The Glass Vampire

by David Page

  “I see,” Richard managed, still finding it difficult to draw breath. “Your inquiry into this matter led you here to the underground?”

  “No, it led me to Questor. Beth led me here.”

  Richard looked down at where she still lay on the floor. “Then you’re working for the police?”

  Beth held out her hand. Ray grabbed it and hauled her up.

  “When I realized what Nash had planned for you, I decided it was time to bring in the cavalry. The desk sergeant forwarded me to him.” She pointed at Ray with one slender finger.

  Richard looked past Ray. “Do you have more officers with you?”

  “Outside. Beth thought if we came in force that Nash would just shoot you.”

  An explosion shook the ground beneath them. Sporadic gunfire responded in the distance. A radio crackled. Turning towards the sound, Richard spied a walkie-talkie attached to Beth’s belt.

  “This is Jack. Agents have breached the lab! All security units report to corridor four. Everyone else, get the hell out!”

  “We need to go.” Ray watched the door.

  “Richard, are you good to move?” Beth fixed him with an all-business stare, as if the intimacy they had just shared had never happened. More shots reverberated through the underground interrupting Richard before he could respond.

  “I had better be. The Department is on their way.”

  “What do you mean? I never contacted them,” Ray countered.

  “Frederick provided me with a false tooth. It contained a homing beacon that would activate at a time of my choosing. When I thought the end was near, I broke it, causing the signal to transmit.”

  “Shit.” Beth shook her head.

  “I have learned to always have a contingency plan,” Richard protested. He looked at Ray and then Beth. “What have you told him?”

  “I told him about your kidnapping you and how Frederick infected you with another virus.”

  “If we can get out of here, I can get you police protection.” Ray drew his gun. “Both of you.”

  “I thought the Department overrode local law enforcement,” Richard glanced nervously at the door.

  “Beth is a material witness and you’re the victim of a kidnapping and attempted murder. That’s enough for me to keep you in protective custody for a while.” Ray frowned.

  “You can’t control your bosses,” Beth countered.

  “It’s the best I can do. Take it or leave it.” Ray cast a nervous look over his shoulder. “You’d better hurry.”

  “Can’t you call for back up or something?” Beth asked.

  “Not a chance. My radio won’t work down here; neither will my cell. We’re on our own.”

  “Our best bet is to get the hell out of here before this Jack guy or the agents catch up to us. Ray looked at Beth. “You know these tunnels better than any of us. Any ideas?”

  “A few.” Beth offered them a wan smirk. “If you can keep Jack’s men off us, I can get us to an exit Jack doesn’t know about.” She swayed on her feet. “It is the blood loss.”

  Richard reached out and steadied her, guilt stinging him.

  “I’ll be fine.” She brushed away his hand. “It was my choice, Richard.”

  “Very well.” He pulled back, but remained poised to spring to her aid.

  “Are we good?” Ray asked her.

  She gave him a thumbs up.

  “All right, let’s go then.” Ray moved towards the door. He paused, bent down, and retrieved a second automatic pistol from an ankle holster. He chambered a round and handed it butt first towards Beth. “Do you know how to use one of these?”

  “How many guns do you have?” she asked, eyeing the pistol warily.

  “This is it,” he replied.

  “I’ve shot a gun at a range.” Beth took the weapon.

  “In that case, I suggest you hand that weapon to me. I’ve been firing pistols since the Pilgrims landed.” Richard held out his hand. “I’m an excellent shot.”

  Beth looked to Ray for approval.

  He nodded curtly. “Just make sure you only shoot at Jack or his mercenaries. If you fire on an agent, we’re all finished... including me.”

  “I understand.” It was truly a shame. Nothing at that moment would have given Richard greater pleasure than to take a few shots at Frederick and his men.

  “It’s all yours.” Beth handed the weapon to Richard.

  Richard took the weapon, felt the weight of the cold steel, and then released the safety catch and sighted down it at the door.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Ray motioned for Beth to lead them.

