by Cas Martin
The man she was meeting tonight was her fourth customer. Ten bags and one-fifty for each. She was making more per bag than a full shift at the warehouse. People were willing to pay and so far no one in her own family had approached her. That would raise questions. She denied any knowledge of blood supply on one occasion, when the guy in question made her feel uneasy. Like it was a trap. She couldn’t be sure, but with the risks compounding, she didn’t want to take any more than were necessary.
A jingle sound above the door announced her arrival at the restaurant. Italian. She’d tried pizza several times since her arrival in America, but never been anywhere like this restaurant. It wasn’t fast food. Nor was it upmarket. A man spotted her immediately and waved her over to his table.
‘I didn’t think you were going to show.’ The accent was strong, trying to be a bit too mafia. She wasn’t scared. Even the mafia was nothing compared to some of the protection rackets and enforcers of her homeland.
‘I took a wrong turn,’ she replied, as she sat down opposite and looked at him. Dark, good looking, his olive skin pointed back to a southern European heritage somewhere in his bloodline. As best as she could tell he was from the Giordano family. Not natural friends with her own — there had been rumours last year that something bad had gone down and there was a cover up — but this was business. The man opposite her seemed to agree.
‘Stay and have something to eat.’ He pushed a menu her way. ‘I’ve known the owner of this restaurant since he was a boy. His grandfather opened the place. They still use the same recipe for the spaghetti sauce.’
‘Oh. Okay.’ Jet had expected this to be another handoff meeting. No polite conversation. Just the exchange of money for a product. The night was still young. There would be time for a meal and still get the last train home. She looked at the menu. It was a small selection, and the laminated plastic was starting to come apart at the edge. Splashes of dried food covered some of the words, but she tried not to let that put her off.
When they’d placed their order, she realised the man was looking at her intently. ‘What?’ she asked. There was still time to leave. She didn’t have to give him the blood if she didn’t want to.
‘Nothing. Take it easy. I was just wondering what a nice girl like you was doing getting messed up in this business.’
‘How do you know I’m a nice girl?’
‘I’ve been around a time or two. You don’t have any status within your own family. Not that that’s a problem. Neither do I. Dirty work mainly, out here on the edges. But I know there’s some bad shit going down. Most people would be covering their asses and getting their affairs in order. You’re making cash. I admire that.’
‘I have what people need. I would be a fool not to take advantage of such an opportunity.’
‘I agree. And I’m happy that you’ve decided to share that with me. You’ve got the goods and I’m willing to pay for them. Cold hard cash. Don’t worry about that.’ He paused as the food arrived at their table. He took a mouthful and waited until they were alone again before he continued. ‘I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing.’
‘Why do you care?’ She almost wasn’t listening. He had been right about the spaghetti sauce.
‘Good question. Call me selfish, but I want to keep the lines of supply open. You seem a bit green to be running an operation like this.’
‘I have what it takes.’ Jet hoped she sounded more defiant than she felt. The man sitting opposite her seemed nice enough, but hearing out loud the fears that usually only echoed in her head was not comforting.
‘I hope you do. Genuinely. I think we could do some great business together. Perhaps when all this passes, we could see what else we could do together.’
‘I don’t think our families would condone any cross-family alliances.’
‘Yeah, well what they don’t know won’t hurt ’em.’ He took another mouthful of pasta and chomped down hard. She sensed there was a story there and said nothing. If he wanted to share it then the silence would pull it out of him. ‘Your family, my family, all the others, they’re all the same. Power goes to the top and it stays there. The little guys at the bottom just don’t stand a chance.’
‘I thought your leader was a low blood woman?’ The words were out before she could think about her choice of phrasing.
‘Yeah, she is. You’d think that would mean she’d be willing to share some of that power out amongst the rest of us. But nothing’s really changed. She still plays by the old rules. Those old bastards in the council still call all the shots really, you know it. She does what she has to do for an easy life, even getting into bed with humans.’
‘I see.’ Although she could never say it out loud, Jet had heard of Monica Carletto and secretly admired her. It seemed she was doing a good job at keeping the peace. She stored the man’s discontent away for future use.
‘So if you and I want to do a little business, then I say we go ahead and do it. You’re smart and resourceful. There’s not a lot of that going around in any family. I scratch your back and you can scratch mine.’
Jet took a few seconds to understand what back-scratching had to do with anything but thought she knew what he meant. It was a tempting offer. By blood she was bound to her family and the protection it offered. But her heart belonged to herself.
Later that night, on her way back to the small bedsit she rented, pockets full of cash, she wondered if she was crazy for doing this at all. She only needed a few more thousand dollars and she would be able to break another link in the chain of dependency she had on her family. Fifty bags. That was all. It wasn’t a lot. Just another week or two.
Yes, that would be enough. Then perhaps she could head out of the city. There were other places a restless vampire could go.
It never occurred to her that she should be more afraid of being out in the big wide world alone.
