Real Vampires and the Viking

by Gerry Bartlett

  “Olympus. Home of the Gods. Bet they just love having a vampire daughter.” He laughed again and punched one of his guards on the arm. They all were in stitches, laughing at me. “Really, Gloriana, you spin a fine tale.” Fredrick got serious, gesturing to his men. “But enough of this. I do believe you have something different in you so I drew blood while you were out. I’m analyzing it now. Perhaps I can use it to create something useful. A new and more effective drug.”

  “Knock yourself out. Just don’t hurt my husband.” I continued to play the pitifully weak victim. Too bad I could see that there were cameras at each end of the dungeon scanning the cells. Oh, well, when I finally managed to make a move, it would have to be fast and timed perfectly.

  “For now he’s useful as leverage. Since he’s obviously important to you, my dear.” Fredrick looked down his nose at Jerry like he couldn’t understand my loyalty to an “ordinary” vampire.

  “And my friends—the Viking and Gretchen? Where are they?”

  “I am here. In a cell near you.” Gunnar’s voice echoed down the hall. “I haven’t seen Gretchen. That bastard had better not have killed her.”

  “Gretchen!” I called for her. Was she in yet another cell?

  “Don’t bother calling for my wife. Surely you don’t think I’d put her down here.” Fredrick laughed. “Though I admit I was tempted. Gretchen’s mercy fuck made her develop a soft spot for the Viking.” Fredrick stalked down the corridor. “Oh, yes, I had the whole story out of her, Gunnar.”

  I heard Gunnar roar his hatred. Fredrick just laughed, but it sounded bitter. He strode back to stand in front of my cell, apparently considering me the only vampire worth his time.

  “My wife cries and begs for mercy for all of you.” Fredrick spit on the floor. “Disgusting. If I threaten to hurt the Viking oaf, Gretchen becomes most loving to me. Pathetic.”

  “Leave her alone.” I couldn’t help it. It made me sick to think of kind, sweet Gretchen married to this monster.

  He came closer and looked at me with hard eyes. “You know, Gloriana, it would be a kind of justice if I were to take you to bed now.” He turned to Jerry. “How would you like that, Cousin Campbell?”

  “You must have a death wish.” Jerry lunged at the bars again.

  Fredrick ignored him then nodded to one of his men. “Open her cell.”

  I wasn’t about to let him drag me out of there without a fight. I clawed and kicked and screamed every curse word I knew. It didn’t save me. Before I could stop them, the guards had me wrapped in their arms and held in front of Fredrick like a gift.

  “Well, Gloriana, that fight was impressive but very ordinary. Any mortal female could resist as much.” Fredrick reached out and dragged a finger down my cheek while the men held my arms behind my back. I kicked again, landing a good one on Fredrick’s shin.

  “I see we should have taken your boots.” He shook his head. “You really don’t want to make me angry, min fina. You would not like what happens then. I could have them hold you down on the cot.” He hooked a finger into the neck of my red top. “I like the color and you do fill out a sweater.” He glanced at Jerry before he grabbed a handful of my left breast. Then he danced out of the way of my kicks with a laugh. Jerry was beside himself, launching his body at the bars as if he could knock them down by sheer force.

  “God damn you, leave her alone.” Jerry reached through the bars, desperately trying to get a hand on Fredrick. “Coward. Do that again when you don’t have me locked up and see what happens.”

  “Ha! Don’t you realize you are as powerless as a mere mortal now? I could toss you around like a child, rip open your throat and watch you bleed out on the floor.” Fredrick did stay out of reach. “But your wife is safe from me. I find her too köttiga for my taste.”

  “Bastard!” Jerry hit the bars with his fists. “I will see you in hell for this.”

  “Where is Gretchen? What have you done to her?” Gunnar’s voice roared down the hallway.

  “Ah, the lovesick swain speaks again.” Fredrick nodded and his men threw me back in my cell and locked the door. “Gretchen is fine. She is my wife after all. It took some punishment to convince her, but she now knows that our open marriage is closed.” He walked down the hall and I heard him bang something against the iron. “Mind your fingers, Viking. You will not heal now as fast as you usually do.”

  “What did you do to us? Why can we not shift?” Gunnar asked the question again.

