. “Sheree Jennings?” I questioned though I knew the sound of her cultured tones from memory.

  “Yes, I'm kind of busy right now…” she started, wanting to hang up the phone, but I couldn't let her slip away that easily.

  “Hi, it's Vlad Tepes. I'm in your neighborhood, and I was wondering if I could stop by?” Even though I knew I shouldn't be, I was pleased to hear her voice.

  Taken by surprise, she sputtered a little, “Why, of-of course, Mr. Tepes, if you could give me thirty minutes or so...”

  “That will be perfect, see you then.” I ended the call. Sheree Jennings was very much at risk, if not from one vampire, then from another, me.

  Vanic peered over at me. “Are you sure this is a wise thing to do?”

  “No,” I replied, “but I can't seem to help myself.”

  “You could be drawing unnecessary attention to the lady.”

  Knowing he was right didn't soothe my conscience. “I need to see she's all right, I'll leave as soon as I have a look around.” It was a well laid plan with the best intentions, and it was also a lie.

  *****

  “Mr. Tepes, it's so good to see you again. Please come in.” Sheree Jennings said with pleasure.

  Right away, I noticed she no longer hid her wrists or her throat, which was long, lovely and slender. She led me into her home, a place that when I took the time to look around, it was almost as pleasing to the eye as the young woman was to me. The room where she led was cozy with well used, furnishings comfortable, nothing like the gaudy items scattered around her father's house. Gemma Hayes sang Bob Dylan's Lay Lady Lay softly in the background.

  “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Jennings. May I call you Sheree? And please, call me Vlad.” It's hard to resist an invitation from a vampire, and I smiled at her. The music seemed to fit the new softness her home contained.

  “Please.” She returned my smile. “And thanks, anything is better than the monstrosity of my father's home. It's nothing fancy or special except that it's mine, earned wi
th my own money.” She frowned slightly. “I'll never accept a penny of the money Bobby earned working for my father. That's his money, if he doesn't return. Whatever he has in his accounts will go to charity. My mother left me enough money to live comfortably, and I supplement my income with my art work.”

  “I had no idea you were an artist, what medium do you work in?” My eyes wandered around her home, it was softly decorated with nice old paintings on the walls, landscapes and seascapes.

  “Mostly clay pottery, but I paint a little, sculpt a little, enough so I get by. I'll never be famous, but I don't need to be, my father draws enough attention for the both of us.” She laughed, since Bobby wasn't around to abuse her, she'd blossomed. She quirked up an eyebrow. “I never talk about myself, but you make me chatty, like I've known you for ages.” Her dimples flashed.

  It was in that moment I lost my heart to Sheree Crifaseno Jennings. What an odd match we'd make if our relationship came to be, the daughter of a mobster with her vampire lover. Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I cleared my throat. “Are some of these paintings yours?”

  She pointed to one of the seascapes. “That one's mine.” She looked a little embarrassed, but also proud, as she ran her finger over the raised paint of the waves. “I've always loved the ocean.”

  “It's beautiful with the sun shining off the water, you've captured it.” I walked closer, gazing into the waves that broke across the sand. “You have real talent.”