by Zara Novak
“I’d watch your tone Mr. Volks.” Cairo said with a flash of threat. “You wouldn’t want me to look around here and find anything unsavory would you?”
Edmund crossed his thick arms across his wide chest and laughed. “Go ahead and look. You won’t find anything.”
“No?” Cairo asked with a knowing smile. “Not even the girl you’re keeping in the basement?”
Edmund’s smile dropped.
“Yes. We know about that.” Cairo said. “We know about a lot of things Mr. Volks. We are the Red Circle after all. Normally such an infraction would warrant severe punishment from the Circle, but seeing as you’ve helped us out in the past… we can let such things slide. What are friends for after all?”
“And what it is I can do for you friend?” Edmund said through gritted teeth.
“A seat, a glass of blood, and ten minutes of your time. We have a proposition for you Mr. Volks, and it’s rather important that you hear us out.”
Edmund placed a glass down at the stone coffee table and sat on the wide leather couch by the window. All the blinds were closed in the house, and the room was dark and cool. He rolled his bare feet over the cool tiles and sighed in momentary contempt. He took a sip from his own glass and watched as the man opened a brief case on the table before him.
“So what is it this time?” Edmund said, finally breaking the silence. “I suppose there’s another vampire running around the country causing problems. Someone you want me to take down? Someone you want me to frighten?”
A bright screen turned on inside of the briefcase and the long skeletal hand of the vampire pushed a data stick into the side. A video started playing on the screen. The barrel of an automatic rifle was at the bottom of the frame, pointing up at a man and woman on a stage just ahead. It seemed to be in a club of some sort.
The video played and Edmund watched as the fight unfolded. The footage turned into a scramble of moving colors and blurred images. A cacophony of gunfire exploded out the small speaker in the briefcase, followed by the sound of things being broken and bursting into flame.
A girl pushed a stake into something below the camera. Edmund presumed it was the chest of the vampire filming. Fire erupted around the image and a moment later the camera was in a pile of ash. It lay on the floor for a second before moving up again into the face of a man.
“Cairo Inai. Are you there? Whoever you are, I want you to know that I’m coming for you. You’ve seen what I can do now, and you know who I am. Rue the day you decided to get in my way. Rue the day you signed the order for my death.”
The video cut in a scramble of static.
“So.” The man said, picking up his glass of blood. “What do you think?”
Edmund stared in disgust at the bony fingers curled around the glass.
Cairo Inai raised the glass to his lips and tipped it back in one long movement. He it instantly and set it back down on to the table. It almost looked as if the act itself had left him out of breath. Two smears of blood ran down the side of his face and hung at the edge of his jaw. He pulled a blood stained cloth from his inner pocket and mopped it across his face. He placed it back inside the jacket and finally looked over at Edmund, his eyes flushed with black.
“…about the video?” Edmund asked.
“Yes.”
“It was interesting. Place looked familiar. Is that somewhere around here?”
“Avalon.” The man said in a ghostly whisper. “In Dead Rest.”
Edmund lifted a brow. “Shit. I’ve been there. It’s a good club. Lots of sexy college girl pussy.”
The man stared back at Edmund quietly.
“Never mind.” Edmund said. “That’s close to here though. Dead Rest… shit. That’s only a fifteen minute drive. Crazy vampire shit like this is happening in Dead Rest?”
Cairo Inai nodded and blinked slowly.
“When was this?”
“Last night.” Cairo said in a whisper.
Edmund’s eyes opened only further. “Well fuck.” He laughed and shook his head.
“Care to explain why I should care about this video? Looks like that boy made real work of the clowns you sent after him. Did you want me to score the fight or something?”
Cairo found no amusement in Edmund’s joke. He closed the briefcase and swiveled on the sofa until his bony knees were facing Edmund. He sat with his legs pressed together and his hands on his lap. “We are asking that you assist us in dealing with this matter.” Cairo said. “Same arrangement as last time, we can pay you directly in cash.”
