The bus slowed and Drake stirred. “This is our stop Megs.” Drake looked deep into Megan’s eyes. “We can do this. We can put an end to this.”
Megan set her jaw and nodded.
The sidewalk was busy with pedestrians and Drake maneuvered them to one of the footbridges that traversed the busy greenways. The bags made it awkward in congested areas, but the hotel was on the next corner and soared to the very ceiling of this level of the dome. Megan tried to look comfortable, but so many people would look at her-especially the men. It seemed almost impolite if Vampire men didn’t ogle and admire another Vampire man’s human companion. Drake tried to not let it bother him.
A porter greeted them at the marble and brass entrance. “Take your bags sir?”
“Yes, yes please.” Drake raised his eyebrows at Megan, glad to be relieved of the luggage. The lobby was bigger than it needed to be and quite lavish and beautiful. The carpet felt as soft and lush as the greenway.
“I have one high up, so the view is nice if you like.” A pleasant woman checked them in.
The elevator ride up with the porter was quick; Drake only needed to make awkward small-talk for a couple of minutes. The room door closed and Drake finally felt a sense of freedom and confidence. His credit would take care of everything for a while. They could come and go as they please without fear of being caught. It was kind of a nice feeling to be a part of a society, to be able to have at your comfort and disposal, all of the benefits of a rich world. Drake reminded himself not to get too comfortable. He was already beginning to feel that dreaded feeling of hunger again. Too soon he thought, but maybe because his last feed was mixed with Elsie’s starved blood; he shuddered. Whatever the reason-it was there. All of a sudden the feeling of dread lifted as Drake remembered who his new victims would be. He had already chosen the first one meticulously with information gleaned from easily hacked into corporate files. He was going to make a point with his first kill; a little risky in the long run, he thought, but he was confident he could stay a few steps ahead of the law until he could figure out a way back home.
“It’s nice,” Drake said, looking around the spacious suite. The hotel towered over the rest of the surrounding buildings. Drake looked up and was impressed by the design and architecture of this amazing structure. The outer shell of the hotel gently curved and gracefully transitioned into the ceiling. Below, the green grid pattern of the greenways separated the blocks of tall buildings as far as the eye could see.
Megan sat on the bed, her blank stare concerned Drake.
“Look, it’s even got a little kitchen in here. I’ll buy some groceries, and you can cook anything your heart desires,” Drake said.
Megan’s face finally flinched. “And will you share them with me?” Her tone was cold.
“Come on Megs, you know I can’t anymore. You have to get a grip and try to accept things as they are. I can’t go back…but, we have a chance to make a difference-a chance to make things better. And you have a little piece of me, as I was before, growing inside you. When you look at the big picture, we’re lucky to still be alive and have this chance. We have a chance to be the start of a revolution. And we are together. Please don’t revile me.”
Megan’s grave expression softened and her chin quivered ever so slightly. “I’m sorry. But it’s just so much to absorb, and I’m so worried, and I feel like I’ve lost you.” Megan’s face distorted into a mask of pain and her body jerked with each smothered sob.
Drake immediately went to comfort her, half expecting her to pull away. Megan buried her face into the comfort and security of his chest; the spot reserved only for her, and wept freely.
***
Drake did as he had promised, going out and buying the foods he knew Megan enjoyed. He eyed a stiletto in the display case and asked to see it. The feeling of power when the slender blade popped out was overwhelming. The tip was sharp and the blade finely honed-it would do just fine. It felt weird being out there on his own, walking around freely, just another face in the crowd. He felt comforted by the credit card in his pocket and hoped it would last until he figured a way out. Beautiful Vampire women tempted Drake at every turn. He was hungry, and he was vengeful. But, he was glad to be back with Megan in the comfortable privacy of the hotel room. While Megan unpacked, Drake pulled out his pocket computer. He unfolded it out onto the bed, tripling its dimensions. A handy tool to have, but one he would eventually lose if Elsie cut off his line of credit. Things seemed to be working out well; his intended target had just fed recently, so the blood would still be reasonably rich. He cut the tags off the dark clothing he had just purchased and slipped them on. He cut a fine figure in the nicely fitted clothing.