35
Monica rubbed her eyes as she waited for the other end of the line to pick up. She thought if anything should make her feel better, it was ten hours of solid sleep.
When Dennis and Elizabeth had left that morning, she’d returned to bed. For days, she had slept too little and pushed too hard. She’d convinced herself she just needed to give her brain a chance to switch off.
The clear head she’d anticipated hadn’t arrived. Instead she had woken up feeling groggy, as though she was about to get the flu. Fear had gripped her throat, before she remembered the week of fast food and too much wine. No wonder her body was showing telltale signs of wear and tear. She wasn’t invincible. She needed to look after herself like anyone else.
Nevertheless, she had checked her throat in the mirror for any signs of infection. She was sure her glands were more swollen than normal. She reminded herself that it had been ten years since she had last been ill, so how did she knew what her glands usually felt like? It was hardly as if she went around testing them on a daily basis. She had popped back three painkillers she had found in her purse and got dressed, determined not to let her own mind play tricks on her.
‘Hello?’ the voice on the other end of the line was distracted.
‘Harlan, is that you?’ Monica was relieved to hear him.
‘Hi Monica, how’s it going?’
‘Not great. How about you?’
‘It’s only been twenty-four hours since we last spoke.’
‘I know. I’m sorry. I had to check in. Any chance of a progress update?’
‘In answer to your real question, no I haven’t come up with a vaccine yet.’
‘You can’t blame a woman for hoping. Have you made any progress at all?’ Monica hated the strangled tone of desperation in her voice. Perhaps her throat was getting worse.
‘Nothing you can use. Things are still moving along, but as I said before, it’s not simple.’
‘Is there anything else that you need? Just say the word and I’ll get it to you.’
‘I have everything other than hours in the day. Don’t get your hope
s up, but I may be able to get a crude test over to you within forty eight hours.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. The downside is that you’re going to need a range of human blood to test it on. Preferably someone who you suspect is infected. If anyone else shows the first signs of being ill, you need to try to trace their recent feeds. That would be the best way to do it.’
‘I’ll make sure to let everyone know.’
‘I promise I’ll call you as soon as I have something concrete.’
‘Thanks Harlan,’ Monica hung up the phone and sat back. It was some progress, but it wasn’t enough to make this nightmare go away.
Calling Harlan had been a long shot. She made herself stand up and walk over to the kitchen. She needed a pot of strong coffee to get through the long evening ahead.
As she flicked on the switch, her phone began to ring. She ran back to catch it before it went to voicemail.
‘Monica?’ The voice at the other end of the phone trembled.
‘Speaking.’
‘Monica, it’s William.’
‘Are you okay?’ Monica felt the bile rise in her throat. She pulled her robe tighter around her chest, as if it would somehow protect her from the outside world.
‘I’m fine. But not everyone is. I am calling an emergency session of the Council of Elders. Tonight. At 10pm. You need to be there.’
‘What’s going on?’
‘I’ll be able to tell you more when everyone else shows up. I’m still waiting for lots of people to get back to me. But it appears the numbers are on the increase.’
‘By how many?’
‘Enough for people to be concerned. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions from panicking people.’
‘Including you.’
‘Including me. I have many more years under my belt than you do and I’ve never seen anything like this.’
‘I’ll be there.’ Monica hung up the call.
It would take more than strong coffee to get through this night unscathed.
*
There was no loud music playing in the club when she walked through the door. For the first time she could remember, the building didn’t pretend to be anything other than what it was. A refugee centre for the different.
Now it was also a place for the dying. People stared at her the moment she entered the room. They wanted to know if she had any answers, even though none of them would ask her directly. Even though they were scared for their lives, none of them were insane enough to break protocol. Would it always be this way? Or would they reach a point when people were too desperate to care?
She nodded at those nearest to her and tried to look confident. Fear would make things worse. She didn’t want them to sense her own. She saw Dennis at the bar, a glass of what looked like bourbon in his hand. She made a detour to see him.
‘Drink up.’
‘Why?’
‘You’re coming in there with me.’
‘You know I’m not supposed to go into the council anymore. I know what’s going on in there. An emergency meeting is not for people like me.’
‘Tough. I don’t care what they say. I’m the head of this family and if I want to make and break the rules, then I will. I need someone in there for backup. Guess what, that’s you.’
‘If you’re sure?’ Dennis knocked the bourbon back in one go. ‘Did you carry on drinking? You look tired.’
‘I’m fine. Come on, let’s go. I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer than necessary.’
‘This could be the first meeting in months that you’re actually on time for.’
‘Well, this is the first meeting that isn’t going to be nothing but bullshit and protocol. Now move.’
Monica led the way to the back room. She made sure Dennis stayed close behind her. When the guard at the door looked hesitant, she dismissed him. ‘He’s coming with me,’ was all she said before she stormed passed him.
