Myles rolled his eyes and sighed. "Wolverine is a pussy," he said.
Chris dropped everything and leapt at his friend. He grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Myles gasped for breath as his strong friend squeezed. Pure raged filled his dark eyes as Chris continued to squeeze harder. Myles' eyes were filled with fear.
"I told you that if you ever say that again…"
Chris was cut off by Myles holding the book that he had recently purchased in front of his face. Chris grabbed the book and let go of Myles who slumped to the floor. He rubbed his throat as he slowly stood. His friend might be the world's biggest comic book geek but he was also incredibly strong. Chris, however, ignored his friend as he walked back to his chair to study the old, tattered book.
"You're welcome," Myles said sarcastically.
"Yes, I am," Chris replied as he began to flip through the pages of the tattered, leather bound book.
Myles coughed as he pulled up a chair next to his friend. "I read the middle section as instructed," he said as his tone had become professional.
Chris immediately opened the book to the dog-eared page. "Anything of note?"
"Nothing that would explain the recent rise of activity lately," Myles replied.
Chris scratched his black hair. He began to read the text. "How much did you pay for it?" he asked without removing his eyes from the ancient words.
"The kid was desperate so I gave him a fifty and he took it greedily."
"Stolen?"
"Probably, but is it useful?"
"I won't know until I cross-reference some of these notions with the other books in our archives. However, fifty is a good deal."
"I thought so," Myles said proudly.
"However, where it is stolen…"
Myles sighed. "Another confession?"
"Yes," Chris said without looking up from the book.
"HEY DAVID!" Myles yelled.
"WHAT?" David yelled back from the store.
"DON'T MAKE PLANS FOR TONIGHT."
"WHY NOT? DON'T TELL ME THAT BOOK IS STOLEN!"
"YES!"
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE GOING TO CONFESSION!"
"WITH A MOUTH LIKE THAT," Chris yelled, "YOU'LL BE IN THERE THE LONGEST!"
"FUCK!" David replied. "Oh sorry, not you ma'am. Not that I wouldn't because you are extremely attractive. I…er…ah…How can I help you?"
Chris and Myles laughed hysterically at the antics of their friend. However, Chris and Myles took turns examining the old book when Chris took breaks to work on his collection. As the sun disappeared behind the mountains and they closed up their businesses for the day, their real job waited.
* * *
Darkness consumed the city. The air was still pleasantly warm. The streets were still busy but the traffic and the pedestrians were heading home for the evening. The teenagers, who had been haunting the streets, were few and far between. It was Sunday night and school awaited them in the morning. Many were inside finishing their homework. The few brave souls that still walked the streets did so at their own risk. Such was life in the big city. For one man in particular, he hoped that this night would lead a few stray souls to his door. His name was Father Theodore Kinney.
Father Kinney, a round, elderly man whose head was nearly bald, had been the parish priest for the Holy Rose Parish in North Denver for nearly three decades. Established in 1909, the old stone building was a testament to days gone by. The large steeple and the three large wooden doors reminded onlookers of a time when people by the hundreds filled the holy building for the weekly Sunday service. The large round window in the middle of the front of the church seemed to watch over its congregation as they walked to and from the building. Now, in an era of skepticism and doubt, fewer and fewer souls came into the building for enlightenment. Every night, Father Kinney would light a candle and pray for change.
The large oak doors creaked as Father Kinney blew out the match. Three men strolled through the large doors. Father Kinney smiled. He had expected them several days ago. Maybe their behavior or at least the behavior of the two shorter men had improved. However, he was always happy to see Chris, David, and Myles.
"May the blessings of the Lord fall on you," he said merrily as he extended his hands to his most frequent guests.
David and Myles accepted the embrace from the older man, but Chris, as always, stood back from the group. Father Kinney had always wondered why the most devout of the three men would distance himself from his blessings. He knew that he accepted them, but he never truly understood the man. However, he was thankful that he had brought his two friends into the world of God.
"How can I assist you my friends?" Father Kinney asked.
"The usual Father," Chris stated, "And a double for the goofylooking one here."
"Who are you calling 'goofy-looking,' asshole?" David asked before covering his mouth. "Sorry Father."
"I see it is time for confession for these two again and you too, Mr. Heart," the smiling priest said.
"Why me?" Chris asked.
"You shouldn't be making fun of your friends."
"Yes Father, shall I go first?" Chris asked.
"That would be wise, my son," Father Kinney said before he disappeared into his side of the confessional.
Chris blessed himself before he entered his side of the confessional. Father Kinney had already opened the small door to allow for a clear conversation. Chris knelt before the small opening. He trembled.
"Forgive me Father for I have sinned…"
"Christopher, we don't need to do this. You have been forgiven many times over," Father Kinney interrupted.
"I know Father, but it doesn't make it any easier."