“Are you going somewhere?” Megan asked.
“I just need to go out for awhile.” Drake glanced over but couldn’t hold her gaze for long.
“You said only Vampires…right?”
“Don’t worry Megs. That’s all I really have access to.”
Megan knew this wasn’t accurate as long as he had a line of credit at his disposal. She had never seen this amount of focus in Drake before. Sure, she had seen minor flashes in those carefree times, but not even close to this. There was a burning hate, smoldering within Drake. It was there to be seen by one who really knew him, but cleverly and essentially hidden away. She knew only Vampire women would be his target, and fought against the absurd jealous feelings that accompanied this understanding.
Drake grabbed a couple of shopping bags that he had left aside, half full of light grocery items. He ran for a bus across the damp greenway. Traffic was still busy as another day wound down in the dome. The bus trip was just long enough for the city lights to dim, transitioning into a peaceful evening. The sidewalk reflected the street lights after a late afternoon watering and Drake stepped off the bus into a puddle. His target would let Elsie know his intentions, and make her life miserable at the same time. Elizabeth Bower worked with Tasha, and Tasha, once aware of the murder, and Drake’s freedom, would be all over Elsie, and consumed with worry. The cops wouldn’t be far behind. Unregistered DNA would be a red flag for them, and the fact that the victim worked at the offices for conversion would surely set off alarm bells. A taxi pulled up and Drake hurried into position, bags in hand. He quickly gained access to the building with his ruse, although he almost got sidetracked by the beauty of the young woman who let him in. Once in the apartment, Drake paced impatiently. It was amazing how insecure this society was; information was easily available with a little bit of patience, even entry codes. Drake was excited for his first Vampire kill. He hoped it would be the first of many…leading to their complete eradication. He knew that it was a lofty goal, but he hoped one within reach, if he could get back down to the base and raise the alarm with the millions of humans. He realized that being a Vampire would help to verify the implausible story. Maybe it was a necessary thing, needed to release humans from a thousand years of being slaughtered. One at a time, he reminded himself. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself-that’s when mistakes are made. Drake’s intense craving to feed was as strong now as his desire for revenge. The sound of heels and a short quick stride approaching down the hallway made Drake’s pulse to quicken and muscles tense. He followed Elizabeth to the bedroom and paused for a moment at the door-so lovely. Elizabeth sensed his presence and turned with a start. It didn’t take too long to subdue his prey. Drake was happy to learn that his new-found ability to enchant worked as well on Vampires as well as it did on humans. Elizabeth lay helpless in Drake’s arms, and he looked deeply into her blue eyes. Liz’s condition made her oblivious to the dire consequences. And she exposed her neck even more. From the records, Drake knew that Elizabeth was over two hundred years old. She could be his ancestor, he thought to himself. Slim chance, and does it really matter. If she had remained a human and lived a long life, she would have been dead and buried long ago. She chose this path. She may have been a fine person…but now she was just a killer of innocent people, hundreds, if
not thousands. His hunger drew him closer. The warmth and sense of fresh, hot blood was not the same as with a human, and Drake was ashamed as he came to the realization that the desire was not the same either. But, it was desperately needed nutrition and he hungrily pierced into Liz’s pulsing artery. Both sets of eyes rolled into their eyelids as Drake drew the life out of her. It was intoxicating to feel the Vampire blood intermingle within his brain; a chemical reaction that drew many a discontented Vampire to the dark side. Drake withdrew his fangs and looked at the lifeless body in his arms. The feeling of regret and shame did not consume Drake as it usually did after a kill, and he knew that this was his destiny. He would start a wave of panic and fear, escalating it to all out war; human versus Vampire, in an epic struggle for life. It would begin as a cat and mouse game with homicide detectives, eventually transitioning to an army of humans, lead by an unlikely representative. Drake realized that all Vampires must be eliminated and he was willing to make that sacrifice…if it really was a sacrifice. Elizabeth Bower slipped out of his arms and fell to the floor. Drake turned away with no more thought towards her. Another Vampire serial killer was produced -this one with further reaching intent than any before.
