Shoving all my arcade tokens in into the Vampire’s open, hissing mouth seemed reasonable at the time. It certainly pissed him off. It also distracted him enough for me to roll him off me.
I was just going for a walk. Trying to make a game plan for how to promote this show. Trying to shank off the cull of knowing I lost a whole week.
I rounded the corner of K Street turned right up East Street and walked towards the Shrewsbury line.
It's was ‘round 10PM but I figured I'd head down to see if Tiny was still up. If I called, Tiny Wife would give him hell, but if I saw his studio light I could sneak in and hang out maybe even get some writing in. If he wasn't home I could get into the crypt on the far side from when I exited.
The crypt is a long sprawling subterranean base that runs under 3 towns on the outskirts of Necronomicon. I lived on opposite side from where most everyone else did, on the Grafton side. Tiny's home was a few yards away from the Shrewsbury entrance. Most everyone lived on that side. The podcast and music studio and practice space was on that side as was most everyone’s apartments and the business offices. I lived near the armory and the hanger/ garage.
On nights I needed to think, I'd walk from the entrance on my end to the entrance on the other end. If I left early enough (or late enough), I could stop at my local coffee shop and/or hit Tiny's house, see the family, or just kick back and hang. It gives me a center. It makes me feel like a real live person.
Tonight my walk got stopped about 20 mins in. I think the vampire was in the tree. Every thing I know about monsters told me this was an animal on a hunt and not a ambush. But my gut was screaming otherwise.
This was a Class 4 vampire, Berzerker class. Basically junkies, mindless killers. All the good stuff of class 4 zombies but super strong and hard to kill.
In urban situations they run in packs, but that's more because of overcrowding and proximity of outbreaks not because of instinct or loyalty. That's why I was surprised when I saw the other one coming up behind the one that jumped me. The spot where I was attacked sat between 2 street lights that were 20 or so feet apart. Too bright for my eyes to really adjust, way too bright to use my night vision goggles...Pretty fucking smart. Way too smart for berzerkers. A twig snapping spun me around, and I drew and fired without thought. Before I could worry if I put down a jogger, I saw the bloodsucker’s head jerk back, flip backwards, and land in a belly flop. I had heard the second one running towards me, if Token Face was not in its way I may have not had enough time to react. I floated behind it wrapped my arms around its waist and pulled it back over my head 1/2 way over - I popped my hips driving it into the cement. This perfect (if I do say so myself) display of power and skill would have crippled a human or most monsters. It would break vampire bones but not kill it. Right now I didn't care. I didn't release the monster, floated over, moved my arms up under its armpits, laced my fingers over the back of its neck, and performed a pretty decent release dragon suplex. The thing flew through the air and landed on the one I shot who was just getting to its feet. I always seem to do my coolest shit when no one’s around. I was having fun. I forgot for a second this was obviously an ambush and let the adrenalin and pride in my work take over. I was having a lot of fun. For a second.
The suplexed one and the hole in the forehead one were struggling to get off each other and out of each others way. It was hard to tell them apart it was so dark .... But... were they dressed the same? Shit they were dressed the same!! I turned to Token Face who was slowly heading to me, stopping every few steps to spit out clumps of bile covered tokens.
Orange thermal.
Khaki docker style pants.
Red canvas shoes.
Nothing that would make him jump out of a crowd of folks or vampires. But three dressed exactly the same!
I snuck a well placed side kick to his solar plexus. The blow sent Token Face a hop scotch bounce backwards. It also sent shots of gross throat tokens into my face.
I managed to roll backwards out of the way of lunge distance of the other two, at which point I confirmed they all had the same boy bob hair cut and square jaw.
Three vampires.
Same face.
Fucking weird.
No more fun. No more fucking around. If I did not end this soon I my anger would take over and I would get sloppy.
Bowie knife to the chest , hole head down. I always have silver bullets chambered in my clavier revolver. No help there, but at this range... I opened up into number 2's chest. Flesh and bone flew apart leaving an open window to what I needed. I reached in, grabbed its heart out of its shredded chest cavity. It watched me dumbfounded as I spun and shoved it into Token Face’s mouth.
I grabbed Token Face by the back of the hair, pulled him in, and gave him a DDT. It's neck broke and his jaws clamped down on Hole Head’s heart, exploding it like a water balloon. I was vaguely aware of him falling down dead.
My buddy Token Face rolled over onto his but with his back to me. I grabbed a low hanging branch and put it out of it’s misery.
I stood there for quite a few minutes considering these may not actually be vampires, and may not die the same way. After a bit, I was satisfied they were dead but that's the only satisfaction I had.
What the fuck I dealing with? Cloning. Weird genetic engineering.
Magic? Science?
Who or what wanted me dead?
I noticed the red and blue lights before I heard the sirens. I was going to do my best to bypass as many police questions as I could to get these things bagged and processed and in front of Silica and the science guys.
I pulled out my phone to try and get Mz. over here, she was good at dealing with Police. I was not. I did not have the legal knowledge or the smile to speed this up as much as I needed.
I pulled out my phone only to find she out drew me.
"GET HOME NOW!"
Not the text I wanted any night. Less so right now.
