NationStates Jolt Archive

The call had come in the night before last. A group of unknown number of vampires sought refuge in a recently vacated, five story office building. The two guards managed to get a call off before they were killed. The Metro Police and VIB responded to the call. The VIB with National Guard assistance sealed off the area, to include the sewers, by early morning. A small drone confirmed the vampires were hiding out in various nooks and crannies of the structure. They were given till the next morning to surrender, they responded with a few pot shots out of the far back of the building, away from the numerous windows.

At 11am, it was decided to remove them.

******

“Alright, we’ve restored electric power so most lights should be on. We got two Van Helsing’s covering the lobby area along with some of Escher’s boys for support.”

“Copy that, we’re about to enter through the ceiling access door. We’ll keep you updated.”

“Roger that Captain…good luck.”

Colin Ross smiled slightly as he sprinted across the rooftop towards the doorway next to one of the shells of what used to house massive air conditioning units. Colin was a giant of a man standing nearly 6’4 of steady muscle. His hair was shaven close to his scalp while a weeks worth of stubble grew on his jaw.

Captain Colin Ross, thirty-six years of age, was apart of the Golden Simatar’s Vampire Investigation Bureau’s Assault & Extermination Battalion. The VIB’s equivalent to SWAT, the AEB’s was called in on situations that needed more than regular VIB agents and Law Enforcement. Whereas many SWAT units in the Golden Simatar partially equipped teams with less-than lethal weapons, the AEB never carried them. They also left few alive.

Because of (in some people’s minds) overly brutal tactics; a foreign reporter (Colin had heard it was a Tanaaran or Tarlachian) had said the unit ‘acted more like the Nazi’s SS Death’s Head than a police force.’ The comment had caused the AEB to adopt a silver colored Vampire’s skull as their official emblem.

Colin stopped when he reached the door. His two, dull gray eyes looked skyward and he smiled into the blue sky, it was always easier to kill in the daytime. He glanced over his shoulder, the eight other men and women in his squad moved forward, all were dressed in the same black-gray camouflage uniforms and all were armed with assault weapons and ammunition.

Colin checked his own H&K G36C; a flashlight/laser assist was mounted on the front while a reflex sight was mounted on the top rail. He ejected the magazine, glanced at the top few silver nitrate rounds and slammed the magazine back in. He charged the weapon and a half second later, the rest of the team charged their own.

“Alright, we know the plan. We go floor-by-floor; check every office and every closet. Take it nice and easy. We got plenty of sunlight left. Jones, Swede, I want you two on flanks with your sensors. You see anything you holler.”

With ‘okays’ and ‘let’s go stake the bastards’, Colin turned to the door. He tested the knob, locked. A swing from a small sledgehammer tore apart the cheap fixture and a kick from one of Colin’s size thirteen boot knocked the door open.

He swung his rifle down; a brightly lit staircase that lead down to corridor greeted him. Despite his size, he moved with practice grace and reached the bottom of the stairs in a few seconds. The corridor broke off into two sections. A few meters forward, another corridor connected onto it while some meters past that were before another door. His team following him, Colin crept forward and peaked around the corner, nothing except for another door.

He remembered from the blueprints that the door he was looking at led directly to one of two main stairwells on either side of the building. The other door meanwhile leads into a lounge that opened into the CEO and Department Head’s office area. He’d sweep the top floor first. A Claymore mine was planted several feet from the door leading to the stairwell, it’s location quickly relayed to the command trailer.

Colin signaled Gail Swede forward just as he reached the door to the lounge. In her left hand, she held a specially modified thermal imaging sensor. Easily held in one hand by the carry handle; the large ‘brain’ of the system housed the battery and the sensor equipment, which could reach out to some forty feet on high power. Attached to the brain was a small LCD screen. The sensor (like most used by the VIB) was dialed in to register the low body temperature given off by vampires.

Colin looked at the screen; he could make out the red-orange markings of a vampire on the other side of the door. Gail panned the sensor, revealing another red-orange shape. Both appeared to be lying down. Colin signaled with two of his fingers and motioned to one of the men armed with a shotgun forward.

The group braced themselves, ready to make the charge. Both moving forward, the man put the barrel of the shotgun near to the handle. Colin hardly blinked as the shotgun erupted; the handle was blown to bits. Colin covered the few feet to the door and kicked it in.

The room was dully lit by a half-dead light bulb attached to the wall. Sunlight blocked the door and bathed the area beyond. Colin’s eyes were fixed to the humanoid shape lying on a rough bed made of blankets.

The vampiress was almost on her knees as she saw the door fly open and the nightmare storming towards her. She tried to raise her hands. “Pl…”

The G36 in Colin’s hands barked, a burst of five silver nitrate slugs tore into the vampiress. She was knocked back to the floor, screaming in pain as the bullets shattered on and in her body, the deadly poison melting her alive. A slug to the brain finished her off.

The other vampiress got farther than her friend. She was to her feet when a blast from the shotgun tore into her back, the blast sending her stumbling into the wall. A follow up blast destroyed her skull.

The Simatarians quickly spread through the small lounge, checking for any other vampires before they made their way into the main office area. Large windows dominated the walls; the sunlight that came in gave Colin a welcome sense of safety. Sensor checks revealed no other signs on the floor, a careful sweep revealed no other vampires.

The only thing they found tucked in a corner office was an ice chest. Opening it revealed bags of blood resting on a bed of half-melted ice cubes.

“Fuckers like it on the rocks.” Colin said. “Alright, lets go down a flight. Command, fifth floor clear, heading down to the fourth.”

The Simatarians worked their way back to the stairs and made their way towards the fourth floor.


As the stairwell door closed shut, a ceiling panel lifted up from its spot. A figure, garbed head to toe in an assortment of dark, tight and loose clothing, where the figure’s eyes should be, there was a bulge in the cloth. The figure gasped and wheezed as it moved. The figure half stumbled to the chest and grabbed as many bags as it could.

The figure went back to the hole in the ceiling and jumped through it. Several minutes later, the ceiling panel was replaced.

Scott shuddered in the bathroom as the sounds of gunfire from above slowly worked their way downward. It had been such a good hiding spot, no one would suspect vampires moving into an office building that had windows on every floor, and it would be too dangerous if they wanted to move around in the day. It seemed perfect…

He jumped from an explosion above; the pistol bullets he was holding in his left hand flew from his grasp. Scott didn’t bother with those; he reached into a plastic bag in his pocket for more bullets. As he jammed them one by one into the magazine in his right hand, he thought about turning himself in, but now the best he could hope for was hiding in the ceiling or getting into the basement and escape. Everyone else down there probably had already run. As he finished loading the magazine, he scooped the Mac10 from the floor and slid the magazine in.

“Come on…come on…” He snarled as he tried to pull back the cocking handle on the top of the weapon, the damn thing was jammed. Scott ceased trying as he heard a strange rumbling coming closer. The vampire rose to his feet, it sounded like a tractor or something was rolling through the building…

The tiled wall behind him to the left exploded, Scott’s brain registered the sound just before a freight train slammed into his back. The vampire was thrown to the wall and then to ground, the Mac10 flew from his hands. Screaming in pain, he could feel the massive holes in his back, but he didn’t feel the burn of silver. Contorting in pain on the floor, Scott caught the brief glimpse of the wall, several huge holes cut straight through the drywall and tile.

Scott heard the thunder of machine guns, the last image he saw was a cloud of debris before the .50caliber shells disintegrated him.


Colin opened the stairwell’s door that led to the first floor. The sight of a wall riddled with bullet holes instantly greeted him. He poked his head around the corner, a welcome sight.

The Automated Vampire Hunter VH-72, nicknamed ‘Van Helsing’, that dominated the hallway stood at nearly six feet tall and was painted in a sharp black with navy blue chevrons. Looking like a mini-tank/humanoid hybrid, the VH-72 rode on tracks (which could be replaced with wheels), the chassis housed the battery engine that powered the machine as well as the heat sensors and ammunition. The ‘turret’ was a slightly humanoid torso with two ‘arms’; each was equipped with a .50caliber machine gun. The ‘head’ was a series of lenses and sensors that allowed the operator (or in some cases, the onboard computer) to see what he was doing.

“Come on Cap, floor’s clear and we got medics for your trooper.” A static laced voice emitted from the machine.

Several minutes later, the AEB team appeared in the lobby. Two squads of National Guardsmen had the lobby secure. The injuries sustained by the AEB troopers were minor, mostly nicks and scratches; the most sever was a gash from a machete in the leg. The injured went to the medics waiting for them.

Colin walked towards a woman wearing a rather different uniform than the National Guard. She was a paratrooper and unlike the Guardsmen who still carried the G36, she carried some new assault rifle thus far only issued to Airborne and Special Forces. She had been with them for the last few months, something about punishment for a bar fight, and despite also being a Captain, extremely technically was under VIB (and thus his) command. The name on her uniform read ‘Escher’. She looked at Colin and smiled.

“Ross, how is it?” She handed him a canteen.

“Fine, we got eight coming down here. And my damn watch got busted…third one this year.” He grumbled as he looked at the watch on his wrist, the jewel face broken.

“Poor man.” Escher said mockingly. “Good news for you is that the rest of them are contained below in the basement. Single floor area now pretty well empty after the company moved out.”

“Alright, what time is it?”

“Its uhh…almost three thirty. For an assault team you move slow.”

“Well we don’t usually handle buildings this big.” Ross said before he took another plug from the canteen. “Alright, ten minute breather. Get one of the Van Helsing’s into position it’ll go first. We’ll then move in with incinerators. Can I borrow a squad?”

Escher grinned. “Course. I’ll be going down as well. Got orders when you were on the second floor, I’m going on a special mission. But I said I’d stay till you were done.”

“Good, ten minutes.”


Just about a half-hour later, Colin stood over a stack of blackened skulls on the floor of the lobby. The room and everyone in it reeked of gasoline and burned flesh. The stench issued from the open door in the hallway leading to the basement.