  Beth paused at the door to listen and then pulled it open. She peaked into the hallway outside and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “It’s clear.”

  “What about Nash?” Richard lowered the pistol and pointed to the inert form of the doctor, resisting the urge to put a bullet in his head.

  “Let the agents have him.” Beth answered.

  The pinging of bullets striking metal drew their attention.

  “Move!” Ray pointed to the door.

  Beth led them into the hallway and headed right, away from the sounds of the gunfire and the door through which Nash and his men had originally brought Richard. Richard followed close on her heels and, together, they reached a metal pressure door.

  Beth pulled against the metal lever to no avail.

  “It’s jammed!”

  “Let me.” Ray slid his pistol into his shoulder holster, gripped the iron lever, and yanked with both hands. It screeched as the mechanism slowly gave.

  A loud clang reverberated behind them. Whirling around, Richard saw two of Jack’s men, dressed in army fatigues, dart through the open portal at the opposite end of the hall. They slammed the door behind them, but not before shots ricocheted off the walls and hitting one of them in the shoulder.

  “Sonofabitch!” The man fell backwards. His partner turned.

  Richard raised his pistol towards them.

  Nash staggered out of the surgery room and nearly collided with the mercenaries. He stopped short, looked in both directions and then pointed towards Richard.

  “Stop them!”

  “Got it!” Ray exclaimed. The latch gave with a final squeal and he tore the door open.

  Beth sprinted forward.

  Richard felt a hand on his shoulder as Ray pulled him through the door. The hiss of silenced gunfire sent bits of mortar and chunks of wood flying as bullets sprayed around them. Ray managed to jam the door home. The steel rang as more bullets bounced off it.

  The meager light of several buzzing fluorescents pushed back the darkness, but failed to illuminate the entire hallway beyond. Judging by the musty smell and dust motes dancing on the air, this passage was rarely used. Several openings to either side remained dark. Richard had no idea where they were.

  Beth’s radio hissed again. “Jack, we’re in hallway 3c with Dr. Nash. The vampire’s heading south from our position! Beth is helping him along with some guy I’ve never seen before.”

  More gunfire sounded in the distance.

  “Shit! Those are Frederick’s men!" Beth cried. "Come on, they won’t keep Nash’s boys busy long!” A flashlight appeared in her hand. She flipped it on and pointed it forward revealing a blank wall at the end of the passage.

  “What do we do now?” Fear wrapped icy hands around Richard’s chest.

  “This way!” Beth darted through an opening to their left.

  They hurried after her. Richard glanced back at the doorless entrance to the small room, a feeling of dread chilling him. There was nothing to keep out those who pursued them. He wondered if the blood loss had impaired the reasoning centers of Beth’s brain and felt another stab of guilt in his chest. Pushing it aside, he took in the room. They appeared to be another old storage shed. An old metal shelf had been built into the right-hand wall while a pile of old wooden crates was stacked against the back wall. There was no way out and nothing of any use to aid
them.

  “We’re trapped,” he noted with grim acceptance, but a glint of determination sparked within him. He lifted his gun. He would die fighting, not hanging upside down in Nash’s lab.

  "No, we're not." Beth panned the light towards the back of the room.

  The metal door through which they had entered the hall, banged open and heavy footsteps thudded on the hard-packed dirt.

  “They’re coming!” Ray raised his pistol. “If it’s Frederick or his team, we’re screwed.”

  “It doesn’t matter, we're leaving." Beth took a step towards the crates.”

  “If I surrender, they might leave you alone,” Richard stepped towards the door.

  “Are you crazy!” Beth grabbed the back of his shirt and stopped him. “We aren’t stuck. Trust me. Now help me move these!”

  “I’ve put my badge on the line for you,” Ray said from the back of the room. “You aren’t going to turn yourself in.” He bent to the task of moving crates.

  “Very well.” Their determination touched him and after what they had been through, after what he and Beth had shared, he believed her.

  “Now the grate.” Beth’s voice was impressively calm.

