by D. J. Manly
“Unless it’s Murdock, forget it,” a voice bellowed from behind the door.
“It’s Murdock,” Ryan said.
Suddenly the door flew open. Tyler stood there. He cast Ryan a look. “Alright, go away.”
Ryan sighed and walked back down the hall.
Tyler ran his gaze over Murdock and told him to come in.
Sitting behind his desk, Tyler motioned to Murdock to sit down.
“Sir,” he said, taking off his hat and taking a seat. He looked at Tyler Rose. Physically, he hadn’t changed at all in ten years. Then again, with the Ruby Miracle, the aging process was much slower. But there was a definite change in personality. He was staunch and serious. In fact, he looked sad.
“This is a top secret meeting that I’ve invited you to. Is that clear?” Rose said stiffly.
“Yes, Sir.”
Tyler looked at him again. He was good looking enough, although as hard as he tried he couldn’t picture him with Dino. “Did you enjoy it when the Commander fucked you?” he asked him.
Seth Murdock’s blue eyes widened. “I beg your pardon.”
“Oh give me a break, Murdock.” Tyler rose from the seat and came around to where he was sitting. “You wanted him from the moment you saw him, just like I did. He’s gone now. We can be honest.”
He cleared his throat. “I…it was once in the back of the police vehicle and…”
“So you did lie to me that time?”
“No, it was after…” he stuttered, “after he came back.”
That bastard! “Really? How interesting. And you still dream about it,” Tyler sneered.
He bit his lip and fell silent.
Tyler regarded him for a moment, then said simply, “Take off your clothes.”
“What?” he blinked.
“You heard me, take them off.”
He stiffened, not moving.
“I’m your Commander in Chief, Murdock. If I want to see you with your clothes off, I will. Don’t worry; I’m not going to ask you for any sexual favours. I gave that up years ago.”
“You gave up sex?” The words tumbled out of his mouth.
“That’s right,” Tyler eyed him, motioning for him to stand up. He went to take his seat behind his desk again. “Take them off.”
Seth stood up hesitantly. Slowly, he took off his shirt, then his boots and his pants.
Feeling very uncomfortable, he stood there naked.
“Drop the clothes and turn around,” Tyler told him without emotion.
Seth Murdock slowly turned around. He was beginning to think the rumours were true. Over the last few years, Tyler Rose had lost his mind.
Tyler eyed him almost clinically, deriving no sexual pleasure from seeing him naked. He had a nice body over all, slender, some nice muscle tone, an average sized penis, a nice ass, firm, curvy.
“Alright,” he said, turning his face away, “get dressed.”
Seth Murdock quickly put his clothes back on.
Tyler leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. It didn’t make any sense. Nothing made sense. Seeing Seth Murdock without his clothes didn’t change anything. It didn’t make it any easier to accept the fact that Murdock had been in Dino’s arms perhaps only hours before he had.
Tyler suddenly realised that Murdock was standing there now, waiting for him to say something.
Tyler told him to sit down. “You know that I have sent the military on a few assignments looking for unusual life forms,” he began.
He nodded. It was one of reasons some people thought that he had lost his mind.
“Actually, I was expecting you to find a particular life form. I now know that the information I withheld was the reason you came back empty handed.”
So that was it. Rose was sending them on another wild goose chase.
“A long time ago, I gave Commander Carter a file containing information about vampires. When she went back to serve as information officer on Sentra, she returned it to me. It is sensitive information.” He reached over on his desk and handed Murdock the disk.
“Vampires,” he repeated, taking the disk between his fingers.
“Yes. Perhaps you recall the rash of murders we had, ten years back or so.”
Murdock nodded. “Of course. But they didn’t last long.”
“That’s because the vampires left the city.” He leaned forward. “Did you know that Bryce Donovan was one of them?”
“One of what, Sir?” Seth inquired, narrowing his eyes.
“Bryce Donovan is a vampire. Actually, he’s the leader.”
He wanted to laugh, but he didn’t dare. He looked down at his boots. “I see.”
Tyler didn’t take note of his reaction. Instead he stood up and started to pace. “Ever wondered why he suddenly left the city and no one has seen him since?”
“I just assumed that…”
“Find him,” Tyler barked. He didn’t care if the whole damn world thought he’d lost his mind.
“Bryce Donovan?” Seth repeated dumbly, fiddling with his hat.
Tyler sucked in some air. “That’s right.”
“Perhaps he left a forwarding address when…”
“I told you,” Tyler snapped, “Bryce Donovan is a vampire. Vampires don’t have addresses. He goes by the name of Dino now. It was his name a long time ago.”
Seth was speechless.
“I know you don’t believe me. It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “For years I’ve protected him. Now I want him captured and brought to me.”
Seth tried to make sense of what he was saying. “You say he’s the leader of the vampires?” Seth managed now.
“That’s right. He was predestined to be their leader and now he rules alongside Thor, another vampire who…” He paused. “It doesn’t matter. I want a platoon of three hundred readied for the search.”