It had been the expected slaughter, the Vampires barely put up a fight when the Van Helsing rolled down the stairs and advanced towards them. They had fled into the former generator room where they were cornered. The metal door that would have existed there was gone, and only a plank of wood stood there. Machine gun fire shattered the wood and just before the three incinerators opened fire, Colin thought he heard a vampire cry out for mercy.

“Plus the ones killed on the upper levels…that’s seventeen vampires in all.” A VIB agent standing next to Colin said. Double-checking his count, the agent had the skulls packed up into a crate. The Agent turned to Colin. “Captain Ross, tomorrow you are to report to HQ and start training instruction.”

Colin looked at him. “Already?”

“Its your turn.”

“Alright, get me and my men debriefed as soon as you can. I’d like to shower and eat something.”


It was close to nine o’clock when Colin entered his modest, one bedroom apartment. He was dressed in regular, everyday clothes, and though he spent nearly an hour showering, the slight odor of gasoline was on him. He’d shower again before bed.

His apartment was decently furnished, there were decorative miniature statues dotted around the apartment. The walls were also decorated with photographs and some paintings. The statues, photos, and paintings he had received from his parents years before, he didn’t care much for decorating.

Feeling uninterested in ordering pizza or cooking, Colin rifled through his refrigerator and found some leftover beef stroganoff. He threw it in the microwave and when it was done, he grabbed it and a beer and settled down in the living room. He flipped through the various political stations that seemed inescapable when living in the capital, through the evening prime-time shows, child cartoons, and finally settled on a nature show about whales. It was something to give him relaxing noise.

A second, hour-long shower failed to fully rid him of the smell it was just there…just enough to be barely noticeable and slightly annoying. Close to eleven o’clock, Colin slumped into bed and was out in seconds.

The office building had gone through second, final search that checked the rafters and the few ventilation ducts that remained. With no sign of any more vampires, the building was deemed secure and the humans departed just before eleven in the evening.

A half hour later, a ceiling panel on the fifth floor was lifted from its position and removed. A man dropped down, but when he hit the ground, his legs gave way and he continued to fall to the ground. “Jesus fucking…”

Thomas Pieper growled as he sat up and began to massage his legs. Hiding up the ceiling wasn’t much of an issue. It was lying still for nearly twelve hours hiding just behind a pile of insulator when humans started shooting just below him and then others coming within inches of him some hours later. To say the vampire’s legs were stiff was to put is mildly.

Thomas sighed as he felt the muscles loosen in his legs. Despite his legs and being cooped up in the ceiling for the past few days, he felt better than he had in a long time. The blood he had stolen from the ice chest had reenergized him. Weeks and months of living off animal blood and whatever packets he could steal had weakened him and he fell close to death several times.

With his legs working, Thomas rose from the ground and stretched his lean, shy of six-foot frame. He scratched his dusty-light brown hair and walked around the office to get feeling back. As he did, he stripped of the thermal hunting jacket he was wearing, not much use, the batteries had died hours ago along with those for the blanket he had. He had learned quickly it was an easy way to fool the sensors the humans carried, but they were catching on.

Thomas was seven, incredibly young for a vampire, having been turned at twenty-eight. He had tried living with other groups of vampires, however almost always he left within a night or two. Either they were too violent for his liking or out of the blue the VIB would surround them. He had many close scrapes, just a week ago a Metro Police Officer shot him twice in the stomach, but the officer had failed to exchange his lead for silver nitrate rounds. Thomas had disarmed him and took the officer’s pistol, ammunition, and then took various items like batteries, his lunchbox (where the blood now resided) and even a radio from the man’s car. He had left the Officer unconscious locked in the back of the cruiser.

His legs fully restored, Thomas retrieved his book-bag and metal lunchbox from the ceiling. He opened the lunchbox. Despite his best efforts at keeping the last few pints of blood cool with ice, he knew it wouldn’t last as long as he wanted. He’d have to go back to stealing it and hunting down animals. It was frustrating to live like this; it had only grown tougher over the years and now…

Thomas closed the lunchbox and threw the thermal jacket and blanket into the bag. He removed a brown, leather jacket from the bag and threw it on. He then took some rope and tied the lunchbox under the bag.

He couldn’t go on living like this…there was a very small chance at something else though.


The Vampire Investigation Bureau Headquarters, the building had an odd look to it with the lights that illuminated it and the inside lights that made the green tinted windows glow slightly. A block away, Thomas stared up at the eight-story building and took in a deep breath. He spied a drain halfway down the block; he’d chuck the pistol and magazines in when he passed. Taking a breath, he started towards the building.

Thomas’s eyes were fixed on the VIB Headquarters as he drew closer. A growing sense of dread formed inside of him, but he kept telling himself it would be all right. He’d dispose of the gun and once he got to the building, he’d keep his hands in plain sight and ask to register…one step a time.

The vampire sensed something, he stopped just before he heard and saw the blur whip out of the alley towards him. Thomas spun, one hand going for his pistol and the other going for the arm that was reaching behind him. Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist, keeping the pistol from being fully brought to bear on the mysterious attacker. Thomas held onto the attacker’s arm as hard as he could. The entwined pair stumbled into the alley.

Thomas slammed the attacker into the wall. In the flurry, he could make out a pair of black jeans, a crimson/black designed shirt and a denim jacket. He finally got a good look at the assailant, as the long, black hair was knocked free of the face. Two deep black eyes stared out at him, a cool confidence inside, the light from the street illuminating her dark, smooth Indian features. The woman’s face made him take down his guard for a brief second, allowing the vampiress to push against him.

Thomas grunted as they jostled for position, it didn’t take him long to realize she was probably about his age, maybe just a bit older. But both weren’t moving much. “So…can I ask…what…your doing?”

“Well…” She started. The vampiress pushed herself off the wall and only a second later there was a crunching from the back-pack as Thomas felt himself slam into the opposite wall. “…Since you’re going to do such a stupid stunt like waltz into VIB central…why not…grab the blood you got? Getting harder for a vampire to find something to eat without human coming after you…”

“Well what makes you…” Thomas pushed himself free of the wall, but the vampiress found her footing and the pair was struggling in the middle of the alley. “…So sure that it’s a stupid stunt?”

“I’ve…” The vampiress stopped.

Both vampires stopped and turned, looking at the mouth of the alley. The sound of vehicles was coming hard and fast. Still grasping onto each other, they almost at one pushed themselves behind a dumpster. Seconds later, a pair of armored cars adorned with the dreaded AEB Silver Skull markings roared past.

Thomas looked at the vampiress, their gazes meeting. His nose picked up the scent of blood, he twisted his head around and saw the metal lunchbox crunched and he could see droplets of blood leaking out. He turned back to her. She smiled, flashing her fangs. “No sense in wasting it.”

Thomas sighed and nodded. The blood probably wouldn’t have lasted long away. Not really much sense in wasting it. “Let go of my arm and I’ll let go of yours.”

She smiled and let go of him and he did the same. Thomas flicked the safety on the pistol and shoved it into the holster on his waist. The vampiress looked at him. “Come on, its not safe being so close to them. I got a temporary hideaway a few blocks over.”

Thomas nodded. “Alright, got a name?”

“Sandhya.” The vampiress said.

“Thomas.” He said, offering his hand.

Sandhya shook the hand. “Come on, my place is this way, don’t let too much drip out.”

Sandya’s hideaway used to be a gas/service station. A layer of dust covered nearly everything, the windows were boarded up and there was a thick chain and lock on the door. However instead of simply breaking the lock or wooden boards and attempting to replace it, Sandhya had found a loose area of bricks and knocked enough through to allow a person to crawl through. Once they were through, the bricks were replaced and unless someone was right next to them, they wouldn’t notice. She had also put more wood around the edges of the boards to completely block out any chance of sun coming through.

“So, how old are you?”

Sandhya looked at Thomas as the male vampire spoke. She was sitting on an old sleeping bag; Thomas sat on his own sleeping bag. Sandhya smiled sarcastically. “Its rather improper for a man to ask a lady her age.”

Thomas simply shrugged. “Sorry. Here you go.”

Thomas handed Sandhya one of the blood bags that wasn’t punctured or smelled spoiled. He licked his finger and grimaced, the taste of watered down blood was horrendous. He pulled out one a bag for himself, popped the cap off the small tube connected to the bag and drank.

Sandhya looked at Thomas, the vampire’s features highlighted by the blue-bulb electrical lamp that sat between them. She sucked on the bag for a second before speaking. “I’m eight. My story…usual I guess. Knew a really nice guy from med school, we hung out, went out with friends…usual. Though he had deeper feelings for me. He got turned into a vampire and through some strange delusion thought that making me a vampire would mean I’d love him till the end of time.”

Thomas waited for several moments for Sandhya to continue, but she just sat there. The vampiress looked at him. She shrugged. “Imagine his surprise when it turned out I was rather pissed. I clubbed him over the head a few times with a clock till he was knocked senseless. I didn’t kill him though, didn’t think about it. I stole all the money he had with him, stole a few little nick-knacks I could sell later on and vamoosed. So, what’s your tale?”

Thomas sighed. “Well I’m twenty-six for starters. I was going to teach history for high school, but of course this happened. I was renting out a townhouse with a friend of mine, one night he went out to the bar and the next night he came back a vamp. He was freaking out, completely panicked. When I reached for the phone, he thought I was calling the VIB, he panicked even more, bit me and nearly killed me…. panicked more because of that and force-fed me his blood. He apparently freaked even more with that and ran off. So…here I am.”

Sandhya nodded. She twisted the blood bag in her fingers as she drank some more. She stopped and stared at it. “Mind if I ask where you got these?”

“Nabbed them from a vampire group I was tailing. It was the first solid meal I’ve had in weeks.”

Sandhya looked at Thomas strangely. “Tailing them? What do you mean? You’re not part of any group or anything?”

“Well I followed them. When the VIB hit them, I managed to hide out until the humans passed, slipped out and grabbed as many as I could.” Thomas took another drink. “I ain’t been part of any group in a long time. Some were frightened like I was; a bunch of half-scared vamps isn’t very safe to be with. Neither is a bunch of wackos who are so flushed with power they go out and slaughter anything in their way. At any rate, every vampire group I’ve ever been with is found and destroyed by the VIB…simply too many vampires, too many mouths, easily found out. So, I’ve been drifting, eating animals, stealing blood…”

“ You mean you don’t kill a human for food?” Sandhya asked as she leaned forward, obviously interested. “Scared?”