  “I have created the perfect weapon to use against vampires.” Fredrick paced up and down the hall. He smiled as if deciding this was his chance to show off his genius. “My family has been in the weaponry business for centuries, since we made swords for Vikings such as you in ancient times.” He banged on a cell again. “Then we turned to guns, making fortunes during the many wars that followed.” He laughed. “When one of our number became vampire, it presented a unique opportunity. And who doesn’t want to live forever?”

  “You are clearly mad. Why would you want to destroy your own kind?” Gunnar was voicing all our thoughts.

  “I like a challenge. And power.” Fredrick walked over to study me again. “Gretchen is from another ancient family. I married her to make an alliance. But our families have not always been cordial. We have been enemies too. I like to be able to kill my enemies. To show them who has the most power.” He glanced at Jerry. “You have the look of a warrior. I’m sure you understand my thinking.”

  “I don’t understand you at all.” Jerry stared at me. “But I do understand the urge to kill.”

  “Jerry, let’s listen to him. Tell me, Fredrick, about this weapon you created. How does it work? When will its effects wear off?” I was desperate for that answer. I was getting my own powers back but I couldn’t get Jerry and Gunnar out of here if they didn’t have theirs restored soon.

  “I’m sure you’d like to know. It’s a secret, my pet.” Fredrick laughed. “I will be back later. I am finding your blood very interesting. It has possibilities. And keeping you is proving to be entertaining.” He nodded. “I’ll be back later. A man will bring you fresh blood to drink. Use it to gain your strength because I want to know why my weapon didn’t work on you even if I have to cut you apart to study your physiology.”

  “What?” I shrank back into a corner of my cell. What did he mean? Was he thinking of dissecting me like a lab rat?

  “Oh yes.” Fredrick put a hand on his own chest. “There’s a mystery here and I will get to the bottom of it, even if it kills you.” He laughed suddenly. “Olympus.” He wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “By God, where do you come up with these things?” He strode down the corridor. “Oh, and don’t even think of attempting an escape. Your husband will suffer for it. We will see if you try anyway.” He gestured at the cameras then left through an iron door that clanged when it slammed shut behind the last guard.

  We were alone. No guards stayed with us because of those security cameras at both ends of the dungeon. The door clanged again and a man in black brought in a bottle of blood and set it just inside my cell. He didn’t say a word just left it and strode away again. I saw him toss the cell keys in an iron box by the door before he left. I sniffed the bottle suspiciously but it was obviously fresh and safe. It was a relief that I could tell that. I drank it down and felt better immediately. I got as close to Jerry as I could and saw he had collapsed on the floor of the cell a few feet away. No cot for him.

  “Jerry! How do you feel?”

  “Like hell. Save yourself, Gloriana, if you can. The bastard’s obviously insane.” Jerry sat up slowly and leaned against the bars.

  “You’re right. Fredrick is insane.” I leaned my cheek against the cold bars. It was so damned freezing in here I could see my breath. A castle dungeon. At least Fredrick had upgraded it with electric lights but a quick sweep showed me that the ancient area still boasted iron rings in the walls where prisoners had once been chained. He hadn’t bothered chaining us but that only worried me more. He counted
on keeping us weak and helpless with his drugs and weapon.

  “You’re shivering.” Jerry was shaking his cell door or trying to. “I’ve lost my strength and I can’t shift. Whatever he did to us sapped all my powers. That’s never happened to me before. And I’d like to know how long we’ve been down here. I pray this effect will wear off soon.”

  “Can you get a mental message if I send one?” I tried but Jerry looked blank. “Guess not.”

  “This is impossible. I would think you should recover first.”

  I leaned low and whispered. “I’m feeling better. Stronger. We need to be careful, the cameras may have audio.” I held onto my blanket. Of course Jerry didn’t have one. Chivalry, Fredrick style. We’d had high-tech weaponry aimed at us but not central heat. I guess we knew Fredrick’s priorities.

  “Really?” Jerry sat up straighter but did keep his voice low. “Do you think you’ll be able to shift soon?”

  “I hope so.” I glanced up at the cameras then just put my finger to my lips.

  “I’m worried about Gretchen.” Gunnar’s voice came from what was probably the cell next to me.