Seth’s jaw dropped. “Three hundred…” Seth began. “Sir, if I take that many soldiers, it will leave the planet vulnerable to attack. In all fairness, Bryce Donovan is one man and…”
“He’s not a man. He’s a vampire. He has the strength and intelligence of ten men. He won’t be so easy to capture. In fact, you will need to take a special drug with you, the only drug that can subdue a vampire long enough for him to be taken.”
“Surely Bryce would come in on his own if you…”
“No,” Tyler shook his head. “I’ve waited ten years for him to come back, ten years to this day.” He looked off for a minute.
Seth wasn’t quite sure what he was saying. It seemed as if he wasn’t even talking to him anymore. “Sir? May I ask what Bryce Donovan is being accused of?”
Tyler brought himself back to the present situation. His patience was waning. “He drinks blood to survive. Isn’t that crime enough?”
“I will have to speak to my superior officer and…” Seth held up a hand.
“No. You don’t speak to anyone,” Tyler warned him.
“You really expect me to take a platoon of three hundred men hunting for vampires without even…?”
Tyler stood up. “I will make sure your superior officer stays out of it. Study the information on vampires I gave you. When your soldiers are ready, I will make sure they are given the specialised weapons. Kill the others, but bring him to me. And remember, these are not mortal men you’re dealing with. To kill them, you will need to behead them, then burn the bodies.”
Seth made a face as he got to his feet. The disk Tyler Rose had given him felt awkward in his hand. “When would you like us to leave, Sir?”
“As soon as possible,” Tyler told him. “And Murdock, you are to report only to me. I want to be informed of your every move.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“And,” Tyler added, “don’t fail.”
Seth swallowed. He wasn’t sure he liked the look in his eyes.
On the way out, he shook his head gravely. The rumours were true. Tyler Rose was mad. He had no choice now but to hunt down Bryce Donovan, who for som
e reason had done something to really piss Rose off. Worse, he was supposed to be some kind of a vampire. What in hell was going on?
SOLDIERS ON PEACE
It was William Sorrow who stood in front of Thor at the first sign of dusk. His head was bowed as Thor sat in his huge overstuffed chair and considered his words.
“What are they doing here?” Thor asked him.
Sorrow looked up at him now. His breath always caught in his throat when he looked at him. He seemed to glow with his long white hair that fell almost to his waist and his ivory skin. What he wouldn’t give for one touch from his hand.
“I…I don’t know, Master,” he whispered. “They arrived early this morning. The leaders name is Seth Murdock. He told me his soldiers needed a place to rest. They have been on a mission for almost half a year.”
“Did he say what this mission was?” Thor demanded, his voice sounding cool and calm.
William looked up to see his iridescent blue eyes gazing down at him. “He mentioned a name…he mentioned a Bryce Donovan. They are looking for a Bryce Donovan.”
Thor stood up suddenly. “Did he say where they were from?”
“Ruby City,” William replied. “I remembered that because…”
“Tyler Rose,” Thor growled, his jaw opening to reveal the pointed edges of his teeth.
William took a step backward.
Thor calmed and then gave William a forced smile. “Prepare the house for a party. Make sure the soldiers are personally invited. I must make all foreign visitors feel at home. Go now. Tomorrow night. Make sure there is food and music.”
“Yes, Master.” William nodded his head and went running from the room.
* * * *
Thor waited until the others came into the room. They gathered around him, listening intently.
“Shouldn’t Dino be told? After all, they are hunting him, aren’t they?” Celia asked stiffly.
“No,” Thor shook his head. “He chose to go off and live among humans on that wasteland, C-Sixty Seven,” he sneered bitterly. “We will deal with the military on our own. Tomorrow night they will attend a party that we will host, a party they won’t ever leave.”
The rest of them sniggered.
“The drinking rule is off tomorrow night, my lovelies. After the soldiers feast, so then shall we,” he sighed.
C-Sixty Seven
When he awoke, he wasn’t alone. He slowly moved his face around to see a man beside him, fast asleep. He ran a hand over his chest and sighed. Rearing up on his elbow, he leaned over him and checked for a pulse. Not that he would have intentionally drained him, but he always liked to be sure.
Dark curly hair, slender, not what one would call beautiful but close enough. They always looked the same. Why couldn’t he wake up beside some blue eyed blond?
He drew the blanket down and ran his gaze over the length of him. He had an early morning erection. Nice. He lowered his head and took it into his mouth.
The man woke up, placing a hand in his hair. “Dino,” he whispered.
Dino brought him to orgasm, letting the cum wash down his throat. Then he gently pierced the skin with his teeth, taking a few drops of the precious blood before sealing over the wound with his saliva.
When he brought his head up and smiled at him, the young man’s breath caught in his throat. Dino got out of bed and stood up in the dimly lit room. He stretched his naked body for a minute, giving the other man a fantastic view.
“Good morning,” the man said.
He glanced at him. “Good morning, yourself.”
The man looked around him. “If it wasn’t for the clock, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. Do you always keep it so dark in here?”
“I can’t sleep with the sun shining in.”
“There are no windows in this room,” he said.
Dino shrugged, wanting him to leave now.