  Richard risked a quick look back and saw that they had uncovered a large metal grate, just big enough for the broadest of them to squeeze through. A fleeting hope rose within him and once again he noted Beth’s resourcefulness and courage.

  There was a hiss and then a silenced bullet slammed into the wall next to his head bringing down more dust. He leaned out and returned fire. The loud pops echoed around them as the pistol recoiled repeatedly. He managed to fire four times before a projectile grazed his left shoulder. He fell back into the room, dropping his gun in the process.

  “Silver bullets!” His shoulder burned with unnatural fire as if someone had stuck him with a red-hot poker.

  “Richard!” Beth was at his side in an instant. She grabbed him under the arms and pulled him farther back into the room. She stepped over him, grabbed his fallen pistol, leaned out, and fired a few rounds into the hallway.

  The men shot back. A rusted water pipe burst above them dropping several gallons of putrid brownish water onto the floor, splashing them all in the process. Richard recoiled from the fetid stink of the liquid as if it were holy water.

  “You okay?” Beth asked, back inside the room and out of the line of fire.

  “It’s a flesh wound.” Despite the minor nature of the injury, it would take longer for him to heal the damage from their silver bullets. He was lucky they had merely grazed him or as with his leg wounds he would need more blood to heal.

  Beth’s radio crackled again interrupting them.

  “This is Special Agent Frederick Cortez,” the Agent’s voice came in loud and clear over Beth’s radio, interrupting them. “You are all under arrest. Lower your weapons and surrender or we will use deadly force. Richard, if you can hear me. Remain where you are. We will come to you.”

  A metallic clang caused Richard to jump. It distracted him from Frederick’s ultimatum. He whirled around to see that Ray had managed to pry the grate up. He peered down into the gaping hole below.

  “That asshole can kiss my butt. We’re out of here.” Ray motioned towards the exit.

  Beth swiveled towards the hole. “Ray, heads up.” She tossed her light to him.

  Ray caught the light and shined the beam down. Richard could see the rusted rungs of an old ladder descending into the darkness.

  “It’s clear,” Ray decided after a few seconds.

  Another volley of gunfire ricocheted down the hall.

  “This is Unit Two.” The man in the hall spoke loud enough for them all to hear. “We have them pinned down in Grid Four.” There was a pause. “Understood.”

  “Richard!” The man yelled from the hall, interrupting him. "Can you hear me?"

  “Don’t answer,” Ray said. “Go!” He pointed to the hole.

  Beth disappeared as she slid down the ladder. Richard followed and Ray brought up the rear.

  24

  Darkness clung to the narrow tunnel below, pressing in against the feeble glow of the flashlight in Ray’s hand. Murky water pooled in the bottom. Judging by the salty tang in the air, Richard deemed it to be water flowing in from the ocean. He dropped the last foot into the ice-cold liquid. His feet sank another few inches into the caked muck at the bottom. Next to him, Beth looked back up at the opening, her gun hand hanging limply by her side.

  “We have to keep moving,” Ray insisted.

  The crack of gunfire from above interrupted him.

  “Come on!” She swiped the light from Ray’s hand and ran ahead of them.

  The mud sucked at Richard’s feet as he splashed through the water, making running nearly impossible. The best he could manage was a steady jog. After several minutes, he risked a look back and saw a light hovering over their entry point behind them.

  “They’ve found the passage.” Richard said it loud enough for Beth to hear.

  “Keep moving!” Beth shouted. “We’re almost there!”

  Another few minutes of trudging through the water brought them to a sharp corner. They turned right and stopped fast. The turnoff ended in a second ladder in slightly better condition than the first.

  Beth had climbed to the top and had her back pressed up against another metal grate. She pushed up on the rungs using her legs for leverage and slowly the grate squeaked. It finally popped up and over landing on its side with a loud crash. She darted up and rolled out of sight. Richard could see the light and shadows moving about near the hole, but little else.

  “It’s clear." Beth appeared in the opening above. "Get up here!” She moved back out of sight.