  “I am too, Gunnar. But I think he’s probably afraid to kill her. He did say she was from a powerful family.” I settled back against the stone wall and started to plan. As soon as I could shift, I was going to have to get the keys to let out the men. We wouldn’t have long to make a break for it, not with those cameras aimed at us.

  There was a small opening at the top of each wall between cells. If I could climb up and squeeze through that opening, I could work my way down to the end of the hall and disable the cameras somehow.

  “Get ready. I think I can shift now. But we’ll have to move fast.” I stared across at Jerry.

  His head shot up from where he’d been staring at the floor. “What are you thinking, love?”

  “I’m going after the keys as soon as I disable the cameras.” I took a chance and hissed Gunnar’s name.

  “I heard you whispering, Gloriana. What’s happening?” Gunnar didn’t know how to whisper. “I am ready to fight, though my chest hurts. Whatever that weapon does, it hurt my heart.” Gunnar slammed something against his cell.

  Jerry was on his feet. “Mine too. I can’t shift yet either. Fredrick was right about one thing. I’m as weak as a mortal and I have none of my vampire senses.” Jerry was playing it up for the cameras.

  “Calm down, Gunnar. Save your strength.” I concentrated and managed to shift, finally, into a bird, flying over the bars as fast as I could. I landed next to the first camera and pecked out the lens then quickly hit the other one. Then I shifted into my human form and found the cell keys in the metal box, running down to let Jerry out of his cell then Gunnar.

  “By Thor’s holy rod! You are special, Gloriana. Olympus? I would like to see you there, I think.” Gunnar waited while I stopped long enough to hug Jerry then we were running down the hall. Thank God no one had thought to lock the big iron door. We opened the door carefully. A room with a TV monitor was just outside but no one was on duty. Fredrick must have been too sure of himself to post a guard. He’d pay for that.

  Just then we heard someone coming. Jerry and Gunnar kept trying to shift but weren’t having any luck. They did claim in whispers that they were feeling stronger though. We ducked into an alcove and that strength was tested when they jumped on top of two guards who were coming to check on us. The element of surprise worked in our favor and I got a good look in the guards’ eyes, leaving them both statues that we shoved into a closet. I wasn’t sure how long they’d stay frozen since I was still a little unsure of my powers.

  “Good trick, Glory.” Gunnar was impressed. “If Fredrick had seen that, he’d have to believe your story.”

  “Yes, and he’d never let me go.” I grabbed Jerry’s arm as we made our way very quietly up the stone stairs. Each man had a gun now, though Gunnar wasn’t happy with using one. We were on our way to finding Gretchen. We weren’t about to leave her behind. The upper floors of the castle were completely modernized. Except for one thing. Apparently a man who ran a multi-billion dollar munitions and weapons company took pride in his craft. He had displays of many kinds of weapons on the walls. They were in fancy locked cases behind glass but an angry Viking doesn’t let that stop him.

  Gunnar was delighted to spot an old Viking sword and ran a fist through the safety glass. He grabbed it and a scabbard to sling over his shoulder. Jerry added a broadsword to his arsenal then handed me a short dagger. I knew there were probably silent alarms going off in a secure room somewhere but we had to keep moving. We crept down halls covered in lavish and colorful Oriental rugs. At one point a pair of soldiers hurried past on the way to the dungeon. I guess they’d expected a report from the two guards who’d gone down earlier. More shape-shifters. Jerry and Gunnar jumped them, eager to use their weapons. When it became obvious that my guys were no match for the shifters, I jumped in with my Olympus freeze technique again.

  “If I were fully recovered, you wouldn’t have had to do that, Gloriana.” Jerry was not a happy man. “I wonder how long it’s going to take me to get my strength back? This is maddening.” He had landed on the floor after a shifter had wrestled his sword away from him.

  “Obviously whatever the ‘Eliminator’ does, it’s serious. We need to take it and figure it out when we get Gretchen. If we can.” I helped Gunnar to his feet. He didn’t take the help well either.

  “The man must die.” Gunnar helped Jerry grapple with the shifters’ bodies, shoving them behind a couch in a library that looked seldom used. “Can you smell her, Glory?”

  I concentrated. Actually, I could. I pointed upward and we dashed up a broad staircase. I was terrified we’d be caught in mid-stair but no one was on patrol there. We heard shouting below us, a sign that the alarms had sent guards down to the weapons displays and the dungeon but not up the stairs yet. Naturally they’d assume we’d head outside and for freedom anyway.