Thomas looked up at her, the blue, electric light making her black eyes glow. He fidgeted slightly. “Well…yes I guess…I mean it’s a hard thing to wrap your head around. Grabbing someone, biting them and draining them…killing them. I used to do it…back in the first few months or the times I get extremely desperate. But, in a way it’s equally about being too dangerous. Someone finds a corpse of a vamp victim; every deserted building, every drainage pipe and every apartment with a reclusive tenant is searched. You have to keep moving constantly, no real chance to relax…but then even if you avoid detection everyone in the area for the next week or so is going to stay off the streets, cops step up patrols. You know…part still having an issue with getting my head around it…part trying not to get blasted by the VIB.”

“So, how’ve you been surviving?”

“Animal blood. Deer taste relatively decent, cattle is complete shit…”

“Dog?”

Thomas looked aghast at her. “Fuck no, I love dogs. But anyway I’ve robbed a few blood banks until most started to install silver nitrate sprayers around the blood fridges. So I changed tactics a bit, ambulances always carry blood with them. I became an ambulance chaser, don’t laugh you’ll like this…once the medics leave the ambulance, I’d swoop in and swipe a few pints. It works brilliantly, even though they added silver handles, I wear gloves…they can’t put locks on the fridges…but I bet they’ll make one that’ll keep me from getting in. Hell, I’ve even called in a few false 911s just to get an ambulance nearby. I said don’t laugh.”

Sandhya was rolling on her back laughing her head off. It was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard of in her life. The bloody vampire was giving a whole new meaning to the term of ‘ambulance chaser’. After several minutes and vocal requests to cease, Sandhya collected herself. She wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s…that’s just rich…”

Thomas chuckled as well. He’d never told anyone his personal method, last thing he needed was every vampire copying him and all ambulances converted into tanks. He reversed the question. “So, do you…”

Sandhya nodded as she drank the blood. “Blood is blood. I get it where I can. I’ve done the blood bank thing; I think quite a few have. I’ve killed animals, I’ve killed humans…just gotta accept it. I need blood and the most readily available source is a person. I actually started hunting around the bars and pubs that skirt college campuses. There’s always at least one who stumbles off alone into the night. Easy pickings…and get a buzz too. But, when it comes to people, it matters more on who you kill.”

“Who? Like gang-bangers and such?”

“Yeah, gang-bangers, dealers, hookers…that’s who I try to go after. But its not outta some moral sense of cleaning up the world, its because they are the people that chances are good won’t be reported. Do you think some gangsta is gonna report his friend is killed by a vampire when he has his own criminal record and he knows the cops have their eye on him? He’s not gonna risk his own well being walking into a police station, he’ll probably get IDed and sent to a cell.” Sandhya stopped and looked at Thomas. The male looked back at her, deep in thought and after several minutes he gave a slow nod. “But there are those times that happen you just gotta rip someone from the street and eat ‘em or flag them down and get them when they pick you up.”

Sandhya and Thomas sat in silence. The subject wasn’t exactly small talk material, so they sat alone in their thoughts for a time, draining the rest of the blood bags. Sandhya chuckled, her eyes flicking up to Thomas. “Ambulance chaser…that’s right outta a movie.”

Thomas smiled himself and finished the bag. Soon Sandhya finished hers and the bags were balled up and thrown into a corner. Sandhya looked at her watch. “Its almost dawn, I’m going to turn in.”

“Yeah, same here.”

The vampires curled up into their sleeping bags, Sandhya mentally turned off the lamp. Within an hour, the vampires were resting and the sun was rising.

Colin didn’t mind training potential AEB members, it gave him a few weeks to relax and catch up with friends. However, he didn’t like the aspect of standing in an auditorium style classroom and talking about tactics, weaponry, and what else to expect should the men and women continue going through the AEB course. It felt like he was a schoolteacher, a profession he made sure to avoid like the plague.

Colin, dressed in the standard black/gray AEB uniform, stood at the front of a group of roughly thirty men and women. He had taken a look at their files earlier; most of them were VIB agents along with a decent amount of regular SWAT officers. They had all passed the physical and mental tests and now they were getting into the details. Though a note had said one was a bit of a firebrand. Colin sighed and drank some coffee from a thermos.

“Alright, lets begin. I’m Captain Colin Ross of the Eleventh Troop of the Assault and Extermination Battalion of the VIB stationed here in Clarence. I’ve traveled over most of the Golden Simatar, but chances are you’ll stay in your posted city for the bulk of your time with the AEB. The AEB was founded to be the VIB’s equivalent of SWAT…”

“Like hell they are.” A woman’s voice spoke up.

Colin’s eyes shifted instantly to a green eyed, blonde headed woman sitting in the third row, center. She wore a plain, navy blue uniform, though he couldn’t make out any distinguishing markings. “What’s your name?”

“Sergeant Elizabeth Fuchs.” The blonde said. “Four years with the Pembrooke Metro Police, another five on SWAT.”

“Ms. Fuchs, experience with vampires?”

“I’ve assaulted houses occupied by vampires.” Elizabeth said flatly.

“Then describe to me your comment.”

“When SWAT is called in, we’ve already ascertained and know the threat. We know there is ample evidence of the person or persons we are going to bring down are guilty of a crime. The AEB storms into a building and slaughters all the vampires without any evidence to be brought against them.”

“If you’re familiar with the law…” Colin spoke in a calm tone. “…it clearly says that any unregistered vampire is considered a hostile threat to the safety and well being of the populace.”

“I’m aware of what the law says sir.” Elizabeth pressed. “However just because someone is unregistered with the government doesn’t cause them to be a threat. The police don’t go out and shoot illegal aliens just because they’re not registered. The AEB…”

“Are these aliens ripping people off the streets at night, tearing their throats open and killing them for food?”

“No sir. But because a vampire is unregistered doesn’t give us the right to simply kill them for it.”

“Then if they don’t want to get a bullet in the brain, simply register with the government. A question to get everyone involved. Raise your hands if you were a vampire, would you register if it meant you wouldn’t get killed?” Colin said, turning to the people in the room.

Elizabeth twisted in her seat as she watched as everyone in the room raise a hand. Her eyes turned back to Colin. He stood there, calmly staring back at her. She cleared her throat. “My point is Captain the AEB is not like SWAT in any way shape or form.”

“We’re more like the Nazi SS. I’ve heard this before. However unlike the SS, we offer our targets a chance to surrender. Something they choose not to accept.”

“Well, since we just slam them into a cell without trail is understandable. In Article One of the Laws Concerning Vampires in the Golden Simatar, Section F concerning Unregistered Vampires, Number Five says: ‘Officers are to give Unregistered Vampires an opportunity to surrender to authorities’…”

“…‘However should the Vampire not surrender, or make any aggressive action against Officers, extermination is the result.” Colin recited, slightly bored. “Not Surrender is part of the…”

“Within the three months in Clarence alone there is at least twenty-three instances where no chance for the vampires to turn themselves in was given and there is no chance given to them during an assault. There is no less than lethal…”

Elizabeth continued talking as Colin walk behind the podium to the laptop on top of it. He started typing, ignoring what the woman was saying. After a minute, he picked up a remote and turned the projector on the ceiling on.

There was silence.

Colin looked up at the black and white picture on the board and then at the class. All had faces of horror and shock, several appeared they would vomit; Elizabeth slumped back in her seat, eyes glued to the screen.

“The head on the lamp with the gentiles in his mouth belonged to Anton Eisenstein. The various parts on the floor and along the walls belonged to him and part of his troop. We found the rest of them in the basement. Four months ago Anton suggested using non-lethal weapons. This is the first and only time the AEB has ever used them.”

Colin walked around the podium. His tone was flat. “Extermination is the only method to deal with hostile vampires. Trackers find them; we surround them, if they don’t want to give themselves up the obvious intent is they’d rather stay on the streets killing our people than being given a chance after incarceration at living a legal life here.”

While everyone’s eyes were locked with Colin’s face, Colin’s eyes were firmly locked with Elizabeth’s. He held her gaze for a time before he returned to the podium and closed the picture.

Colin turned back the class. “Now, as I was saying.”

“The Cage” (as the armory was called) was located in the rear area of the VIB building in a large garage that kept several armored cars standing by. A rollup metal door was against the back wall. Colin walked into the garage, rock music blared from several speakers, and headed straight to the counter against the wall. Behind the counter were the racks of weapons and ammunition used by the AEB.

Colin rapped on the bell. A man with wild looking hair and a slight limp came up to the counter. The man fixed the horn-rimmed glasses on his face and put out his hand. “Colin my friend, don’t see you much here anymore. What brings you do to my little neck of the woods?”

“Sorry I haven’t popped in recently Doug.” Colin said as he shook the hand. “I’ve been off on missions and just got assigned to training. How’s the leg?”

Doug rolled up his left pant leg, revealing a shining, metallic leg. He flexed it at the knee. “I still miss the real McCoy, but this is better than nothing. At least I still get to keep a job here. So Colin, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m seeing if you have my PDW ready yet. I put it in a week ago. The new kid Rollins checked it in.”

Doug sat down in a chair and starting typing on a terminal. The reflection of the computer screen was visible in his glasses. He muttered. Doug swung around in the chair. “Hey Mick!”

A voice shot up from the back of the room. “Yeah?”

“Where’s Captain Ross’s PDW? Was put in to get the body repaired a week ago.”

“Check the computer!”

“I did check the…fuck it. I’m coming back there!” Doug rose from the chair. He turned back to Colin. “Give me a minute, these peckerwoods don’t know shit about how I run this place.”

Colin nodded as Doug ambled off into the armory. He leaned against the counter, his eyes drifting towards the trio of armored cars undergoing checkups. Heavy maintenance was done a separate garage; minor repairs however could be done almost anywhere.

“Sorry Colin…” Doug said as he shuffled back into his chair. “the newbie wrote off your PDW, external damage was nasty, but inside she was good and clear. Another one will arrive within a few days.”

