Nicoli’s body convulsed, vibrating with an audible humming sound from beneath his clothes. Smoke started to rise from his jacket and cape, obscuring his body. As the smoke began to clear, Stanic drew back, cringing as the horrifying image beneath became visible. The man’s decaying face looked like an old wrung-out rag, twisted voids where his mouth and eyes should have been. Then the disfigured shape began to lose its solidity, collapsing in as if hollow.
Stanic couldn’t drag his gaze away, hypnotized almost, as the remains of Nicoli’s body disintegrated to a fine powder.
“One down,” he whispered without looking up, “And two to go…”
Rachel and Valentine rushed to Stanic’s side.
“Thanks mate.” Valentine said. “You saved me again, my friend. And, if memory serves, that’s the second time today. So seriously…thank you, mate.”
Then Valentine looked at Rachel with just a hint of a smile. “Just a beauty of a job to you as well, love. That was a close call, bit too close.”
Without another word, the trio gathered their weapons and gear and headed back to the SUV. Stanic held out the keys to whoever wanted to take them.
Rachel grabbed the keys, “I’ve never seen someone move as quickly or powerfully as that man did. It was like a flash of light and shadow.”
Valentine looked at her, his body still visibly trembling from being seconds from death. “And that was during daylight without his powers at full potential. Just imagine what they can do after dark.”
As Valentine’s words sunk in, Stanic locked eyes with Rachel who seemed to be studying him. Was she thinking the same thing as he? The reality was…this could be the last time they had together. In a few hours, they might all be dead. He had a sudden urge to hold her, to protect her, tell her how much he loved her.
“Quickly now, you two, we’re off, straight away, to the lab to retrieve the virgin blood. It’s almost five pm.”
***
Dominic sauntered into Santa Cruz County Memorial Hospital with a belying smile pasted across his pale face. He locked the doors behind him, then approached the front desk where Edna sat, filing insurance forms.
“May I help you?” Edna said, now with her full attention on the young man standing in her lobby. Taken back by the man’s odd looks and black clothes, she rolled her chair away from her desk and looked up at the man…then noticed his bloodshot eyes, dark red lips and pale yellow skin.
“Where may I find Dr. Rachel Moore?” Dominic asked.
“May I ask what this is referring to?” Edna said as professionally polite as possible even though she was unnerved by the man’s odd demeanor.
“This is regarding the whereabouts of your Rachel Moore.”
“I’m sorry, but hospital policy prevents us from giving out any personal employee information. You can leave her your name and phone number if you like?”
“She is not here…is she?” he said, his voice calm. But the demented look in his eyes alerted Edna to beware.
“I think I’ll wait,” he said, then walked around the front desk and invaded Edna’s personal space.
“But while I’m waiting—” Dominic bent down and hissed in her ear “—let me explain to you how I feel about your…hospital policies…”
***
Valentine loaded their recon gear into the SUV and the threesome sped off down Ocean Street with tires chirping. They turned right onto Highway 1, then headed north toward Rachel’s office.
“Okay, so all of the blood samples are kept in the lab,” she explained. “The lab is located in the rear of the building. I have a key to the back door, so I should be able to sneak in relatively unnoticed. If someone does see me, I’ll deflect any questions as best I can, but it will be easier if I don’t have to explain the two of you.”
“You actually want to go in there alone?” Stanic asked, his voice registering disapproval. “It’s not the employees I’m worried about.”
“No worries, mates,” Valentine chimed in. “I have a plan.”
“Let me guess,” Stanic replied. “It’s just crazy enough to work?”
Rachel pulled into the parking lot adjacent to the building, shut off the engine, removed her office keys from her purse and replaced them with her laser-sighted pistol. She opened the car door and stepped out, then paused and took a long look at Stanic, wondering if she would see him again.
Stanic looked back, and she could swear she saw the same hesitation in his eyes. They didn’t speak, but the undeniable emotion brought a slight moisture to her eyes. For just a moment, time seemed to stand still. But in reality, time was of the essence. “I’ll see ya soon,” she said with a wistful smile, then turned and closed the door behind her.
