Nighter

by Magdalena Kozak

  “I will eat you if you don’t stop fucking pissing me off,” Vesper stated calmly, then let go of the victim, and turned around and marched off.

  The man wanted to say something more, but only gurgled painfully. He put both hands up to squeezed his throat and began to massage it briskly. He stared after Vesper with disdain, and with some appreciation.

  Both nighters disappeared in the dark hallway.

  ***

  Vesper glided on Lubelska Road, planning the quickest drive to Woloska Street. He swore passionately at that. There was no way he could avoid traffic. Unless his BMW learned to fly with him.

  His cellphone buzzed in his pocket, demanding his attention with its insistent ringtone. He’d forgotten the headset again, and he still didn’t like talking on the phone while driving, especially driving two hundred miles per hour on this tiny stretch before Lubelska Road ended.

  “Listen, did your guys go nuts or something?” That was Crumbly, clearly worried,

  “What’s going on?” Vesper barked, feeling an unpleasant shiver run up his back.

  “Well, they started thrashing like never before. Guys called me from surgery to ask if I understood any of it, because they’d never seen mass insanity during their whole service. Your guys started acting like they were drunk. They got aggressive, and a little unpleasant... Our guys didn’t leave them hanging, the company got some punches in.” Vesper could hear in Crumbly’s voice that the man was getting flustered. “And your guys said, ‘Screw this job,’ and they wouldn’t ‘babysit ungrateful dicks... let them get what they deserve,’ or something like that. So they are going to town. And they left. Listen...” the cop swallowed. “Is that normal for you guys?”

  “No,” the nighter said, feeling his heart in his throat. “Absolutely not.”

  “So what the fucking fuck is going on here” Crumbly asked. “Someone bought them? The city? Those... Terrorists?”

  “Listen, man. First of all, warn your guys,” nighter asked seriously. “Tell them to watch out.”

  Crumbly was silent for a moment. Vesper grimaced in an instinctive half-smile, waiting for a comment. The other would probably say something in his own style, like ‘whoa what a ride’ or something...

  “It’s hot?” the police officer asked consciously.

  “Yes,” the nighter replied immediately. “Yes, it’s very hot. Be careful.” The trace of smile vanished from his face. “I’ll come to the rescue with the cavalry. As soon as I can.”

  “Okay,” the other confirmed calmly. “Should I call more of my guys, what do you think?”

  Vesper thought it over for a minute. More police officers, better protection. But also a bigger hunt for the renegades if something happened. But humans had a better chance during the day. Maybe vampires wouldn’t defeat them so easily.

  “Yes,” he decided. “Call them over.”

  “What reason should I give them?” the A-T kept asking, “Because, you know, I can’t really say that ISAs went to hell and I’m afraid to sleep alone.”

  The nighter held his breath in. Tell him about the renegades? Damn, but then Crumbly would have to cross over to the Night side. And he didn’t know if Crumbly would want that.

  “Listen, wait till I get in touch with my commanding officers,” he choked out in a strange voice. “I don’t know how much I can tell you. I just don’t know. Sorry, man.” He was silent for a while, letting the other man digest the information he’d heard, then added quickly. “Okay, I’m going. Let’s not waste time.” He hung up.

  He waited for enough distance between cars and turned around rapidly, the tires squealing mercilessly over the burning asphalt. He dialed Nidor’s number with a shaking hand. Beep, beep, beep... He wasn’t answering, damn it.

  “Nidor!” he yelled in his mind.

  No, too far. Maybe the lord could converse at such distance, but not him, just a regular nighter. But the captain needed to know everything as soon as possible.

  He swore and started flooring it toward Emów. He turned the radio on to calm his nerves.

  “Comet’s night approaches, rain of fiery meteors,” Budka Suflera’s hit from years ago chimed in. “You won’t find out from the paper who will survive their death...”

  “Fuck!” he growled, turning the radio off immediately. “All we need is an illegal recruitment right now!”