Edmund thought about the offer for a moment and brushed a hand over his beard. “I don’t know. Certainly looks like this boy can hold his fucking own. You didn’t even tell me what it is he’s supposed to have done.”
“Ansel Draco.” Cairo said almost out of breath.
Edmund nodded and leaned back in his chair. “So this is that crazy fucker everyone’s been talking about.”
“You’ve heard of him?” Cairo asked.
“Just about.” Edmund said. “I go down to Teddy’s Sports bar a few times a week and Ansel Draco’s name has been on the lips of the vampires down there. They said this dude killed his maker and his entire coven.” Edmund paused. “That true?”
Cairo nodded slowly and rolled his eyelids down over his coal like eyes. “Every last one, and now…” Cairo lifted a hand and tapped at the briefcase with his bony forefinger. “…this.”
“Which coven was he part of again?” Edmund asked. “Vesper coven right? Those sadist fucks up in the castle on the hill?”
“The Vesper coven were loyal supporters of the Red Circle, and their presence is greatly missed.”
“Their presence or their monthly donations?” Edmund asked dryly.
Cairo heard the comment, but chose to ignore it. “Ansel Draco murdered the members of his family in cold blood, and now he also has the deaths of two agents on his hands. He is a liability to the safety of vampires everywhere, and he must be apprehended at once.”
“Why don’t you just send more of those gun toting idiots after him?” Edmund mocked. “I’m sure you’ve got enough cannon fodder to throw at him until he’s dead.”
“The events that unfolded at Avalon last night were a mistake, and we believe this situation needs to be handled with delicacy moving forward.”
Edmund let out a long and loud laugh, sitting forward in his seat as he did so. He placed his elbows on his thighs and cradled his chin against his fists. “I guess you would want that after that fucking shit show.” Edmund nodded at the briefcase. “I suppose your elite society lacks the right kind of vampire to get the job done eh?”
“We’ve wasted too much brainpower on this already.” Cairo hedged. “Sending more of our own to clean up this mess is an unnecessary dent to our numbers.”
“Ah I see.” Edmund sat back in the chair with a hand against his head. “Let’s go and recruit the hulking bounty hunter to do it then shall we? Let’s get the shit for brains muscle to clean up this job that we can’t handle ourselves.”
Cairo stared at Edmund silently.
“Why not just let the kid run free? Doesn’t look he caused much trouble after he killed his clan. Lord knows I heard enough about those Vesper fucks to know that they were fucking weird… even for vampires.”
“The law is the law.” Cairo said. “And Ansel Draco has broken it to the highest degree. He has been deemed a threat to our own kind, he’s unworthy of being a vampire. He needs terminating Mr. Volks, and that will happen whether you agree to help us or not. I can always take my business elsewhere…” Cairo Inai lifted his bony hand toward the briefcase.
“No… stop.” Edmund dropped his head to his chest and let out a long sigh. “Alright.” He looked up at Cairo. “Just say what you have to fucking say.”
“We want you to bring him to us alive. We’re prepared to double the arrangement we offered last time. Once we receive the target, we will wire $500,000 into your personal account and grant you with a years supply of unl
imited blood.”
Edmund raised his eyebrows. “Damn. You must really want this guy. Tell me. Where does he fall on your most wanted list?”
Cairo dipped a hand into his pocket, pulled a slip of paper from it and placed it onto the table. He pushed the paper across to the Edmund with a splay of long fingers and pulled his hand back to rest in his lap.
Edmund grabbed the piece of paper from off the table and held up the list. He dragged his eyes over the familiar set of names and paused at Ansel’s. He dropped his hand and looked at Cairo. “Number three? Well god damn. You’ve never come to me with someone this high before. You must really want this son of a bitch.”
“It is in the Circle’s best interest that this manner is dealt with as swiftly as possible - yes.”
Edmund crumpled up the paper and sat forward. “I want one million. And two years supply of blood.”
Cairo opened his mouth to answer back, but Edmund continued.