Colin simply nodded. “Alright.”

“Oh before you go, I found something interesting online last night.” Doug said as he rifled through a small briefcase and pulled out some papers.

“Really?”

“Alright, this is an article I got offline from the ‘Graceland Gazette…it’s a Catawabian paper. It’s written by a Rural Ranger…who just happens to be a werecougar. First half is the usual about how his family was slaughtered, he killed lots of lycans, the uber she cougar bit him so on and so forth…bashing ah…here we go.” Doug cleared his throat. “I've read and heard the thought coming from the mouthpieces of the GS government, and I'll say it plain. When it comes down to it, being second-class ain't better than being dead, Mister Yellen. I've been shamed by the murderously poor treatment and bigotry I heaped upon those I now call brethren, but I was one man, one black hearted devil. You represent a government. You represent a government that does not exist in a vacuum. Around you nations have showed the decency to protect the rights and equality of non-humans just as well as humans.

We are citizens, damned powerful and strange, but that can be a advantage to you rather than a threat. We're appreciative for the Miraade's Edict of Rights of Sentience that protects every Catawaban no matter their ascribed state. I'm proud to lend my strength openly to help keep the peace, the peace for human and Werlaara'ade alike. Others of us, the vornskrari, who the Miraade has taken as family, even vampires, find ways to contribute and shoulder our weight just like every other citizen under the Crimson Heart and Ebon Skull.

As a lawman, I look on the drivel put out by your Vampire Investigation Bureau with disgust. You pigeonhole non-humans as second-class citizens as sure as they wore the Star of David under the Third Reich. Your notions of vampiric and theiranthropic self-defense limit the means and manner to which they can defend themselves and hold them vulnerable to persecution. What limits do humans have to self-defense against non-humans? What protections do non-humans have against humans?

As to weapons before a non-human could enter their coven or pack lair, one would have to divest themselves of weapons that are 'allowed' to carry outside said areas. Heaven forbid that they be found to be 'storing weapons' when they are legally carrying them. Do humans have to do the same when enter a church? Or a bar? Or sportsman's club? Or their own homes?

You concern yourself with foreign opinion and reception of your non-human laws? Dear God, man. The Werlaara'ade around the region are the first voice against you. Registering a month in advance travelling to Simatar or through your land? Are humans required to divest themselves of arms before traveling through or in your land? On a whole, your laws are offensive to even consider in our own homelands and intolerably prohibitive to set foot or paw in yours. I know we in Catawaba would pay any amount to never breath your air, no matter the detour, and we support the Tanaarans' plan set up a air bridge south of the continent so that we might more readily avoid your airspace.

I put it to my fellow Werlaara'ade in Simatar now. You have a home open to you to your southeast. The Miraade sees no reason that race or species is justification for search and seizure without just cause or warrant. The Miraade does not consider an undocumented non-human as an imminent threat deserving of immediate termination. If they wish to be rid of you, be rid of them.”

Doug put the paper down on the counter and looked at Colin. Colin reached over and brought it close to himself and started to read. He smirked as he read it. “Talk about bullshit. ‘Star of David’? Second class citizens? Hell I think its only proper that if someone is a vampire or werewolf it makes sense that they register.”

“Yeah, but there really ain’t been a werewolf sighting in a long time. Most are staying underground or probably have left.”

“If Catawaba wants our lycans let ‘em have ‘em. Less work for us.” Colin said. “Mind if I take this? It sounds a hell of a lot like a cadet I got.”

“This cadet wouldn’t be a former SWAT operator? Female, non-dumb blonde who goes on and on about how we’re all nasty Nazis?” Doug said, looking over his glasses.

“Yeah, you know her?”

“Know of her. You hear stories sitting around here. Had some guys by a few days ago talking about her. Big question is what a chick like that is doing here.”

“I’ll be asking her that. All right, I got to run, lunch is about up. Call me when my PDW gets in.” Colin said.

“You got it. Drop by more often, it’s rather boring down here.” Doug called after him.

Colin turned at the door. “Beers after work?”

Doug gave a nod and Colin turned and departed the armory. As he made his way down the hallways, he found himself reading and laughing at the editorial. Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time.

The Internal Bureau of Investigation’s Headquarters was located six blocks from the VIB’s Headquarters. It resembled its counterpart (as the VIB HQ used the same model) however it was larger by two stories. Despite it’s name, it handled both domestic and foreign law enforcement affairs for the Golden Simatar. Decades earlier, the Foreign Investigative Bureau had been merged with the IBI to make operations easier to control.

Director Jeremy Welker looked out of his office window down at the street below. He was in his late fifties, his hair long since surrendered to gray, though kept in fairly decent shape. The last few months since President Yellen’s return from the Regional Conference had given him a load of more stress than the job already had. The insurgents which had peppered the Simatarian border had almost been destroyed and he had spent a considerable amount of time organizing and overseeing a task force meant to gather up evidence and prepare for trials of those captured.

The intercom buzzed, he looked over and pressed the glowing red button. “Yes?”

“Director Little is on the line for you sir.” A feminine voice said. A green button glowed on the board.

“Thanks Cindy.” Jeremy picked up the phone and pressed the green button. “Sandra. How’s Danny?”

“Danny’s fine Jim. But lets cut the small talk Jim I got a meeting in fifteen.” A quick, voice said over the phone. “I wonder if you can do lunch tomorrow?”

“Lunch? Well this is a surprise. Mind if I ask why?” An amused smile grew on Jeremy’s lips. The VIB director asking him to meet her for lunch, obviously something juicy was brewing.

“Not over the phone. Tomorrow afternoon at twelve at Henry’s, the seafood place on Bay Street.”

The smile grew. Something was brewing, something that IBI could nudge in on and net a few extra million this upcoming year. “Twelve it is. See you there.”

“See you there Jim and this isn’t a free lunch. You’re picking up your half of the tab.”

The phone hung up. Jeremy relaxed in his chair and rubbed his chin. He wondered what it could be; maybe the VIB had located a wanted vampire in another country and needed IBI connections. He put his ideas to rest as he looked over a stack of papers of dossiers one some of the men caught along the border.


Colin dismissed the class at five o’clock. Since lunchtime, the annoying Fuchs woman had interrupted the orientation only once with a heavy cough when Colin stated that under no circumstance were prisoners to be taken during an assault.

He waited till she passed him. “Sergeant Fuchs. A moment.”

Elizabeth paused and turned around. She snapped smartly to attention. “Captain.”

“Rest easy.” Colin said. “I want to ask you a question.”

“Certainly sir.”

“Why have you chosen to join the AEB despite an obvious dislike of our methods?”

“Hatred sir…hatred for your methods and ideas.” Elizabeth corrected him. “I joined sir because my comments to the AEB troops in Pembrooke were going unanswered. So, I came down here.”

“To change us I assume?”

Elizabeth smiled. “Change in this sort of place can only start from the ground up. May I go sir? I’m meeting a college friend for dinner.”

Colin simply nodded. Elizabeth smiled and departed the room. Like she’ll change anything. He thought. He collected his items into a briefcase and departed. He had it already formulated in his head that if at any point seemed to be a danger to her teammates because of her feelings; he’d promptly boot her from the program and lodge a formal request to the VIB Director not to let anyone else of that thought process into the AEB program.

Sandhya rose from her sleep slowly. Her back and sides ached horribly from sleeping on the hard floor, it was at times like these she wondered if sleeping in a coffin would be all that bad. When her eyes finally opened, she found Thomas sitting in the dark, cleaning his pistol with a rag.

Her eyes focused on the lamp between them. She leaned forward to flick it on. The lamp skidded an inch out of her reach towards Thomas. Sandhya blinked and looked up at the male vampire. He continued to clean the pistol without much notice. Sandhya twisted in her sleeping bag and reached closer, the lamp this time lifted a few millimeters off the ground and landed next to Thomas.

She looked annoyed at him. “What’s all that about?”

“What? I’m cleaning this clean.” Thomas said, pointing to the pistol in his hands.

“You know what I mean. The mind powers.” Sandhya said. “I’ve never seen anyone pick something up with them.”

Thomas looked up. “Really?”

The vampiress nodded as she slid out of the bag and sat cross-legged. “I’ve seen vampires move stuff, but never pick something up.”

“Well, I can show you…” Thomas offered. “Its not that hard.”

“Really?”

“Sure, it’s no problem. You just gotta know your limits. Besides you let me stay here.”

“Well you shared your food. That’s worth more than this. Is…”

“It’s all spoiled. I checked the moment I woke up.” Thomas said as he finished cleaning the pistol. He reassembled it and slapped the magazine back in.

“Any good with that?” Sandhya said as she stood up. She brushed herself off.

“I’m good, not the best. Got it off a cop after he put a few slugs in me.” Thomas stood and slid the pistol into the holster on his waist. “Why?”

“Because you might need it where we’re going.” Sandhya said. “Blood is gone, not much use in spending the night chasing squirrels in the park.”

Thomas looked at the vampiress. He instantly knew what she was thinking. He shook his head. Sandhya walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I just want to show you…if you need it bad enough. I mean you’ve said you’ve killed before, but unlike those times you won’t have the VIB on your back. You can keep animal blood drinking and calling in your ambulances…but it never hurts to have a backup plan.”

Thomas nibbled on his lip. He had killed before, ripping people off the streets and within a few hours the VIB would swarm over an area. Sandhya’s way did sound safer, he always felt the occasional tug to dig into a human neck. He looked at Sandhya.


“Shit dawg, you sure it’s safe being out at night man? Got dem fangs running around man.”

Vincent looked over from counting money to his nervous partner in ‘business’ Wayne. The boy was jittery, constantly looking around the outside of the Cadillac they occupied. Business had been decent tonight; they had already made almost two-hundred dollars. He gave a toothy, false gold grin. “Shiz son, calm down lookie here.”

Vincent reached into the heavy coat he wore and retrieved a massive, silver handgun. “Desert freaking Eagle half. See it man? Silver plated, ain’t no vamp coming near us.”

A grin flashed on Wayne’s face. “Hey, that’s a smart piece man…smart man.”