  He didn’t have time to drive around to the main road and park. He drove through the overgrown, forest road as a shortcut, the same route he’d taken the first time he drove to the unit. He drove into the rusty gate; it broke apart in front of him with a chink. He flew forward, ripping bits of grass and sand from the ground. He braked right in front of the building, letting the car’s rear slide rapidly.

  He ran out of the car, and got to the door in two jumps. He kept calling Nidor in his mind, but he received no answer. He swallowed. A ball was growing in his throat and it began to choke him. His feelings were proving to be true: this was a particularly nasty day, and kept getting worse with every minute.

  He waved at the guard, who opened the door for him instantly. Vesper ran through the hallways of the human part of the building. He needed to get to the nighters as quickly as he could...

  Suddenly, he stopped, touched by another feeling. It was quiet here, very quiet...What, did the kid got tired of bitching?

  He turned around toward door number twelve. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed it open with a decisive move. He looked into the room, kneeling at the threshold, and ripped the gun out of the holster instantly.

  Maria lay in center of the room in a pool of red. Umens was bent over the woman, her blood stained his lips and fangs. He held the ripped wrist of his right hand directly over Maria’s lips, and stared expectantly as his own blood slowly dripped into her mouth.

  Nidor, Wojtek, and the recruit kneeled by the wall in an obedient row. The last one’s eyes were wide, nearly mad with fear. Vesper glanced around the room swiftly. Maybe a renegade was hiding here somewhere? After all, it was impossible that Umens, a nighter captain... He swallowed rapidly. But yes.

  “Illegal recruitment makes you a renegade,” he announced in a shaking voice. “Let her go, Captain. And let the rest out from under your control. You’re under arrest.”

  The other stared at him with absent eyes, as if he didn’t understand Vesper’s words.

  “How long can one wait?” he asked calmly. “I had to finally help her with the decision. I had to, you understand that. I had to.”

  Vesper let the air out with a hiss. Umens’ eyes... absent, wild. Just like the ones the stoned vampire in Moonwalker had. Exactly the same.

  “You’re under arrest,” he said with difficulty. “You bring dishonor on yourself and on all of us. You’re a renegade.”

  “No nighter has ever been, is not, and never will be a renegade.” Umens answered calmly. “Don’t you know that, kid? I just...” he broke off and glanced down. “I just called her to me,” he whispered with great tenderness in his voice. “She was afraid to come on her own. So like a woman, you see. No, you don’t. None of you here understands anything.”

  Vesper stared at the target, aligned it with Umens’ burning eyes in the background. His hands shook, and he felt like he was in a nightmare. Was he going to shoot the captain? But he had to...Had to!

  Umens stared at him carefully, probably hearing his thoughts. A frightening, desperate grimace crawled up to his face: not a smile, not desperation. Suddenly, the captain got up and picked up Maria with lightning speed and jumped out of the window with her, spraying glass bits around.

  Vesper shot, before he could understand what was really going on. The bullet left through the empty window, and was lost somewhere among the trees.

  The dark dot disappeared swiftly beyond the forest.

  The kneeling men shook themselves off at the same time. Nidor got up and lunged for the window, Vesper followed him. They reached through the sharp shards sticking out from the frame, and stuck to both sides of the open
ing. They looked out carefully, with guns ready to shoot, and began to check out the area attentively.

  “He was strong; I didn’t expect it,” Nidor gasped wearily. “Oh fuck, he was so strong... He got us down on our knees, I didn’t even have time to make a sound.”

  “Like a stoner,” Vesper said in shaking voice, observing the area. “And you’re still really weak. You’re still a convalescent.”

  “You were right,” the captain said, swallowing nervously. “You were right. That blood was contaminated.”

  They turned to face the people. Wojtek had marched to his desk and sat in the chair as if nothing had happened. He was white as a sheet and didn’t say a word.

  The recruit stared at them with absent eyes, then looked at Vesper. His eyes widened even more.

  “Don’t eat me,” he said in unnaturally calm voice. “Okay?”

  “Will you behave?” Vesper wanted to make sure, feeling more and more absurd. “You promise?”