“Every dollar, every drop. I won’t do it for nothing less. That’s my final offer.”
Cairo thought it over for a moment and nodded to himself silently.
“Fine. You have one week to bring Mr. Draco to us alive. We can provide tools and a team to assist should you-”
“Nah, nah.” Edmund waved a hand to quiet Cairo. “Fuck all of that shit. I don’t want any of your dumb ass agents getting in my way. If I’m doing this, I’m doing it alone - all I ask is that you stay the fuck out of my way.”
Another thin-lipped smile pulled across Cairo’s face and he stood from the sofa slowly. “Then it’s a deal.” The man held up his bone ringed hand and Edmund took it reluctantly.
He let go quickly and glanced down at the briefcase. “Give me a copy of that video too. I’m gonna learn how this motherfucker fights.”
9. Kat
They touched back down to earth with the grace of a falling cat. Kat had her arms wrapped around Ansel as tight as she possibly could. She heard the sound of gravel beneath them as Ansel walked, but she didn’t dare open her eyes in case he was about to make another jump.
“We’re here.” Ansel said.
Kat opened one eye cautiously and looked around. So far she had counted five goliath jumps, as Ansel had made his way across the town to their destination, and each jump had been a little more terrifying than the last.
“Are you sure?” Kat squeaked.
“I’m sure.” Ansel laughed to himself.
With her ear against his chest, Kat felt the deep rumble of his laugh, and the smooth timbre of his voice. It was a comforting feeling and it made her feel protected and warm.
He set her down on the ground gently and she found herself a little disappointed to no longer be in his grasp. She’d never been a big fan of heights, and jumping high into the air was definitely not her ideal form of travel, but being that close to Ansel and in his arms was definitely something she wanted to experience again.
Kat looked around and saw they were on the side of a wooded hill that overlooked the town of Dead Rest. She glanced back at the twinkling lights of the town down in the valley, then returned her eyes to the silhouette of a large stone house in front of them, hidden among the trees.
Gravel crunched underfoot, and Kat followed Ansel along the pathway and up a set of stone stairs that led onto a large porch.
“Where are we?” Kat asked as she tried to study the old building in the dark.
Ansel crouched down and pulled a key from under a doormat. “This is a small hideout I’ve been using for the past couple of days. I knew as soon as I had the trouble with my coven, I wouldn’t be able to return to the castle anymore, so I found this place.”
Kat cast her memory over the visions she had seen of Ansel in that dark castle and looked up at the stone building towering overheard. “This place is small?”
“Well. It’s smaller than the last place. Come on.”
Ansel led them up a wide stone stair case and through a thick wooden door. It was nearly black inside, and Kat could barely see a thing. All around her there was an ancient silence, and the scent of stone.
“I don’t expect you’d want to go back there anyway.” Kat spoke softly in the darkness. “Not after what they did to you.”
There was a long pause before Ansel answered. “Possibly one day, but until then there is no doubt in my mind that the Red Circle has that place surrounded. This place will do me fine for now.”
Kat heard the sound of Ansel’s footsteps moving away from her over the smooth stone tiles underfoot.
“Make yourself at home Kat. You don’t have to stand there in the hallway.”
“Um… Ansel. I can’t see a thing. It’s so dark in here.”
Kat heard the sound of Ansel chuckling to himself, and she imagined him shaking his head. “I do apologize Kat. I’m quick to forget that your night vision isn’t as adapted as mine. I’m so used to it, I swear I haven’t had any lights on the whole time I’ve been here. Hang on… let me try and find them…”
Kat stood patiently as she listened to Ansel potter around in the darkness, she assumed he was trying to find a light switch.
“Where are the damned things?” He mumbled while laughing to himself.
“Are you looking for a light switch?” Kat called. “I can help?”
“No switches here I’m afraid. Candles. Kat?”
Candles?
Kat turned in the direction of Ansel’s voice. “Yes?”
“I can’t find any matches.”