  At the top of the stairs I inhaled again and pointed to the right. It was a broad beautiful hallway with a half-dozen doors leading off of it. Then there was a set of double doors at the end. The master suite? We stopped and listened. Voices on the other side. Arguing. Surprisingly it was in English. Maybe they didn’t want any of Fredrick’s guards to overhear them.

  “Fredrick, you cannot hold my cousin and his wife like this. The Campbells will come after you and there will be an endless feud. Do you really want to start that kind of war?” Gretchen sounded hoarse, as if this argument had gone on for a while.

  “What do I care? I have the means to make it all come to a swift end.” He laughed. “You never should have taken up with that Viking. What made you flaunt the affair in my face like that?” He was not laughing now. He actually sounded hurt. “We agreed to be discreet.”

  “Like you are with Birgett? That slyna is everywhere on your arm. All my friends laugh at me.” Gretchen’s voice quavered.

  “She is a vice president of my company. Of course she goes with me to business meetings.”

  “In hotel rooms?” Gretchen must have thrown something because there was a crash. “I am not a fool, Fredrick. I’ve had enough of your humiliating me. Gunnar was kind, different. I don’t know him well enough to say that I love him, but he was certainly better to me than a man who thinks he is God.”

  “Shut your mouth, woman. The only slyna I know is standing in front of me.”

  Gunnar roared and threw open the double doors. He was on Fredrick before we could stop him. And I certainly wasn’t trying to anyway. His sword sliced through Fredrick’s arm before the men grappled and rolled on the floor. Gunnar had the advantage in height and weight but the Viking still had only a mortal’s strength and powers. Fredrick’s wound didn’t slow him. He used his fangs to go for Gunnar’s throat. The smell of blood was heady in the room and my own fangs slid down.

  “Jerry, help him.” I pushed Jerry toward the men. I knew he was staying out of it to give the Viking a chance to defend
his woman. But when we saw that Gunnar was on the losing side, it was time to jump in. Gretchen had run to try to help, picking up a lamp and hitting Fredrick on the back. It didn’t faze him. Now Jerry grabbed Fredrick’s bleeding arm, pulling him off of Gunnar and holding his own sword at Fredrick’s neck.

  “Stop, all of you!” I was trying to restore order but then I realized there was an army coming when I heard feet pounding up the stairs. Forget order. “Gretchen, come with us.” I held out my hand. “Can you help us get out of here?”

  “Yes!” She ran to where Gunnar and Jerry held Fredrick and reached into her husband’s pocket to pull out what looked like a small flash drive.

  “Gretchen, no! Where’s your loyalty?” Fredrick tried to fight her. “You do this and I’ll kill you.”

  “I’m as loyal as you are, Fredrick. And we’ll see who survives this.” She picked up the “Eliminator” which was on the dresser and plugged the drive into the end of it, then aimed it at her husband’s chest. As soon as her finger flexed on the trigger, Fredrick slumped to the floor, unconscious. Then she grabbed a large leather purse and slung it over her shoulder.

  “Now this way.” She pointed to an ordinary looking door next to a bathroom. “We can go down the back stairs.” She pushed us inside then through another door. This one was made of iron and she closed and bolted it. “This should hold them for a while.”

  We ran down the narrow staircase, ignoring the shouting and banging on the door above us. At the foot of the stairs was another iron door. This one creaked from disuse as Gretchen, with Gunnar’s help, opened it. We were next to a driveway that led away from the castle and into the snow-covered woods that surrounded it. Of course it was cold, freezing, but at least it had stopped snowing. I was glad for my blanket but the other three had nothing to keep them warm.

  Gretchen pointed to a shed and we found an old four-wheel-drive vehicle inside. Gretchen jumped in the driver’s seat and the engine came to life, the car obviously well-maintained in case of emergency. We were soon bumping across the field. Luckily it started snowing heavily and I looked back and saw that it would probably soon hide our tracks. I breathed a grateful sigh when the heater started blowing hot air. The men were trying to hide it, but I could see them shivering and Gretchen hadn’t bothered to hide the fact that she was clearly miserable with cold.