  The other man nodded eagerly.

  “Screw his promises,” Nidor barked nervously. “He will last in his promise fifteen minutes, tops. Then, once he runs, we’ll read all about us in the papers. We need to neutralize him, and that’s that,” he sighed heavily. “But how? We’re not gonna keep him in the Bunker till the end of his days.”

  “But I really promise,” the young one repeated in begging voice. “Really!”

  He glanced around desperately, searching for help. His eyes stopped on his computer screen, where his lasts search results were still up. ‘STUPID VAMPIRES’ the merciless writing said.

  The recruit closed his eyes, and his lips trembled.

  “Wait, Nidor,” Vesper sent suddenly. “I have an idea.”

  He ran out of the room, lunged for the TV hall, where, as he remembered, was the first aid kit. He ripped it off the wall, and went back immediately.

  Nidor and Wojtek held the recruit down together, who was screaming and thrashing with all his strength. As expected, he didn’t plan on keeping his promise.

  “Arm, give me his arm!” Vesper yelled.

  He tossed the kit’s contents on a nearby desk, and swiftly picked out the necessary items.

  “Don’t move,” he said, without even looking at the recruit. “This is your only chance of survival.”

  The kid calmed down instantly, panting heavily, and stared at the nighter with wide eyes. Vesper turned to the desk. He walked to the recruit after a moment, holding a full syringe. The human stared at it in fear. He jerked again, helplessly.

  “Either this, or a bullet to the head,” Vesper stated grimly.

  Nidor and Wojtek understood his plan, and held the recruit’s arm straightened out. Vesper tightened a tourniquet on his arm. The kid jerked again.

  “You want me to poke you aimlessly, then go ahead,” the nighter barked, looking for the vein.

  He stuck him right away, not as well as he once had, but not bad either. He released the tourniquet and administered the liquid slowly, watching the recruit’s face carefully. The man tightened his lips, and tears streamed from his eyes.

  “All right,” Vesper said. He loosened the tourniquet and pulled the needle out. “So... time for the second act. You can let go of his arm, gents. And you, plug the hole with your finger, so you don’t bleed out.”

  He turned to the desk, preparing another injection.

  “What the fuck are you doing, man?” Nidor couldn’t hold it in. “Did you go completely mental? You feel like medical experimentation? We don’t have time!”

  “Calm down, trust me,” Vesper responded tensely, and walked up to his victim.

  He grabbed the forearm skin between two fingers, and stuck the thinnest insulin needle in the fold. He injected the contents with one move of the syringe.

  “Okay, we’re all done,” he said stepping back. “You can let go of him, gents.”

  They listened to him reluctantly, still observing the recruit carefully.

  “I feel hot,” the kid whispered, staring at them with foggy eyes. “What was that... what?”

  “Have you seen Escape from New York?” Vesper asked, praying for a confirmatory answer.

  The recruit nodded slowly, and at the same time inhaled pathetically through a phlegmy nose.

  “So now you know, more or less, how Snake Plisken felt,” the torturer said. “What you had injected into your vein was poison. A mortal one, might I add.”

  The kid hung his head like a dead man. He began to shake all over.

  Suddenly James Bond, whose talent was being wasted by looking for information about stupid vampires, vanished. Now he was a simple, scared, little human, into whose eyes death was staring with interest.

  Vesper grabbed the recruit’s hair, lifting his head up.

  “And what was injected in your arm,” he choked out slowly, “that was your chance. The antidote.”

  The other man blinked rapidly.

  “That dose will be good enough for twelve hours,” the nighter kept speaking slowly. “If you run away, betray us, or do something equally stupid... you simply won’t get the next one. And nobody else will give it to you, so don’t count on that. You will die in agony. That’s all.” He let go of the man’s head, letting it fall loosely.

  The recruit rocked back and forth.

  “How long will this last?” he asked suddenly. “I’ll do my job here, I understand, but then... when will you give me the permanent antidote?”

  “Never,” Vesper said brutally. “You’re tied with us for life. Either that, or a bullet to the head.”