Rachel approached the rear doors of her office, just as she would when coming to work. Casual. Nonchalant. It seemed like a normal evening.
Nothing out of the ordinary. This will take two minutes... No one will even see me. Just two minutes…
She took a long, deep breath, inserted her key into the lock and slowly turned it clockwise. The lock popped open with a click much louder than she remembered it sounding. Then she opened the door just far enough to peek into the hall.
The lab was on the left across the corridor and she could see enough to determine it looked deserted.
Perfect. She slipped inside, but before closing the door, she pulled a pack of gum from her purse and wedged it into the doorjamb. She let the door rest against the makeshift obstruction and stole across the short hall and into the lab without so much as a glance toward the front desk. Once inside the lab room she found Sarah Little’s blood sample in the specimen cooler, pocketed it, and then turned and walked back toward the rear exit. Just before she pushed the door open, she turned to look down the long empty hall toward the reception desk.
Even on a quiet night the floor was buzzing with lab techs, nurses and patients, as well as maintenance personal. Where the heck were they? They had grown so close over the past years that her employees had become more like family…and she worried about them just like she would her family. Now she feared she had put their lives at risk. But maybe she could at least give them some kind of warning. She took a few tentative steps toward the front lobby. If she could just warn one employee, she would feel much better…
As she took another few steps, she saw a dark pool of something easing out from under one of the larger storage closet doors…like something had spilled inside the room…a paint-like liquid…almost black… and the door to the room was ajar.
Rachel pulled her pistol from her purse. Her muscles tightened and her legs felt clumsy and rigid as she continued her cautious approach. As she neared the storeroom, the unmistakable scent hit her… the acrid stench of death. Her hand shook as she reached for the handle, then slowly inched open the door.
As the bright light from the hallway’s overhead florescent bulbs lit up the storage room, Rachel spotted a shoe lying on the floor. She gasped. Edna’s shoe. The soft leather was splattered with dark stains. Oh, no… Oh, God, no!
Rachel’s pulse raced as she opened the door a bit farther, and in the stream of light…she saw Edna’s limp body lying next to a bright yellow mop bucket. Her elbows and knees posed in the air like a slack puppet with no puppeteer…her throat had been ripped apart…like a wild animal had attacked her. Her eyes still wide open, frozen in terror.
Rachel’s heart wrenched. Tears rolled down her face and her throat cramped. Edna was her best work friend…and this was her fault. She placed a hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing outright. Oh, Edna. I’m so, so sorry.
She stepped to her friend’s side, sorrow and regret now consuming her. Then she saw someone else…underneath Edna…someone wearing the dark green trademark work uniform. It was old Al. His neck was twisted backward into a grotesque dislocation. His vertebrae had torn through his dark skin, and was positio
ned vertically in the air with all of the other mop handles.
Bile rose in her throat. She took a quick step back toward the threshold of the doorway, gagging as her body jerked and heaved.
Suddenly all her senses went on red alert. She felt a presence …a wave of unwelcome energy…and the scent of unfamiliar cologne. The pistol felt heavy in her hand, but a burst of raging adrenaline coursed through her. His fault. He did this. Fingers tightening on the gun, she swung around and fired.
Crack!
But no one was there. Nothing but a deserted doorway. But it…or someone…was still there. She knew it…sensed it. And even though she had a gun, she felt as helpless.
The grisly nightmares of her childhood returned full force…fear and terror…panic…closing in on her from all directions, ripping and tearing at her mind like a pack of hungry hyenas attacking an injured gazelle. She braced herself against the hallway wall as the crushing despair settled in. She was lost…helpless…trapped under the powerful and debilitating currents of her own flooding emotions.
Then something flashed in her peripheral vision. A barely noticeable drop of blood fell from above and landed on the bloody hallway tile floor…and she realized why she hadn’t seen anyone else in the room.