“Yeah son. Some blood red eyed sum-bitch come marching up to me I lift this heater and Boom! Boom! Booty…” Vincent’s eyes and mind were instantly on the vixen walking down the street towards them. “Shit man, take a look at that piece of heaven.”

Wayne leapt in his seat as he watched the woman walk down towards them. He hurriedly rolled down the window and before he could whistle, he felt Vincent tug him back in. He looked over as Vincent rammed his pistol into his waist and adjusted his jacket. “Da fuck man?”

“Wayne, ain’t you learned nothing? A fine woman like that ain’t your average dirty tramp. Money sure is gonna entice her. But…style, slick style is gonna get really gonna reel her in. Come now, heaven awaits.”

Sliding out of the car, the pair walked towards her. Vincent with a cool swagger, Wayne trailing with jittery bursts of energy, his eyes flicking from the woman to the shadows. The woman looked like she was about to enter an alleyway when she saw the pair. She smiled. “Hello.”

Vincent felt warm inside as she spoke. “Hello dear lady. May I ask what a charming lady such as you is doing all alone? It is not safe out in the night. My car is right back there, nice, safe, warm.”

“That’s nice, but how about you gents come with me to my place?” The woman smiled seductively. She pointed down the alleyway. The two dealers walked forward and looked down. Above a door there was a blue lantern sitting on the threshold. “I got a few friends who you might like.”

It was all Wayne needed the boy leapt forward in a burst towards the door and just as he got there, a figure jumped out from the shadows and grabbed him. Wayne let out a strangled scream as the figure’s hand clamped around his mouth and the other around his chest.

Vincent looked on in terror for only a second before his hand went for the pistol on his waist. Before the barrel even cleared the belt, he felt two powerful hands slam him into the alley and onto the ground. His left eye just caught a sliver of the two fangs bearing down on his neck.

Sandhya drank quickly for the first few seconds to drain her victim of much energy as possible before slowing down into a rhythmic beat. It was nearly a half-minute before she heard the strangled cry of the other man as Thomas bit into him. After several minutes the body was dry; Sandhya lifted her head and licked her lips, the surge of life buzzed through her body.

She looked over to see Thomas kneeling on the ground and drinking the last few drops from the body. He dropped the corpse once he was finished, a look of surprised-terrified relaxation washing over his face.

The vampiress walked over to him and knelt. “Thomas? How are you?”

Thomas looked over at her, his eyes widened as the realization set in. “I did it. I did it. It feels…strange.”

Sandhya looked at the male as his face twisted and he held his gut. She had heard about this before, living for a long time on an animal blood diet and a packaged blood diet never fully agreed with a vampire. The sudden richness of fresh human blood always seemed to give cramps. “Come on Thomas. You’ll feel better once you walk around.”

Thomas nodded; he stood up, his muscles and body feeling stronger and better than they have had in months. He had delayed in biting the man, but hunger drove him. As he helped Sandhya dump the pair into a dumpster (after quickly lifting the cash from their bodies), he wondered if the occasional punk like these two wouldn’t be better for him. He felt alive again; he felt more like he had had back when he was first turned.

Sandhya smiled as she closed the lid of the dumpster. She took Thomas by the arm and the pair moved into the night.

The vampires strolled calmly through the streets of Clarence. The lights from the Simatarian capital bled into the sky, destroying what was a beautiful star filled night. Thomas felt normal, he didn’t feel any sense of a twisted stomach from guilt, and he just felt a sense that his body was where it should be. Drinking animal blood and cold packaged blood kept him alive, however he never felt completely full. Maybe an occasional drug dealer wouldn’t be a bad thing, no one would really…

His thoughts were interrupted by a single memory. Thomas looked at Sandhya. “Why did you say that me going to the VIB HQ to register was a bad idea?”

She looked at him. “You’re really out of the loop aren’t you?”

“How bad out of the loop?”

“I’ve heard stories, nasty ones. I also read the foreign paper.” Sandhya sighed. “You already know the humans slaughter all vampires who don’t immediately surrender. No second chances. Even those who are wounded are killed. But, for those who are caught or do surrender, I’ve heard that the humans blast you with electricity, enough to knock you out. Then they dump you into a concrete holding cell…and that’s it.”

“But I’ll register, become legal.”

“Nothing is gonna change Thomas. You walk in there, they see you...even if you have a chance to say you want to register before they blast you to Kingdom come, there’s not bet they’ll even let you register.”

“Are you just going to sit back and live like this?” Thomas asked. “I mean if there a chance to live without getting hunted I’m willing to take it.”

“I’m not saying I’m happy living like this. But, I you gotta live, you gotta live. Living alone on the road is the only way to live. Really can’t live with other vampires, the radicals are slowly taking over. But, the more violent the radicals get…they find ‘em and bring in the VIB.”

“Whose ‘they’? Independent hunters?”

Sandhya looked over at him and shook her head. “You’re really outta the loop. Well, there’s a rumor going around. That the government is employing older vampires to hunt other vampires for them.”

“You’re fucking joking, if they…”

“Listen to me. About eight months ago I was in Chelam when I bumped into this vampire who looked like he just went through hell. He was quarter burnt, silver wounds all over…a complete mess.” Sandhya paused, collecting her thoughts. “He said that the was apart of a coven headed by this real desperado type who went by the name Box. This Box guy and his cohorts took over a small coven and instead of relying on mostly animal blood, this Box guy got them going after humans. In a major way, going out on streets, killing sprees…he convinced them that making their presence known was the only way to guarantee the government to stop their eradication.”

“What happened?”

“They had been going on like this for a few weeks, so far the VIB hadn’t come close to finding them. He said one night, he had just finished a kill and was heading back to the coven house. As he was heading back, he bumped into a vampiress. He said she smiled and was very polite with him, but obviously giving off a sense of being frightened of being in the city. So he offered to take her back to the coven house for safety.”

“Okay? So what he helped…”

“Here’s the thing though. He said he felt something off her. Like a sense of power and age that he had never seen before. Also the look in her eyes…it was odd.” Sandhya stopped as her brain continued to process. “Well, he got her back and one of Box’s boys immediately wanted to ‘put her in her place’ as it were. When he tried though, the vampiress had him down on the ground with a shattered arm in barely two seconds. They all figured they had themselves some sorta Rambo chick who might be useful. So, they turned in for the day.”

“What happened?”

“About noontime, they were awakened by the sound of engines and calls over a loudspeaker for them to surrender. The building was surrounded by VIB and every avenue of escape was covered. The vampiress was gone. The vampire expired before saying anything else.”

Thomas laughed. “Come on, the government employing vampires to find vampire covens for the VIB? That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. You think someone woulda told the press about it.”

“I dunno, his face seemed honest enough. It would make some sense as why the VIB is so good at finding covens.”

Thomas laughed. “You’re calling me nuts? That’s about the strangest thing I’ve heard.”

Sandhya smiled. “Think what you will, but you never know.”

Thomas sighed. It made no sense for the Simatarians to hire vampires, outside of the ones already living in the country, all other vampires did everything they could to avoid the damn place.

Shaking his head, the pair strolled down the street.

‘Henry’s’ was located close to one of the marinas along the oceanfront. It was a two story faded, chipped blue paint building. The inside smelled of cooking fish and shellfish and the smell of the salt water was inescapable. Despite its appearance as well as using brown paper as tablecloths, it was listed as one of the best seafood restaurants in Clarence. Due in no small part to the owner owning his own personal fishing fleet.

Jeremy Welker appeared on the second floor, which was simply the roof converted into an eating area. He scanned the patrons and his eyes settled upon a woman sitting next to the railing reading a newspaper. He weaved through the tables and smiled. “Sandra, good to see you.”

Sandra Little’s brown eyes lifted from the newspaper and went to Jeremy. She folded up the paper and smiled. “Hello Jim. Take a seat.”

Sandra Little had been the Director of the VIB for the last six years. Sandra had been a life-long VIB agent, thirty-five years ago when the VIB was created; she was part of the first group of agents. Assingtonian and Tarlachian advisors had trained her, yet her attitudes had changed after the Battle of Clarence.

Jeremy sat himself down and skimmed over the menu. A waitress arrived just after he sat down and the pair ordered their food, Sandra being specific there being two tabs. They made minor small talk until the food arrived. Jeremy put on a napkin and started to rip into the crab before him. “It’s not every day the head of the VIB calls the head of the IBI. So, what do I owe this honor?”

“You spend more time talking with the President than I do. He really doesn’t care all that much about the vampire situation so I’m pretty much left to run things how I want. I know the IBI has teams in High Port trying to organized a police force so the next time there’s one of those meetings with you, Yellen and the Joint Chiefs, make it late in the day.” Sandra said through bites of shrimp.

“Oh and why should I do that? What will I get out of it?” Jeremy looked up, a smile on his face.

“You get a Project: Millennium meeting out of it.” Sandra eyes locked with Jeremy’s the smile that he had been wearing instantly evaporated at the mention of the name. “I spoke with Nicole Malone last night, she was very insistent that she and her husband meet Yellen along with the Joint Chiefs as soon as possible.”

Jeremy swallowed the crabmeat hard and loosened his throat with soda. “Why?”

“She didn’t say, but clearly stated that if a meeting didn’t take place within the next week, she and Stephen would walk into the President’s House and handle it themselves. And we probably don’t want that.”

Jeremy blinked and went back to eating. “What’s their problem? They basically live here for free, have a nicer house than I do for Christ’s sake.”

“Well it started about five years ago when they found out about Eclipse…”

“How the hell did…?” Jeremy spat in a high voice.

“Come on Jim, from the get-go Eclipse was an impossible idea. Everyone knew it was a project that would fail and in over ten years of development, we moved what? A few inches? When I took this job and read the dossier I was shocked it was still running.”

“Even so. How in the hell did they find out about it?”

Sandra shrugged. “Dunno, but they were pissed off. Stephen even more so when he learned it was President Mirren who started the program during the Demon War. I can say that was really the thing that started the fracture.”

“Fracture…what fracture?”