  And let the lord decide what to do with him, and where to put him, he added in his mind with relief. Nidor didn’t say anything, just nodded.

  “So... what am I supposed to do now?” the recruit choked out through tears. “What do you want... what do you wish?” he corrected himself immediately.

  He had grown up, they thought with surprise. Unbelievable how simple it was.

  “Captain?” Vesper nodded at his superior.

  “For now, go to your room,” Nidor decided. “And stay there, until we call you. You need rest.”

  “Yes, sir!” the man replied obediently, wiping tears away with the back of his hand.

  “Okay, then go!” The nighter commanded.

  The recruit left the room at top speed, swaying with each step. Shortly, they heard his uneven steps echo in the hallway.

  Only then did Nidor looked at Vesper questioningly.

  “That’s the first time I’ve heard that we have such terrible poisons. And in a commonly-available kit,” he said. “Will you tell me more?”

  “I had to improvise,” Vesper said with a shrug. “I injected Tylenol in his vein. He could use it, he got a few bruises here. And a simple saline solution under his skin. I ran out of ideas there...”

  “Great job,” the captain said with a trace of relief in his voice. “But, Vesper, what are you doing here anyway?” he realized suddenly. “You were supposed to be with Crumbly.”

  Vesper briefly repeated his conversation with the A-T.

  “Damn it!” Nidor said. “That means it’s worse than I thought...” he became thoughtful for a moment; it was obvious he was weighing a particularly hard decision. “Listen, go to him now,” he said finally. “Secure the area as much as you can. We’ll get to you... as soon as we can.”

  “You’re sending me alone?” Vesper couldn’t believe it. “Without backup?”

  “Who am I supposed to give you?” Nidor asked. “Six stoned nighters, including a captain, wander around the city. We have to get them, before it blows up... and before the guys turn into real renegades.” He swallowed. “Besides, someone has to stay at the base, so we don’t just set ourselves up for shots, like some idiots. And there is no way we can pull anyone from the storage. So...”

  “So I’m going alone,” Vesper summed up quietly.

  The other nodded, looking into his eyes seriously.

  “Oh, and remember...” he started, and became silent for a while,
like always when he had to choke out an unpleasant decision. “You’re there to protect Crumbly. Nobody else. The renegades are set for him the most, it’s a matter of honor for them. And for us too.”

  “And the others?” Vesper asked, returning the stare.

  “If they make it, then I’ll be very happy,” the other nighter responded very slowly.

  “I understand, Captain” he responded calmly.

  And then Vesper turned toward the exit, setting up another plan in his mind to avoid traffic.

  ***

  Vesper ran through the huge main entrance of the Internal Matters and Administration Ministry’s hospital. He remembered Nidor’s order, but... maybe he should check up on the other A-Ts, those who were in the surgery ward, and then stay with Crumbly? He took out his cell, and dialed his friend’s number.

  “The number you have dialed...” a dry female voice answered. “Leave a message.”

  Nighter stared at the cell in confusion. He checked the number, and it did check out, written into the contacts as Crumbly. What the heck was that woman doing there?

  Well, maybe something clicked wrong in the wires. Let’s try again.

  “The number you have dialed...” the same woman again.

  Vesper swallowed and hung up. He ran further along the hallway.

  Could renegades hack the connection and direct him elsewhere? In that case, there was no way he would leave a voicemail. Vesper knew they were in trouble, but that wasn’t news.

  He started up the stairs, trying to avoid a potential elevator trap. He ran up to Block E’s fourth floor, where the orthopedic department was located. He ran down the hall, all the way to the A-Ts room... Empty. His heart began to pound faster, in an unsteady rhythm. He’d had enough premonition feelings for today, and that nasty consciousness that something wasn’t right. But he couldn’t help that.

  He walked up to the nurses’ station.

  “Excuse me, where is...” he broke off, confused.

  Damn it, what was Crumbly’s real name? Piotr probably... or Martin? No, it was Piotr probably. Dang, maybe Lucas?