Rachel dove through the doorway just as a dark form leapt down from the ceiling with a bright flash of white light. She slipped across the bloody floor and rolled up against the door jamb on the other side of the hallway. The force of her body collided with the wall jarring her pistol loose from her grip. She watched in agony as the weapon slid across the hallway floor just out of reach. She would be dead before she could retrieve it.
The dark shape in the storeroom stayed in a half-crouched position, hissing in obvious fury from missing his target. Fiery red eyes seething with rage and hatred locked onto Rachel, as if burning their way into her soul. Then, the thing stretched out its long arms and charged…cape flying high like giant batwings as it flew toward her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Valentine waited a full ninety seconds before approaching the medical office to backup Rachel. He made his way around to the front entrance, studying the parking lot for anything out of the ordinary. It looked quiet enough, so he walked to the front doors and reached for the handle.
Locked? That’s odd. He peered through the large glass doors. Papers and files were strewn across the front lobby. An overturned chair hung on top of the front desk. A sharp gasp escaped his lips. Rachel was in trouble.
He lifted his left arm up to shield his eyes and slammed the butt of his pistol down on the glass door. Glass exploded in every direction, shattering the door. Valentine bashed a few big pieces out of the way, then slipped through the opening into the empty office. And just as he stepped inside, he heard gunfire echoing down the hallway.
***
Stanic approached the rear office doors with gun drawn. He’d studied the back parking lot to be sure there wasn’t a trap designed to lock them inside. Then, when he was satisfied no one was lurking, he entered through the rear doors, which were propped open with a pack of chewing gum. He smiled. He’d have to give Rachel credit for her quick improvising.
Crack!
Gunshot. His gut cramped. Visions of Rachel overpowered by the police officer at the rest stop flashed through his mind as he sprinted toward the sound, hoping beyond all hope he wouldn’t be too late.
***
Rachel’s heart pounded hummingbird fast. She yanked a sharpened ash stake out of her inside pocket and braced it against the wall and doorjamb against her back.
The monster landed on top of her with a thud. He looked directly into her eyes, his grotesque face glowing with a twisted smile of triumph.
But his ecstasy quickly turned to confusion. He shifted his gaze, hands groping at his chest. The stake had penetrated his thin silk shirt and driven straight through. His body started convulsing…then vibrating. Then it went rigid. Smoke rose from his clothes as Rachel pushed and shoved to get out from underneath.
“Rachel!”
Turning to the side she saw Stanic charging in from the rear entrance door. At the same time, Valentine barreled forward down the hallway from the front lobby, both men with their guns drawn. The two halted, watching as the vampire’s body disintegrated into a powdery grey ash with his clothes collapsing to the floor.
“I’m alright,” Rachel groaned and rolled away, spreading the monster’s remains across the sticky, blood-red floor.
She scrambled to her feet, still staring at the creature that had attacked her. She glared at Stanic as an unfamiliar rage boiled up from somewhere deep within.
“Two down…” she said in a low, hoarse voice. “And one to go.”
***
The vampire hunters arrived back at the motel, screeching to a stop in the small lot. They hurried to their room and unloaded the gear. Stanic grabbed the small black kettle, placed it on the coffee table, then sat on the couch and opened the tattered and yellowing vellum.
Rachel and Valentine sat in the chairs opposite the couch.
“This seems fairly straightforward,” Stanic mumbled as he re-read the ancient text. “Let me see; we add ‘VINI SANGUINEI’, or translated—red wine. Then it says ‘REPETERE QUATTUOR TEMPORA’, or—repeat four times.” He frowned, but didn’t look up. “Hmm. We’ll need to recite these incantations aloud as we mix together each of the elements into a chalice.” He shrugged, grabbed the motel’s oversized rules and regulations cardboard poster displayed on the small end table next to the couch and started to write out the incantations on the reverse side in large, readable letters:
Habetur deos orare nocturno
Noctis mutare di permittitis
Patiaris nostri obscuro transmutatio
Exigimus obscuro magno donum
“And also,” Stanic directed his words toward Valentine. “This ritual must be performed over real earth, so we’ll need to find some nearby soil to dig up.