"I know, my son. If it puts your mind at ease, what you require is in the usual place."
"Thank you, Father, I am…"
Before Chris could say another word, the door to the confessional rattled. Light from the other side shone through the small mesh window. Father Kinney screamed as someone grabbed him by his robe and pulled him out of the confessional. He screamed as laughter ensued. Chris tried his door but it would not budge.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he demanded.
* * *
Moments earlier, the doors to the church had burst open. Three figures, two male and one extremely beautiful female, had strolled through the front doors. They were all dressed in black. The female was dressed in a skin tight leather outfit. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. David and Myles ducked behind the altar. They could sense something was wrong. The aura of the three individuals told them that they didn't belong in the church. They watched and waited.
Seconds later, the taller of the two men bolted the door to the confessional with a bench. For added security, he leaned his large frame on the door. Chris was now trapped inside. The woman, who was the most intoxicating creature that either man had ever seen, nodded to the shorter of the two men. He ripped open Father Kinney's door and viciously pulled the older man out onto the floor. The woman smiled.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Father Kinney demanded.
Myles was about to jump out and rush the three perpetrators but David grabbed his arm. He put a finger to his lips. Myles reluctantly nodded his head. Both men crept away to one of the side doors that led to the altar. They were extremely quiet. They wanted a better spot so they could listen without being seen.
"What am I doing here?" the woman asked. "Or is it how did I get in here?"
"Both," the trembling priest said as he glanced at all three visitors.
"The sign says 'Penetro pro quis vos peto,'" she said sweetly, "Which means enter for what you seek if my Latin hasn't failed me. It is a bit rusty."
"It was meant for those who wish to be enlightened," Father Kinney said as he slowly crept backwards. "It wasn't meant for your kind."
She pouted and she dropped on all fours. She crawled slowly towards the priest as he backpedaled towards the altar. She let out a low
growl and licked her lips. She sat up on her knees and unlaced the top of her outfit. Her perfect cleavage was even more exposed. She resumed her crawling. Her perfectly rounded breasts were even more visible. The older man began to sweat as his heart raced. He backpedaled faster until he banged his head into the marble altar.
"Damn," he said as he grabbed his bleeding head.
She pounced on top of him. She pressed her chest into his face as she licked his wound clean. She straddled him. She slowly started to gyrate her hips. She ground herself into his body. The old man's heart raced. The blood began to pour from the deep wound in his head. She licked it again.
"Oooooo," she moaned, "Give me more; I've been such a bad girl."
Father Kinney began to panic. He reached under his collar and pulled out his silver cross. It was a gift that had been given to him by his parish priest, when he was a young boy. He pulled the silver chain out from his collar and held it up to her. She hissed and leapt backwards.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…"
"SHUT HIS OLD ASS UP," Mikhaeli demanded as her vampire visage formed.
The shorter vampire backhanded the priest so violently that he landed on the altar. The cross fell behind his head. The black gloved hand of the vampire ripped the cross from his neck and tossed it away. Seconds later, Mikhaeli leapt onto the altar. The frightened priest began to cry.
"Shhhhh," she cooed as her vampire visage disappeared. Her youthful beautiful face returned, "I am beautiful and I know that you've been lonely."
"The Lord is my…"
She slapped her hand over his mouth. "I said shhhhh. If you are a good boy and play nice, I will be nice to you."
She started to gyrate on him again. The priest's tears continued. They sizzled against her hands but she ignored it. She leaned down and licked him. They had mixed with the blood from the cut under his right eye. She moaned loudly.
"Mmmmm," she moaned. "I know that there is a bad boy under these hideous robes."
She ripped open his shirt and dragged her lips down his chest.
"You know that you like it. You know that you'd love nothing more than to fuck me here on this altar. I'd love to feel of your hard cock inside me," she teased.
The priest shook his head violently.
"No?" she asked.
"Would you like me to stop?"
He nodded vigorously.
"If you want me to stop, then tell me where you have hidden my special book," she teased.
The priest's eyes widened. He shook his head violently. Tears of fright filled his eyes. Her face changed again as she bared her fangs. He screamed through her hand.
"FUCKING TELL ME ASSHOLE BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR GODDAMN THROAT!" she screamed.
She was distracted by the sound of shattering wood. The door to the confessional had exploded. The tallest vampire flew across the closest row of pews. Chris leapt out and whistled. She slammed her fist into the priest's face and he fell to the floor.
"Oh shit," David muttered, "That means it's time to play."
Both men screamed and rushed the shorter vampire. One tackled him high and the other tackled him low. They landed on him and began to wail away. They punched and kicked him with all of their might. Chris grabbed the taller, more muscular vampire and threw him across the church. Mikhaeli flipped off of the altar and kicked Myles in the face. He flew backwards like he had been shot out of a canon. He slammed into a wall and slipped into unconsciousness.