“You should really start paying attention to my memos more. Basically the Malone’s are very pleased with the way things are going in the Golden Simatar. They believe the heavy-handed measures of the VIB and the use of National Guardsmen are undermining and destroying the progress that was and could be made.”

“Well if you cut back operations you’ll just let more of those homicidal fucks in here.”

“Jim, I know what I gotta do. I know how to run the VIB. Now, how about a meeting?”

Jeremy ate a chunk of meat and nodded. “Next Thursday is a meeting with myself, the Joint Chiefs, and the cabinet to update the President on High Port. I think I can get the President to push it to latter in the afternoon. Will that do?”

Sandra nodded. “I’ll call them after lunch.”

Jeremy grumbled as he ripped off a claw. “I don’t see why we still employ them. Get rid of them; boot them out of the country. And that homicidal daughter of theirs and her boyfriend. We’re doing fine without that lot.”

Sandra chuckled softly. Jeremy looked up at her as she continued to chuckle. “What’s so damn funny?”

Sandra smiled. “We need them Jim; they’re the reason why we’re so successful.”

Elizabeth wouldn’t let Captain Ross fail her. For the past week, he had been working her over harder than anyone else. She still dueled with him on nearly a daily basis; she wouldn’t compromise her ideals because of him. She read foreign media reports concerning the Golden Simatar and it’s anti-human laws. Most other nations were open-minded they were more progressive. Captain Ross kept trying to beat the ideas out of her, but she wouldn’t listen.

Elizabeth carefully moved through the darkened hallway, her M4 out in front of her. Four more cadets followed her in single file. Just ahead she could see a closed door. Moving towards it, she stood in front of the doorway while the others waited. With a quick nod, she kicked the rotted door open. As it swung, she moved in, checking the corners. The rest of the team followed.

The beam of light from the end of her gun cut through the darkness, landing on a woman kneeling on the floor. The pale woman looked up, a timid smile revealing fangs, she raised her hands. “Please…I surrender…”

Elizabeth stared at the pale figure; the clothes were gray and white in color, blotches of black all over them. Her finger went to the trigger of her rifle, but instead of firing, she removed her finger and started forward. “Ma’am I will…”

She barely took a half step when woman leaped at her and three figures moved out of the shadows and attacked her team. Elizabeth didn’t have a chance to raise her rifle. Barely a second passed when the red lights on the human’s vests lit up and the min-alarms on their uniforms started.

Elizabeth snarled angrily as she lowered her rifle. Bastard set it up. The son of a bitch set this up…God dammit… She looked over to see the hologram woman on the ground shutter then fade away. The rest of her team looked at her, the frustration evident in their faces.

“Sergeant Fuchs!” Colin’s voice thundered in the hall. Seconds later, dressed in his black/gray uniform, Colin appeared. “You and your whole team are right now the guests of honor for a vampire dinner. Can you tell me how this happened?”

“I failed to check the corners and the full room. Sir.” Elizabeth said. Her eyes darted to her team as one made a noticeable ‘humph’.

“No, you did that. A perfect entry and perfect deployment, shows well for your SWAT background. So, what is it that you didn’t do?” Colin turned to look at her, their eyes meeting.


“I swear if she makes this, I’m moving to another city where she ain’t.” Rodney Crane said as he dried his hair with a towel. He turned from his locker to look at the other dozen or so people who had just gotten out of the shower and were getting changed. “I mean she moved into the room, saw the vamp and didn’t fire. Gawd damn, she’s gonna fail herself out of this thing and I’ll be glad if she does. It can’t be much simpler mission statement: ‘walk into a room and kill every vampires there’…easy no?”

There were some nods and murmurs from those around. The general feeling was that Elizabeth might prove a hazard to them when the real, final test came. As Rodney continued, his back to the shower, he didn’t see Elizabeth emerging from the shower area. After some non-to subtle gestures, he turned to see the woman standing behind him.

Elizabeth smiled coldly and walked to her locker. She opened the door and started pulling out her street clothes. “Y’all can keep talking, I don’t mind.”

“Just what were you thinking?” Rodney said. “Or are you thinking? Got a boyfriend or…a girlfriend who likes necking a bit?”

“I believe that every citizen of this country deserves equal treatment and opportunity. And that exterminating vampire cit…”

“They ain’t registered, that doesn’t make them citizens.” Someone else chimed in.

Elizabeth spun as she buttoned her pants. “Wonder why that is. Because they’re too scared to get shot the second they come within a half-mile of this place. Do any of you have any idea how the rest of Fatal Terrain views us? To Tanaarans view us as a bunch of back-woods hicks…”

“Don’t forget those bastards knew there were terrorists that evaded our recon within our borders and didn’t tell us. Who cares what they think?” Rodney said, slamming his shoes onto the bench. Nods and verbal agreement followed.

“Alright, fuck what foreigners think. But, be that as it may, we’re still a fairly flip-flop backwards nation.”

“And what’s the reasoning that?”

“Lets see. For starters it says in our Constitution that all people are created equal. Yes? So, why are vampires treated so differently in our laws? I mean, in the Constitution it says that law enforcement cannot search a residence without a warrant is illegal, yet it’s perfectly okay to search a vampire’s residence without a warrant.” Elizabeth held up her hand as Rodney tried to speak. “What else? Oh yes, gay marriage is legal here; gays are being treated equally as straight people. The institution of marriage hasn’t collapsed. But what might happen if a vampire marries a human? Women and men are created equal as well and that dates back to ancient times. Emperor Krogin entire royal guard was female and centuries later King Richard allowed women to speak when government was being held. Look where we are now, we’ve had several female Presidents. So…are we to assume vampires are not people and thus not protected by the Constitution? Don’t forget, technically, they are still citizens…their citizenship status hasn’t been revoked.”

There was a silence following Elizabeth’s rant. She smiled, confident she had silenced the group. Rodney however stepped forward. “Okay true…they might be still citizens. But, aren’t they committing murder by eating people on the streets? And isn’t the penalty of murder…death? So, technically speaking, their criminal murders which by law would mean they’d get the death penalty. What do you say?”

Elizabeth opened her mouth and closed it. She thought briefly. “You forget that for murder, a person could also get life. You also need evidence to be arrested as well. But you also forget that the convicted go on trial before a judge and jury, their not gunned down kneeling on the floor without any cause except for being a vampire.”

There was silence again. Elizabeth wouldn’t let them have a chance to counter her argument. She finished tying her shoes, threw on her shirt and slammed her locker shut. As she reached the door, she spun around and snapped her sneakers as best she could. Elizabeth flashed a quick Nazi salute. “Sieg Heil.”

With that, she turned and departed.

The map on the screen of the former nation of High Port showed a thick, blue wedge coating the two islands of the coast and the northern area of the country. A little red dot appeared on the wedge and slowly started to move around the map.

“As you can see Mr. President.” Army General Jane Warbeck started, “Our progress in High Port is slower than what we’d like, as we don’t want to stretch our troops too far out. We’ve encountered very little in the way of resistance, most are bandits on horseback and they usually flee when they see tanks rolling their way.”

“However we are still dropping humanitarian supplies deep in country and have gained complete air superiority. We have two airstrips, one military and one humanitarian established on the larger of two islands. I have engineers building another, much larger strip on the mainland.” Air Force General Frank Irving took over. “We’ve also been able to send in RFIs and RAGs to counter incursions from Skull Kingdom as well.”

“The navy is patrols on waterways and ocean front have found scant amounts of evidence showing pirates in the area.” Admiral Nathan Bullock stated. “We’re expanding our operations as best we can to take them out.”

All, including the Secretary of Defense Peggy Tohls, IBI Director Jeremy Welker and the President’s Chief aid Isaac Rhymer looked down the table at the man sitting at its head. In the man’s lap sat a rustic, red colored miniature pinscher, another two black-tan colored dogs rested on a pillow in the corner.

President Wesley Yellen eyed the board coolly. It had been just about five months after the Fatal Terrain Regional Conference. Five months since inheriting High Port. Five months after Imitoria was wasted by an unholy force and hundreds of thousands of Simatarians were killed and lost their homes because of the quakes that followed Imitoria’s destruction.

Yellen picked up the dog from his lap, the little animal growled in protest, but the man kissed it on the head and put it down. The dog lazily wandered over to the pillow to join its brothers. The President drank some soda from a glass. If it hadn’t been for Imitoria’s destruction, all of High Port would have been under Simatarian control. However only a third of the military was operating in the country, the other two thirds were still helping rebuild what was lost and stand guard in case something else occurred. He rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble of another stress beard.

“Jane, I want you to organize all National Guard units and put them on the front lines of reconstruction here. That’ll free up more regular front line troops for you to continue with operations in High Port. Also I’ll let you at your own discretion remove more front line troops from TGS to High Port. I don’t want to give up High Port unless it’s necessary.” Yellen looked around the table. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes sir, I’m sure you’ve read in the papers of Professor Strom of Ulbricht University is planning an expedition to the volcanic islands that erupted out of the Vanyiar Sea after Imitoria was sent underwater.” Admiral Bullock said.

“Yes, even after I made a public statement forbidding anyone from getting within fifty miles of the place.” Yellen said. “I want you to up the Coast Guard ships on station there.” The President stopped and thought. He turned to his aide. “Isaac, tomorrow I want to get on the line with the Tarlachian Empress, Assingtonian President and Tanaaran Archon. I want to discuss a joint-nation scientific expedition to the Dead Zone. We’ll supply the naval and marine support if they agree to the expedition.”

“Yes sir.” Rhymer said as he jotted down the note on a pad of paper.

“Now, if that’s everything, thank you all very much…have a good evening.” Yellen said. As everyone rose, the door opened, Sandra Little walked into the briefing room, a small attaché case in her hand. She waited patiently as the Secretary of Defense and Rhymer departed, leaving only her, Jeremy, the Joint Chiefs and the President. Yellen turned, seeing Sandra. “Sandra, good to see you again.”

“Same to you Mr. President.” Sandra walked forward and shook his hand. In the nine months since Yellen had been in office, she had only met him three times (this being the third). “I wonder if I can talk to you about something Mr. President.”