He didn’t seem to be in any hurry. Dino waved his hand in front of the wall screen and watched the local news. It was the same old thing, C-Sixty Seven, otherwise known as The Dump, because it was the place where seventy percent of the garbage from the surrounding planets was disposed of; it was a planet filled with criminals. The news paraded a host of human scum and their filthy disgusting crimes. He had come here years ago when Thor decided to take over as ruler of the peace planet and make the inhabitants his slaves. He told him from the beginning it wasn’t his trip. So he had ended up here, first of all because it was an ideal place to feed. He could drink from these creeps guilt-free. One less killer on this planet was doing it a favour.
But then he’d been caught up in the pain of its citizens and he had started investigating and solving crimes. Soon people were seeking him out. He was known as a kind of private investigator. And although the Ruby Miracle helped him to control his thirst and allowed him to tolerate the sun, he still preferred to work at night.
He looked over at the guy in his bed now and sighed. “Do you mind if I ask your name?”
“Gorge. It’s a nickname.” He grinned.
“Oh,” Dino replied. “Well, Gorge, I’m not kicking you out but I have stuff to do today, so…”
He got out of the bed and nodded. “Okay. Can I see you again? It was wild. Let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever had sex like that before.”
Dino shrugged. “Maybe. Take care,” he said, walking into the other room.
Gorge pulled on his clothes, and left.
* * * *
When he first got the sensation, it was later on that evening when he was walking through a deserted alley. It hit him fast and hard. It was like someone had slugged him. Seth Murdock. Now what in hell would make him think of him?
He stopped, looked around him. Seth Murdock and three hundred men were with Thor and the others on Peace. A man was running down the alley now. A woman screamed somewhere. Dino scanned the alley with keen eyes, then rose upward, landing on the decrepit roof of a run down building. The woman was huddled by a garbage can, hiding. The man was looking for her. He had some kind of a weapon in his hand.
Dino waited until he came into plain view, than jumped, landing directly in front of him.
The man stumbled backwards, startled.
“Give me the weapon,” Dino told him.
“Up yours,” he flung at him, pointing the sawed off piece of pipe at him.
Dino’s eyes flashed red. He reached out for the weapon, grabbing it and throwing it away. Then with one hand he took hold of the man’s throat. His eyes widened in fear as Dino squeezed. Then leaning close to him, he opened his jaw, making sure the terrified man saw the pointed teeth. “Say your piece,” he whispered against his ear, “you’re about to die.”
Sinking his teeth into his throat, he drank deeply, then released him. Pulling his body up with him, he deposited him on the roof. After assuring the terrified woman that everything was okay and seeing her home, he came back for the body. “Human refuge,” he said softly. Picking it up, he flew with it across the night sky and then threw it into the garbage incinerator which burned twenty four hours a day.
When he finally hit the ground, that sensation he had before came back. This time it wouldn’t leave him alone. Thor, what in hell are you up to?
It was a few minutes after midnight. He could be on Peace in less than a half hour. Although he had chosen to live apart from them, he was still their leader. He still felt a certain responsibility for their actions. Whatever they were doing now was wrong. He could feel it.
When the Peace planet came into view, Dino felt an urgency he hadn’t felt before. The grand house that Thor had appropriated for himself and the others when he had decided to declare himself the ruler of this tiny population was all lit up tonight. He could see familiar space craft gathered around. It was definitely Sentra issued military vehicles.
Shit. What in the hell were they doing here?
He touched down just feet from the house and peered in the window. Thor. He was sitting at a long table with several military officers.
There was food and drink. Somewhere some gentle music played. He didn’t like this at all. Thor!
Don’t come here. It’s you they are looking for.
Looking for me? What are you up to?
I’m taking care of your problem, my prince. Tonight, we feast.
Dino hissed into the night. No! Release them, Thor, or you will pay. I promise you. I know these men.
Your love, Tyler sent them to find you and bring you back to him. You should have let me kill him that night.
Tyler? He sighed. Damn. He closed his eyes for a minute. Why, after all this time would Tyler send soldiers after him? He didn’t believe for a minute that Tyler wanted to hurt him in any way.
Suddenly, he walked into the room.
It was Seth Murdock that stood up when he saw him, pushing back his chair. He had a hard time standing on his feet.
The vampires at the table immediately bowed their heads when they saw him.
Dino scanned the room. The table was filled with liquor, as were the men’s glasses. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he said softly, giving Thor a look of caution.
“Bryce,” Seth said, coming forward. He looked so beautiful standing there in his red leather pants and black tee-shirt. His long black hair was tied back at the neck. “My God, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Seth, and you?” He said politely, accepting his sloppy hug. He was obviously wasted, as were the others who got up to shake his hand or hug him.
Dino felt a sense of warmth he hadn’t for a long time. These people had been his friends. He realised suddenly how much he had missed them. He glared at Thor. You will not hurt them. They are off limits. Leave now!
The other vampires quickly filed out of the room.
Thor took his time leaving. He issued Dino a cautionary look and said silently, Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you get taken, I will not lift a hand to help you.
I’ve asked nothing of you before this. I’ll ask nothing after.
Thor was gone.
Dino concentrated on what the others were saying to him now. They were recalling stories of the past. He laughed along with them, all the time keeping an eye on Seth Murdock, who had fallen silent.