"Not good," David muttered as he felt Mikhaeli pull him up by his hair.
She looked deep into his eyes. She kissed him before she threw him, by his hair, through the wall of the confessional. He too remained motionless.
"That was fun," she muttered.
"If you like that…" Chris said as he hurled a vial of holy water at her.
She ducked as the vial shattered on the face of the smaller vampire as he stood. He screamed as the holy water burned his skin. Chris leapt and grabbed the vampire by his jacket. He gave him a head-butt. His nose shattered and blood sprayed everywhere. He slammed the vampire's head into the basin of holy water. The vampire screamed as the basin bubbled. Chris held his head in the water until he was met by a roundhouse kick to the face from Mikhaeli.
The force of the blow knocked him backwards. The shorter vampire continued to scream as he fell to the floor. His face melted from his skull. He grabbed his face and wailed. Mikhaeli sneered as she leapt at Chris. He rolled with the attack and flipped her over his back. She landed on her feet. Chris rolled up onto his feet. A small wooden dart shot from the spring-loaded, mini-crossbow on his wrist. The dart hit the shorter vampire in the eye. He fell backwards and started to convulse on floor.
Before Chris could celebrate his success, he was attacked by Mikhaeli and the larger vampire. She kicked him in the face as the other vampire punched him in the stomach. He grunted and rolled. He kicked the feet out from the male vampire as he had Mikhaeli in the sights of his other mini-crossbow. The dart sprung from his weapon. Shockingly, Mikhaeli flipped and the dart missed her completely.
The male vampire jumped to his feet but he was promptly met by a right cross to the face. He tried to counterpunch but Chris caught his arm and twisted. The bones snapped. The vampire screamed. Seconds later, his screams stopped as Chris had plunged a stake through his heart. The vampire fell backwards. The dying vampire convulsed and shook as his body disintegrated.
His victory was short-lived. The agile and powerful Mikhaeli attacked him viciously. His counterattacks were quickly rebuffed. She kicked and punched with amazing speed. He was tiring. A roundhouse kick to the jaw dropped him to the floor. The back of his head hit the floor. Dizziness and nausea controlled his body. He couldn't move. Before he could blink, she had straddled him. She ripped open his shirt and she saw his muscular body.
She dragged her long, black fingernails up and down his chest. "Mmmm mmmm," she moaned loudly. "Now this is what I have been waiting for."
He tried to speak but three images of her vampire face filled his vision.
She started to gyrate and moan loudly. "Mmmm, I'm getting wet," she said as her fangs grew. "YES!"
She screamed and plunged her teeth towards his neck. They had barely broken the skin before she snapped her head back and hissed. Something was wrong.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" she screamed.
Chris tried to speak again, but her anger raged. She grabbed both sides of his head and slammed his head into the floor over and over again. Within seconds, his world went dark.
A half hour later, the survivors stirred. David had crawled out from the hole that his body had created in the confessional. He clutched his ribs. Myles held onto his broken nose. His face had slammed into the floor as he fell. Father Kinney held onto the wound on the back of his head. They scanned the church. They saw the remnants of the two dead vampires amongst the broken pews. The female vampire had vanished along with Christopher Heart.
CHAPTER 6
DENVER, COLORADO
Two days later…
Darkness fell on the City of Denver. With the darkness, a late day thunderstorm had also arrived. The dark, puffy clouds rolled down from the mountains in the late afternoon. The temperature had become cold and the smell of moisture filled the air. As the work day ended, a heavy rain had begun to fall. Usually, Colorado rainstorms were fast and severe. Rarely did rainstorms last for more than an hour. However, this night was the exception. Torrential rains continued to fall on the city. Many streets were flooded. The sky was electric. Flashes from lightning bolts could be seen all over the city. Only those souls who had to be out in the night had ventured beyond their doors. For David and Myles, they, along with Father Kinney, prayed that the evil that walked at night would not venture through the church doors again.
The three men had just finished saying their rosary. All three men reluctantly stood. Father Kinney, whose physical injuries were mild, was still tormented by the mental anguish caused by his brief encounter with the female va
mpire. She was a beautiful woman. Whoever she had been during her life would have been the kind of woman that turned heads. In her undead body, she had molded her body into a new mystical power: The power of seduction. Visions of her filled his every thought. She made him question his devotion to God. Despite his older age, he wanted this woman. He wondered if her evil powers had truly consumed him.
For David and Myles, their wounds were both physical and mental. Both men had suffered severe injuries during their brief encounter with the vampires. They had fought valiantly, but Myles had his nose broken and his ribs were bruised during the attack. David wasn't nearly as lucky. He had three broken ribs and a severely bruised ego. The female vampire had thrown him around like a doll. However, for both men, the disappearance of their mysterious friend had hurt them the most.
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