The room fell to a hushed silence. Key members were absent from their seats at the table. She felt her heart begin to pound. Every face that wasn’t in the room was another person who may have succumbed to the illness.
‘Monica, thank goodness you’re here,’ William walked forwards and clasped her hands. ‘We can call this emergency meeting to order.’
He waited for her to take her position at the table. Dennis looked at Monica and she flicked her head in the direction of Elverez. The two of them could sit at the back of the room together and compare notes. It would make things easier if she only had to look in one direction for backup anyway.
‘Elders of the Council,’ William began as he opened the meeting. ‘We are gathered here today due to circumstances of a very grave nature. Not all of us who claim a seat in this room will be heard today. There are some for whom there will be no proxy. As this is an emergency meeting, and we have the presence of our leader, then she can absolve them from their duties and allow this meeting to commence. Monica, do you absolve those who cannot be here of their duties?’
‘Yes I can,’ she said out loud. Internally she screamed for him to get on with it.
‘In that case, let us commence the meeting.’ William’s tone became less formal. ‘We all know why we’re here. Things have progressed from bad to worse. I have been approached by my equivalent member in two other families. They wished to join our meeting this evening. I informed them we needed a private council before we could conjoin them. I hope you don’t mind Monica?’
‘Not at all. We need to work out where we are. What else did your opposite members say?’
‘Their families have reached a critical level of illness. Actual deaths are minimal at the moment, but the number infected seems particularly high. They had no further information about how long the infection lasts before death occurs.’
‘What did they want? Just to compare stories?’
‘No. I wish it were something as normal as that. I would expect there to be some level of co-operation given the circumstances. No, they wanted something else instead.’
‘What?’
‘Protection.’
Monica didn’t think a silent room could get any quieter, but somehow it did. The shock was palpable.
Each family was unique. They were proud. It was an act of shame to bend to the will of another family. Worse to beg to become subject to it. It happened on a rare occasion post-dispute when only a few remained. Then, it was the alternative to death.
‘William, I need more information than this,’ Monica finally found her voice.
‘I don’t know any more. They admit to being severely weakened. They are vulnerable and they know it. They fear attack. The only way they can be certain of protecting themselves is if they have the help of another family. Ours is a logical choice.’
‘Do they know we’re getting infected too? How many?’
‘Unfortunately, we have seen several new cases today.’
‘Do we have a plan for the care of those who’ve contracted it?’ Monica would have to declare a state of emergency soon.
‘Not at the moment. People have simply arrived here. As they always should when there’s trouble.’
‘In that case, we must make that an official arrangement. Put out word that at the first sign of illness they are to come here. We’ll be able to manage things more effectively that way. When a vaccine becomes available, it will be better if we have everyone together. It streamlines our ability to distribute it.’
‘Agreed.’
‘How many people have presented symptoms today?’
‘Twenty-three to my count. There were only five yesterday.’
‘Shit.’ Monica rolled her eyes as William looked at her disapprovingly. Seriously, the world was falling apart and her cursing was his primary concern? ‘That’s more than I expected. We will quarantine the sick. Everyone else can come and go as they please. We won’t keep family and friends apart. But there will be no sharing of blood. We have to be strict and sensible.’
‘There is o
nly so much that being sensible is going to do to stop this. Do you have any news on the cure?’
‘I hope to have a rudimentary test within the next few days. If we can prevent feeding from anyone infected then we can halt new infections.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘Unless you have any alternatives to what I’m suggesting, then you have no choice. And if you do have any alternatives, then I am more than happy to hear them.’
‘I never said that. I know we don’t have any alternatives. But what you are proposing is going to be of little consolation to those out there who are already sick.’
‘I am doing everything I can to get a vaccine for them. There are only so many calls I can make in one day chasing this. We need more time. Until then, we have to have some kind of a plan.’
‘Agreed.’
‘So we will keep the sick here and make them as comfortable as possible. What does everyone think about offering protection to any other families? Are we even in a position to do it?’
‘They obviously fear attack. Does that mean we should prepare for that too?’ a council member whose name Monica could never remember asked.
‘There is always that possibility. In which case, then extra numbers of fit and healthy would be to our advantage. But if the number of sick outnumber that of the healthy, then it could be a drain on our resources. Not to mention the fact that we have to do so many things to ensure their loyalty. There’s all the old,’ she paused before the word bullshit escaped her lips. ‘The um, old rituals to go through first. That takes up time and energy I’m not sure we have at the moment.’
‘I agree,’ said William. For the first time, he looked defeated. ‘I wish we could offer them protection. They are one of the noblest bloodlines out there. I would hate to see them decimated by this disease. But we have to look after ourselves first.’
‘Don’t reject them outright. I’m reluctant to throw them to the wolves. Make our situation clear. We will assess the damage to our own family first. If the opportunity to offer them protection presents itself without damaging us, then we will give it. Does anyone have any objections to that?’