Ansel’s footsteps knocked across the floor until Kat could just make him out standing in front of her. “I’ll have to grab some, I think there are some in the basement.”
He took her hand and Kat felt a jolt of fire run up her arm and down into the pit of her stomach. His voice whispered through the darkness and wrapped itself around her like silk. “I’ll take you into the front room so you’re not standing here all alone.”
Kat gulped as he led her through the darkness quietly. She had one hand in his, and another on his shoulder.
“There we are.” Ansel helped Kat onto a couch and his hand slipped away from hers. “I’ll be back in one second, I’ll go find these matches.”
The sound of Ansel’s footsteps clacked across the floor and back into the hall. Half a minute later she heard his steps come back, and she watched as he made his way around the room, slowly lighting candles.
The wicks flickered to full brightness and light slowly filled the large stone room. Kat was sat on an antique looking couch, which was blood red and gothic looking in it’s appearance. The rest of the room was furnished in a similar fashion. On the wall in front there was a large stone fire place, with two ancient looking book cases on either side of it, filled with leather bound books.
Two large candelabras hung in the room. Ansel lifted a lanterned stick to each and the candles slowly sprung to life. Once he was done bringing light to the room he joined Kat on the couch.
“This place is beautiful Ansel.” Kat said as she flicked her eyes across the gothic stone room. “It must be hundreds of years old. I didn’t expect something so ornate from a vampire on the run.”
“I’m having the walls of my cave painted,” Ansel joked, “This is just temporary.”
Kat snorted and covered her mouth instantly in embarrassment. Ansel cracked up at the sound and looked at her with twinkling ruby eyes.
He leaned forward, with his arms on his legs and his hands clasped together. Silence faded in between them and Ansel stared solemnly to the floor. “Are you okay? It’s been tough tonight. Everything that happened back at the club, it must have been pretty terrifying for you.”
“It’s been one heck of an evening.” Kat agreed. “I’d never have thought a few hours ago I’d be on the run with a vampire. I’d never have thought that I’d find out vampires are actually real.” Her mind wondered momentarily over the long lost secret that had resurfaced only a couple of hours before. Her father was a vampire.
A chill passed over Kat and she l
et out a shudder.
“Are you cold?” Ansel asked. “That’s another human thing I forget about too. There’s a fire, I can light it up if you like?”
“No I’m not cold.” Kat said with a smile. The summer evening was pleasantly warm, and the faint chorus of cicadas outside confirmed that. “I just remembered the vision I had during the telepathy. The vision of my father.”
“Ah.” Ansel nodded and brushed a hand across his chin. “A lot happened today, it might take a while for you to come to terms with it.”
“I’ll say.” Kat laughed and counted on her fingers as she reeled through the events of the night. “Vampires are real, my dad was a vampire, massive scary fight with evil vampires, oh, and I can see the future now as well apparently. Yeah… good luck falling asleep tonight Katty.”
“If it helps, tonight isn’t exactly a normal night for me either.” Ansel said.
Kat wasn’t in the spirit of making their drama a competition, but she couldn’t help but try and clarify her point with Ansel. “Yeah but Ansel… my whole world has been flipped upside down. I’d always suspected, I’d always hoped about the paranormal, and tonight I found out it’s true. It’s all true. Tonight I found out that vampires exist… You’re going to have a hard time topping that one.”
“Tonight I find out you exist.” Ansel said after a brief pause. “I don’t think anything will ever top that.”
Kat’s heart thumped in her chest and she felt her cheeks burn with red. Her mouth could only muster a nervous laugh. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared down at her lap as she twisted her thumbs together.
She had no idea how to respond to such a comment. He was obviously flirting with her, and she obviously loved it, but in no universe alive did Kat have the courage to engage with someone as handsome as Ansel and flirt back.
Silence beat between them, and Kat looked up at Ansel to see a disappointed expression on his face. Thanks to her crippling shyness, he probably thought that she wasn’t interested. He couldn’t know that she’d been thinking non-stop about that wayward kiss on the club roof.