Chapter 11
A Different Kind of Murderer
“She’s through here, in the bedroom, Detective Lang.”
“Thanks, officer. Do you know if Det. Genn is here yet?”
“Yes, he arrived about 5 minutes ago.”
Detective Lang walked into the murder scene, her eyes scanning. She wore a smart dark pant-suit, her polished, low, black shoes gleamed. Simple make up was framed by wavy auburn hair.
Det. Genn caught her eye. “It’s about time. I’m almost wrapped up here.”
Genn was a square-block of a man. It looked like it would take a bull-dozer to knock him down. Even his head was like a smaller block, on top of a bigger block. The shine of his slicked back, black hair, looked as glossy as Lang’s shoes.
“Good…found the murderer yet?”
“No-and this could be a tricky one.” Genn waited to make sure he had perked his partner’s interest, then continued, “Un-registered DNA.”
Lang’s eyes opened wide. “What? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never heard of it before, but obviously it is possible because we have absolutely no reading on this guy.” Genn held an electronic tester in his hand and viewed the information screen. “Her name is Elizabeth Bower and she works at the old conversion building downtown. She was found by her DNA donor when she didn’t show up for a family function. I already got his statement.”
“Anything about the murder scene unusual?” Lang asked, scanning the area.
“Nothing. No forced entry. And very few bruises on the body. He appears to have subdued her quickly.”
“It’s always the ones that have been around for awhile,” Lang said. “They’re just fed up with life.”
Genn looked down at the body and shook his head. “It’s so sad when a Vampire’s life is taken at such a young age.”
“How old was she?”
“Only around 2 centuries. It’s such a selfish act when there are so many humans around. Even the government sponsored blood bank will always help those in need; it’s so unnecessary.”
“But you know it’s never about the blood. It’s fed up Vampires tired of eternal life that have built up a hate towards society as a whole, and this is how they lash out. Then once they get that narcotic high, they’re hooked. It’s funny…they start out wanting to get caught, it’s like a suicide decision, but once they experience the Vampire blood buzz, all of a sudden they want to live again, just to experience that high, over and over again.”
“Yes, but by then it’s too late because we’ve got their DNA.”
“Not this time. So, where’s our first stop?” Lang asked.
“What I’m figuring is that it’s most likely a clerical error and the appropriate department is going to have to figure out where the screw up happened and hopefully correct it. How the hell are we supposed to find the killer without knowing who it is?”
“Okay, let’s start right at the source of the information trail; the department for conversion.”
“Does anyone still work there?”
“It hasn’t been that long since the Great Edict was passed, so I’m sure a huge government department like that can’t be dissolved overnight.”
Genn chuckled, “Knowing our government, it may take centuries to disassemble it.”
“Well, the only thing we care about is the records department anyway, and that will never disappear. Can you imagine how hard our job would be without it?”
“We may find out if we can’t get a DNA identity tied to this guy.” Genn shook his head at the thought.
Lang dropped her car at the precinct and rode with Genn the rest of the way. Lang looked tiny beside Genn who was squeezed behind the steering wheel.
“The guy we’re going to see is Eric Kamber-an aged Vampire,” Lang read from the computer screen in her lap. “He was one of the first wave of Vampires from even before the dome was completed. He was 67 years old when converted. Amazing, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen a really old guy Vampire before.”
“You know, Genn, I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh, oh.” Genn smirked but kept his eyes on the road.
Lang ignored him. “There is another possibility aside from a paper-work snafu on this one.”