  Ray followed her up the ladder, leaving Richard alone in the tunnel. He had spent so much time in tunnels hiding from humans throughout the ages. Now, reduced to something less than human and less than vampire, he hid still. He wished he still held the gun, for he was determined to fight back. Glass could still cut. They would see.

  A loud splash followed by several gunshots echoed in the distance.

  “They’re in!” Richard alerted his friends.

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re home free.” Beth appeared above him again.

  Richard hurried up the ladder and Ray slid the grate into place behind him. Richard found himself in a basement filled with old crates, boxes, dozens of rusted paint cans, and many cobwebs. A rickety wooden stair led up into the floorboards of the room above them. For all he knew, whoever lived or worked above them had no idea this basement even existed. A second set of stairs built into the cement of the basement wall led up to two horizontal metal doors.

  “Help me cover the grate.” Beth grabbed some paint cans and dropped them on top of it.

  Richard added two more to the pile. Ray finished it.

  Beth admired their handiwork. “That should hold them until we’re clear.”

  “Unless they’re waiting above us.” Richard had no reason to become optimistic now.

  “I doubt it.” She frowned. “We’re the only ones who knew about this old tunnel.”

  “Good.” Ray glanced up at the cement stairs. “Then we should be able to get to the Pioneer Square Precinct before that asshole, Frederick, can reach us. I’ll take a look outside just to make sure it’s safe. You two stay here.”

  “Why you?” Beth asked.

  “Because I’m a cop and your safety is my responsibility.” He removed his badge and held it before him as if warding off a vampire with a cross. “I don’t want any trigger-happy rookies shooting first and asking questions later.” He holstered his gun and moved up the stairs, threw open the metal doors and stepped out of sight into the night.

  ***

  “Where is he?” Richard mumbled several minutes later, when Ray had not returned.

  “Richard!” Jack called from outside.

  Richard’s blood froze at the sound of that voice.

  “Come on, I know you’re down there.
Look, I’ll make you a deal. You and Beth come out or I’ll kill this cop.”

  “He’ll kill him anyway.” Beth aimed her gun towards the stairs.

  “We do not know that for certain,” Richard countered, eyeing the stairway with trepidation. “At the very least, my emergence might be used as a distraction that either you or Ray could use to your advantage.”

  “I know him, Richard. Now that the shit’s hit the fan, he’ll kill us, and take you alive if he can as leverage.”

  “All the more reason for me to leave the safety of this basement.” Richard took a step towards the opening.” I cannot allow either of you to be harmed on my account.” Jack had out maneuvered them. There was little he could do except to climb to the surface and reassess the situation. His gun would be of little use. He knelt down and put his gun on the floor and then straightened.

  “Richard!” Beth hissed. “Don’t do this because of guilt. I understand why you had to signal the Department. I’m not saying, I’m happy about it, but I get it.”

  “I don’t do this out of guilt. It is simply the right thing to do.” Richard ascended the stairs, unsure of what he would find. He prayed to the God who had long ago forsaken him, that his friend was unharmed.

  ***

  The stairs emptied out into a dark, narrow alley between two tall, yellow brick buildings. A tan mini-van was parked in the front, its sliding door open. Ray sat with his hands over his head. Much to Richard’s surprise, the Questor computer technician, Dan, sat next to him in a similar position. Ray appeared calm, but Dan shook and his eyes were glassy as if he were fighting back tears. Two dark-masked men aimed silenced machine-guns at them. Standing between the van and the basement, Jack waited, a smaller assault rifle aimed directly at Richard’s chest.

  Richard’s heart thumped the inside of his ribcage as if he had been hit with a defibrillator.

  “Here I am.” He held his hands over his head like the others.

  “Just you?” Jack’s cold eyes studied him. “Where’s Beth the wonder bitch?”

  “Beth is dead, thanks to the efficiency of Frederick and his death squad.” It was a risk, but Richard guessed Ray would never give up both of them. Jack might not care enough about Beth to search the basement for her supposed corpse.