Valentine stood, grabbed the motel ice bucket with his uninjured hand, and nodded over his shoulder on his way out. “Be back in a jiffy, then, mate,” he replied, then went in search of exposed earth.
***
A tall man wearing full-length black trench coat and a wide rimmed black fedora stood watching Valentine from the shadows as he gathered the loose soil. The man’s hat was pulled down low, covering most of his face as he took a long drag from his glowing cigarette, the bright amber illuminating his face. He lowered the cigarette, watching as it burned down to the filter, and then dropped the butt onto the pavement, exhaling a cloud of billowy white smoke that swirled around him in the cool October air. Taking out his notepad, he recorded the strange behavior that he would report to his superiors.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Stanic was still attempting to decipher the text when the motel room door swung open.
“This should do the trick then, mate!” Valentine proclaimed, holding the earth-filled ice bucket up like a trophy as he marched into the room, then slammed it down on the coffee table with a dusty clang.
Stanic gave Valentine a slow nod of confirmation, picked up the bucket and walked to the center of the bright red pentagram he’d painted onto the shag carpet. Unsure of what to do next, he looked to Rachel. She was busy in the kitchenette, replacing the dulled razorblades from the box cutters they’d used to sharpen the stakes. He looked at Valentine, who shrugged and cocked his head to the side.
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, then,” he said and poured the entire bucket of dirt on the shag carpet in the center of the pentagram. A plume of dust rose up, clouding the room. Stanic went to the coffee table with the dust still settling around him, picked up the small black kettle and placed it
on top of the soil.
Almost ready…
Valentine pulled a lighter from his pants pocket and began lighting the candles as he placed them around the thick red ring encircling the pentagram, counting aloud as he went. “One…two…three…”
Rachel returned to the living room with the box cutters.
“Ummm…” She touched one of the sharp blades. “Uh, huh. This is, uh…unfortunately may…um… ” She paused with a lopsided little grin. “Yeah, this is definitely going to hurt.” And then she tossed the box cutters onto the coffee table.
“Eleven…twelve…thirteen! That’s the ticket, mate,” Valentine confirmed in Stanic’s direction.
But Stanic wasn’t paying attention. He was looking at the text. “Wait a minute! I can’t believe I missed this…it says ‘solum nigrumvestimentum’. Or those involved must be clad in black.”
Valentine straightened. “Just so happens we’ve got that covered, mate.” He unlatched the small suitcase they’d brought from his apartment and threw open the lid to reveal their black recon suits. They dropped what they were doing and changed into the soft jet-black leather suits.
Stanic returned to the center of the room, feeling a little more prepared to start the ritual, but still mulling over the possibilities they had made some mistake, mistranslated the text…or worse, the fact that this ritual might change them in some way…permanently.
***
Constantino paced across his den, continuing his urgent attempts to conjure more and more of his new psychic powers. He smashed both fists down on his desk as he realized his new clairvoyance still remained quite limited. The use of the dark arts always took their toll physically on the user, but much more so before nightfall. Constantino didn’t care. He deemed the information vital.
With his chin buried into his chest, he closed eyes and rubbed his temples. He focused his mind to conjure the power that had been bestowed upon him…and the visions began to come.
It was as if he was looking through a dark swirling tunnel as a twisted mosaic of images flashed behind his eyes. Brilliant colors and shifting patterns penetrated his mind’s eye, moving in and out of focus.
Soon, however, he began to see the images more clearly. He could almost make out the blurry image of two men and one woman. As he focused harder, the murky cloud sharpened, showing his youngest brother screaming in pain as he burned to ashes inside a small room with a stake protruding from his chest. Then the terrible vision continued as he saw his other brother—also burning to ashes.
Vampire Mafia: Santa Cruz Page 9