Genn took his eyes from the road this time.
“An illegal conversion.”
Genn’s eyes darted back to the road and then back to Lang. “That sounds pretty implausible. Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Just a thought. Here it is. Wow the parking lot is empty.”
They parked and took the elevator up to the 22nd floor. Kimberly, the receptionist, announced their arrival. Genn held the door and Lang led the way, knocking when she found the appropriate door.
“Come in,” Kamber said, standing up to shake their hands. “Take a seat.”
They both sat down, Genn stuffing his body between the armrests.
Genn spoke first as he tried to get comfortable. “Thank you for making time for us on such short notice.” He tried not to stare, but he found Kamber’s lined and weathered face fascinating.
“Oh, it’s no bother. Not too busy around here since the Great Edict being passed. Now, you said on the phone that you are investigating a murder? Nasty business-too many of them lately.”
“Yes, and unfortunately, murders are steadily on the rise,” Lang said.
“Why is that?”
“Vampires fed up with life after hundreds of years. Mad at everybody but themselves for their failures and shortcomings. Eternal life can be a great gift…or, for some, a great burden.”
“Our screening process is very thorough, but you’re right, there was no way to judge how they would adapt to eternal life.”
Lang continued as Genn looked around at the impressive office. “They’re just throwing their lives away and taking as many lives with them before they go. But they’re all pretty easy to catch, so their murderous spree doesn’t usually last long. All Vampires are DNA registered, as you well know. Which brings me to the reason for our visit, Mr. Kamber; it seems we have an unregistered Vampire in the dome. And, he’s just committed his first murder…and it won’t be his last, guaranteed. He’ll just keep on doing it until he gets caught. Can you offer us any insight as to why we have an unregistered Vampire within the dome?”
Kamber leaned back in his chair. “It’s quite impossible. There is so much paperwork, and so many safeguards to make sure everything is done to the letter.”
“Then how is it that we have no record of this Vampire? Without records we have no identity. He can kill with impunity and will be able to avoid capture for a long time,” Lang added.
“My blood! How could this occur, it’s impossible.”
“There is one more possibility,” Lang said, and
Genn looked over at her, knowing what was coming. “An illegal transformation.”
Kamber was speechless for a few moments. “An illegal transformation has never occurred and also quite impossible.”
Detective Lang continued, “Well, those are the only 2 reasons we can think of, but we are certainly open to any other theories you may have. We need to catch this murderer, Mr. Kamber, but without an identity, many lives will be lost. Please, try to put aside any pride towards the efficiency and impeccable record of your department and help us come up with an explanation. This particular murder, coincidentally, was one of your own people.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, Elizabeth Bower. She worked as a clerical assistant in the lab, her supervisor was Tasha Murdock.”
Kamber leaned back in his chair again, a little bit less of a relaxed movement this time. “I don’t know her but I’ll certainly give the idea some thought. Please leave me your card and I’ll let you know if I come up with anything.”
Detective Genn passed his card. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Kamber, we’ll be in touch.”
Kamber sat back in his chair for a moment then reached for his phone. “Kimberly, could you please get me the records for Drake Ulah; everything you can get your hands on.”
***
On the way back to the office, Genn and Lang discussed their visit to Kamber.
“He’s protecting his department. With either scenario, his record will be blemished and he doesn’t want that,” Genn said as he took a right turn on the greenway.
“Yes, he was very protective, but he seemed to get a little tense when I mentioned that the victim was one of his own people. Coincidently, right after I brought up the possibility of an illegal conversion.”
“Yeah, you may be on to something with that wild theory after all.”
“Think about it, Genn-we’re in unfamiliar territory now with the Great Edict just being passed. Something that was the norm for over a thousand years is suddenly gone. What if someone was really counting on a human becoming a Vampire…then all of a sudden it’s taken away and the human no longer has that option. That Vampire may be crushed…if she has fallen in love with him.”