“Can it wait for morning? I’m very…”

“I’m afraid it can’t sir…it’s very important.” Sandra popped open the attaché case and removed a thick folder. She handed it to Yellen. “It concerns this sir.”

Yellen took the folder and read the mark on the cover: TOP SECRET: CLERANCE ONLY CLASS 12 & CLASS 10 OPERATION MILLIENIUM. Below was: Authored & Authorized via Executive Order by President Becky Kimble; Enacted Via Executive Order by President Arthur Stahler. Yellen flipped open the cover to the summary page. Class 12, that technically only himself and Class 10 the Joint Chiefs…but within the first sentence it stated that the current IBI and VIB Directors were privy to the information.

“What the hell is this?” He said in shock as he read the summary out loud. “Due to the recent discovery of aggressive Vampiric activity in…use Simatarian Vampire…allowed to feed…what in the hell is this? If this is a newer form of Eclipse…”

“It was the Operation that Eclipse was suppose to replace. President Mirren hoped with Eclipse, he could replace Millennium. However, dhampires can never replace a full blood.” A new woman’s voice broke the silence. Yellen turned; he heard the growls of his dogs as they awoke to the new presence. His jaw dropped at the sight.

The woman he was faced with stood just about five eleven, she had soft shoulder length brown hair, a pair of sparkling green eyes and pale skin. She carried a briefcase but was dressed strangely for being in the President’s Manor. She wore a pair of black paratrooper boots, tight fitting combat pants, a equally fitting black combat vest with a black shirt underneath. To top it all off she wore a black, leather trench coat. The woman smiled, two pointed fangs were visible on her upper row of teeth.

A lump formed in Yellen’s throat…Vampire! He was too shocked to move, his eyes darted down as his trio of min-pins darted for the woman. He started to make a move towards the vampiress as she knelt down. Instead of picking them up and slaughtering them…she offered them her hand and gently rubbed their heads. Yellen stood, shocked.

“Very cute Mr. President. They remind me of my dragon Tolkien. He’s about their size too.” After a few seconds, the vampiress stood and smiled to Yellen. She walked forward and offered her hand. “I’m Nicole Malone. I’m sorry my husband couldn’t be here tonight, he’s a bit busy right now.”

Yellen looked down at the offered hand and back at Nicole. He slowly reached forward and took the cold flesh, shaking it. “P…pleasure…”

Nicole smiled; she knew he would be scared. Hell every President was scared the first time meeting vampires like this. Most had warmed up very quickly to them. However she doubted after tonight if Yellen would. She smiled to the rest in the room, they’d met her years ago. “Hello everyone. Please, take a seat, I’d like to start asap.”

Nicole walked to the end of the table and put down her briefcase. She removed her trench coat, revealing double armpit holsters, each holding a pistol and magazines. She looked up at Yellen. The President took the longest to sit down. The vampiress sighed and began. “I’ll cut to the chase immediately, Stephen…my husband and sire Mr. President… both feel very strongly that the course the Golden Simatar is taking to deal with vampires and other non-human beings is going downhill like a steaming shit pile.

“Already there are numerous protests in foreign lands, call for boycott of all Simatarian goods, and so on and so forth. We’re almost isolated from the rest of the region because of the laws and practices concerning vampires. Why are like this? Reason for this is simple, you’ve fucked up. If things keep going this way you’ll find yourselves alone and so deep in shit you’ll be looking for a match to light the methane if it means a way out.”

“Looks Ms. Malone,” Yellen started as he began to rise. “If there is an issue with the VIB I ask you to take it up with director Little. It’s been nice to meet you…”

What happened next shocked everyone in the room. Two visible dents appeared in Yellen’s clothes like massive fists and the President was slammed back into his seat. The depressions remained, keeping him in the chair. All eyes swung to Nicole. The vampiress stood at the far end of the table, her eyes burning. Between the Malone’s, Nicole was always the more even-tempered than her husband, seeing her angry was a rare occurrence. She was barely fifty in vampire years and showing her power, even at such a minor level sent a message. The Vampire’s mentally caused depressions in Yellen’s clothes disappeared.

The Vampiress glared at Yellen. “Do you want to know why TGS hasn’t been overrun by vampires? Why there are no giant covens hidden in the cities like in Assington? Of course there is the hard working VIB. But they’ve changed from police to exterminators. Finding forming covens fall upon Stephen and I. Before those thermal surveillance trucks were in service, we did all the hunting. We still do much of it; those trucks are mini-tanks, not exactly the most covert thing in the world. The problem here is two fold. First, the operations of the VIB and mostly the AEB. Second are the laws concerning my species.

“In the beginning the VIB’s SWAT arm, before it got the AEB name, operated more like SWAT. It hit a building that was marked and eliminated the hostile threat.”

“Which is done now.” Yellen said.

“No. What’s being done now is genocide. Nothing more…nothing less. Killing every vampire in sight, even if they’re trying to surrender. I’ve seen hundreds of hours of footage showing scared shitless vampires trying to surrender and being killed. Don’t interrupt.” Nicole halted General Warbeck as she opened her mouth. “Those that do surrender or captured are transported to prison vaults deep in the mountains, no trial, no judge, no jury…not on scrap of solid evidence. They’re tossed there and the key is thrown away. Tales of that are already on the streets…it’s a reason why so few surrender.

“Stephen and I fully support bringing down the rogues who seek only to kill and cause hell for everyone. That’s what we’ve been doing. However once we learned that the policy had changed from killing vampires who attack to any vampire period…we find ourselves less willing to find a coven who isn’t headed or filled with blood-thirty rogues. Kill the rogues and save those who want to live normally.”

“It clearly says in the laws that any unregistered vampire is subject to extermination unless they surrender. If they don’t surrender, tough for them.” Yellen said.

Nicole’s fingers dug deep into the chair before her, obviously not pleased with his response. “If that’s how you feel and want to continue with this genocide…Stephen and I will pack up and leave. You can try to reboot Eclipse and try to get your dhampires…but it hasn’t gotten past stage one. And when we leave, everyone in this room will be dead within a matter of weeks or even days.”

“Wait…what do you mean?” Sandra jumped, her shock obvious.

Nicole turned to the human. “Vampires are not going away. Try as hard as you can to exterminate us, you might get close but there’s no cigar. The thermal vans as you know well are expensive to operate and aren’t as quick at tracking down a violent coven or vampire as my husband and I.

“Whatever covens are here are disorganize and broken very quickly. If Stephen and I left, the rogue vampires will be able to take over and create covens. It’ll take days or weeks to locate them with the vans…if you’re lucky. You know what the VP face in Assington when they face a well oiled vampire coven?”

Nicole looked around the room; there was only a nod from Sandra. “RPGs, recoilless rifles, heavy machine guns, light mortars…a well led and organized coven can stretch itself out enough to acquire heavy black market weaponry. So far, that has yet to happen here because they don’t last too long. But once they start organizing, I’ll bet easy money they’ll try for big guns and try to form an alliance with each other and maybe even with one in Assington.

“You still have the countless other vampires who only want to return to as best a normal life as they can. They are still citizens of this land, just not registered as a vampire. They kill humans for food because they know no other way, they don’t want to but they have to. But there are only two options for them; prison until Kingdom Come if they surrender or die. But, there is a third option. The rogues offer them a chance to fight back, become someone, let the government know that they are vampires and proud. Put desperate people in front of a madman giving them high promises…they’ll side with them.

“So now you have all these well armed rogues and all these vampires who have beefed up their ranks. The latter seeing this as the only way to a normal life. They’re not going to turn the weapons on their immediate surroundings no. They’re going to come here to Clarence. They’re going to target the President and the VIB…” Nicole snapped her fingers. “All dead…no prisoners…giving you what you give them. Once that’s done…then they start their war.”

Yellen sat, his eyes firmly focused on Nicole. He licked his lips, trying to find something to say against this nightmarish prediction. “I find it hard to believe this kind of thing could happen. I mean we’ll be able to take them out…”

“This kind of thing will happen Mr. President. If you fail to ‘take them out’ and you need help, where will you go? Assington is your best bet, Tanaara certainly will not. Tarlachia, maybe. A big maybe; there are factions in there that want to sever ties with TGS. In the end, I bet no help will come.”

Jeremy looked at her. “So…what do you suggest to prevent you and your husband from leaving and causing the vampire’s from destroying us?”

“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m telling you this is what you have to do to change the course.” Nicole said. The vampiress sat down, obviously looking more relaxed after her rant. “First thing is first, curtail the AEB. Issue non-lethals and go back to the old way of assault. Kill only vampires who resist, cuff those who willingly surrender. But before that I say you should give a three-night period where any vampire who wishes to become a registered vampire citizen, will be given that chance. They will start with a clean record. You will find plenty of vamps who will line up to register if it means getting out of the line of fire.”

“We already give them that chance.” Yellen said. “Before a building…”

“Fledglings tend to listen to their sires. If the sire says stay, rarely does a fledgling disobey.” Nicole said. “Start removing the eager vampires who want to try and return to normality. Teach night classes, work late night in bookstores, maybe for the IBI and VIB…anything like that. If they work for the VIB, it’ll show Simatarians are open minded…as well as relieve stress on our part.

“More will register and this will improve this nation’s image. You are then left with the rogues and those who are indecisive. The latter must be handled delicately as they can switch to either side. The rogues, I don’t think anyone will care if they are killed.”

“Alright, say if we do that. Give a grace period for vampires to register. Remove the eager ones who want to live like humans again. Who says they won’t just go out on the town and kill people?” Yellen said.

“Well that’s when the VIB goes back to police work. Every human’s mouth is different, same with every vampire’s fangs. When a victim is brought in, examination of the wounds crossed with registered dental records will find out who is hunting and who isn’t.” Nicole said. “I imagine some will feel the bloodlust, but that is a risk we must take to insure stability. But, what must also be done is removal of all military support of the VIB. It looks far too heavy handed; leave the VIB to VIB matters.”

“You’re forgetting about the laws.” Yellen said off handedly.

“I was coming to that.” Nicole reached into her briefcase and removed a folder. She slid it down the length of the table, the folder stopping in front of Yellen. “Stephen and I have done some revisions. As of now to call the laws draconian and unconstitutional is to give them a lot of credit. You’re the President, push Congress to change them.”

“I don’t see any problem with them.” Yellen said with a bit of a self-confident air.

“You see problems when you’re not human. As a vampire, I see a fuck load of problems. Face it Mr. President.” Nicole leaned forward, a smile on her lips, her fangs glistening in the light. “You need us and if you take what I say and apply it, the future of this country will look better.”

Yellen laughed as he looked at the folder before him. “And why should we take what you say?”

Nicole pulled a book from the case and threw it to Yellen. The blue bound book landed right in front of him. In red the title read: Information Detailing History & Operational Protocol & Combat Against Vampiric & Other Night-Creatures By Capt. Steven Malone Nicole grinned. “My husband wrote the fucking book.”

Sandra looked at the book that Nicole had thrown at Yellen and nodded. The VIB used other books as well, however Stephen’s (having altered the spelling of his name for the cover and using his former army rank) book was still required reading.

Nicole rose from her chair. She flung on her coat. “I must be going, we’re expecting an old family friend soon. Read my notes thoroughly Yellen and put them into effect as soon as possible. Clock is ticking on you and this country.”

Nicole smiled politely and as she walked towards the door, she stopped next to Yellen after picking up a brief thought by him. She looked down at the pinschers that had returned to their pillows. “My husband wasn’t sired the normal way. It took him one thousand years to turn. However his teacher was one of the original Assington vampires. During the third Assington vampire war, he told me she punted a pinscher much like yours…clear across the city because the owner got in her way.”

Nicole looked at Yellen, his face one of shock as he looked between her and his dogs. As his eyes settled on her once again, she spoke in a very calm tone. “Don’t even consider trying to fuck with us in any way shape or form. We have quite a few friends in very prestigious places in regional governments, we can leave here, but not without causing you serious pain. But no one will know where we are. I’m serious when I say that I love my country and always want to live here and don’t want to see it go into a full scale human versus vampire war because of some thick-brained politician. Yellen, you have a good head on your shoulders…don’t make me rip it off.”

Nicole turned around and with a flurry of leather, the vampiress was out the door and gone.

Yellen turned slowly back to the assembled group, letting out a ragged sigh as he did. His eyes fell on the folder reading Revisions for the Golden Simatar’s Non-Human Laws. Yellen opened it.

Yellen lay on his bed; the bed lamplight was the only illumination in the room as he got into reading the folder Nicole Malone had given him. He felt a scuffling around his legs and lowering the paper, he watched as his three dogs jumped onto the bed and started to nest in the spare blankets for them.

Sighing, the President turned to the document:

For the consideration for President Yellen to change the laws and articles concerning Supernatural Creatures within the Golden Simatar. Do not forget Mr. President that non-humans are still citizens of this country, that right has yet to be infringed upon by the government; so they are still protected by the Constitution of the Republic of the Golden Simatar.

1. Removal of the word ‘Extermination’ and any similar word from the laws.
2. Removal of Article One-Section F-Sub-section One: “If a vampire does not register with the VIB, they are treated as a Hostile Treat to the safety and well being of the populace. Result will be a) extermination.” This includes removal of other related articles concerning foreign vampires and lycanthropic creatures.
3. Changes to Coven/Pack Laws to include: Removing Section C-Subsection 4 of Article 1 & Section C-Subsection 4 of Article II. Both concern allowing the VIB random, unwarranted searches of Coven/Pack buildings. The Simatarian Constitution protects citizen’s households and places of business from searches by government/ law enforcement officials baring presentation of a warrant stating cause for the search.
4. The Laws concerning feeding and Turning appear fair except concerning Sire and new Fledgling being incarcerated should they fail to re-register post-siring. It is slightly redundant to re-register; the Fledgling should simply be allowed to register as a new vampire.
5. Concerning Foreign Non-Humans, the need to register at all prior to visiting or even passing through is completely unneeded. Foreign Non-Humans simply must produce legal documentation of citizenship in a foreign land.

With concern to the Assault and Extermination Battalion, the unit must either be completely disbanded or completely overhauled; first and foremost the name must be altered. The AEB’s tactics of offering vampires a chance of surrender is good and viable, however in order for this to be effective, it must be shown publically that those who are captured are given due process in a court of law. Having correspondents from other nations to observe the proceedings will help show that this is not an elaborate hoax.

Curtailing the AEB to a SWAT oriented role and given non-lethal weapons is only a first step in bettering the image of the VIB and nation as a whole. There will probably need to be more than one “grace” period for registration as most vampires will not go and register during the original time frame, believing once again, it is a trap.

We hold our heads high as being an open-minded, liberal country, being one of the first to legalize homosexual marriage…

Yellen shut the document and placed it onto his nightstand. It was enough for him, he really wasn’t that interested in what Nicole Malone had to say. He trusted in the VIB to do their job and he let them do their job. And they were doing a damn good job of it. There was no official estimate of how many vampires and non-humans lived in the Golden Simatar, however most estimates (based off the numbers non-humans killed and victims found) put the numbers between 15-40,000. Though there were some more liberal estimates putting the population as high as 100,000.

Comparatively speaking, incredibly low population compared to other nations in the region. That was how the Simatarians liked it, hard-line work of the VIB and AEB kept vampires from moving into the country and if anything, scaring any vampire with two brain cells to leave the country. Within the last years nearly two thousand recorded vampires were killed, only a dozen werewolves were recorded during the same duration.

However, as he shut off the light and laid down to sleep, he found himself agreeing with removing the clause allowing the VIB to search a Coven house without a warrant. That did directly infringe upon the Constitution, the Constitution he swore to uphold and protect, and it’s laws ruled over all others. Yes, that section in the Vampire Laws would have to be removed, simply on Constitutional grounds. At surface value it might show to the rest of the region maybe the Golden Simatar was opening up, doubtful but still.

Yellen closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The bar was dimly lit; most of the illumination came from the lights behind the bar. There were enough lights and neon signs dotted around the rest of the interior to allow the patrons to find their way around without bumping into the furnishings.

Colin dropped a ten on the counter and took the two beer pitchers given to him. Weaving his way through the crowd, he navigated to a booth. Doug, his fake leg lying next to him, was already seated and snacking on some peanuts. Colin deposited the beers on the table and slid into his side.

“Thank you much…” Doug said as he took a drink.

“No worries, you buy the next round.” Colin commented.

“So how you going to break her?”

“What?”

“Fuchs? How are you going to break her?”

Colin sighed. “Well I think I’ll send her through the simulator a few more times for starters.”

“Yeah but that won’t last long. She’s gonna give you lip service and then once you get to the final, actual field test…” Doug pushed gently.

Colin nodded to the obvious, it’s what he knew would happen. Fuchs would do what Colin wanted verbatim but on a real run, she would flip back to what she was doing. “In that case, I’ll do whatever I can do to prevent her from getting to a real run. But…I dunno Doug, I’m thinking on what I can do.”

As they talked, the beers slowly made its way to the bottom of the glasses. Colin took a ten from Doug and brought the empty glasses from the booth to the counter. As he waited for the beers to be refilled, his eyes drifted down the mirror, observing the other patrons. After several passes, his eyes fixed on a couple in a booth he could just make out in the edge of the mirror. He squinted slightly, fixing on them, but mostly on the woman. When the fresh brews were handed him, he turned, facing them, squinted again and kept turning and moved back to the table.

Doug smiled and took the beer. Colin slid back in his seat; he turned his head and looked back at the booth at the end of the bar. “Doug, take a look at the couple in the booth at the end of the bar. The girl mostly, anything strike you as interesting?”

Doug leaned around the edge of the booth and stared at the couple Colin described. They looked normal, middle thirties, probably dating. The man in the couple was probably drunk, the girl not so much. The man’s eyes focused on the girl, she was laughing at some joke and snuggling up with the man. She wore a long sleeve shirt, odd since it was a warm night, but not abnormal. “I don’t see anything.”

“Wait till the neon flashes.” Colin said.

Doug turned back and kept staring at them. A neon sign near the booth flickered briefly, illuminating the pair in a myriad of blues and greens. It was then he saw what Colin meant. “You don’t think?”

Colin brought his right leg up and gently slid the compact automatic from the leg holster and carefully placed it into his jacket. “Never hurts to make sure. Can you call in a possible V sighting?”

Doug nodded. “They’re leaving.”

Colin twisted in the booth and stared as the couple slid from their booth and walked towards the front door. “Put in that call Doug.”

Colin started out towards the front door as Doug put in the call to VIB HQ. He opened the door into the early evening.

Colin exited the bar and scanned the surrounding street. From the streetlights, he could see an alleyway a half block down the street. He walked calmly towards it, knowing if he made his presence too noticeable, the attack might not occur. That is if he was right.

Pressing himself up against the side of a tattoo parlor, Colin removed the pistol from his jacket and flicked the safety off. He twisted his head around the corner. About twenty feet down he could see the pair, by the light overlooking a dumpster, seemly passionately making out. However, the man’s movements were sluggish, definitely inebriated. The woman was acting more aware of the situation.

Quietly slipping around the corner, Colin moved towards them, pistol at the ready. His eyes firm on the distracted woman. She pushed her head into the man’s neck, apparently nuzzling him. Colin raised the pistol, filling his sights with her head. She drew her head back; in the cleaner light he saw all he wanted. It was at that moment she seemed to become aware of him, her eyes flicked over to him.

The pistol barked once, the Glaser round exploding in her skull and ripping several chunks in the back of her skull. Her head kicked back, the body following, her fingers still grasping the man she was with. He let out a cry in surprise as he was dragged to the ground with the corpse.

Colin moved forward and wretched him off her, unceremoniously throwing him to the wall. The man hit with a thud, but didn’t seem to notice, before he slid down to the ground. Colin walked to the girl and looked down at the body. A smile on his lips.

The pale skin stood in start contrast to the semi-halo of blood and gore around her head, her hair splayed out behind her. In her slacked jaw, two fangs were just visible on the top row of teeth.

Colin spun, gun raised as he heard footsteps coming down the alley. He quickly lowered it as he saw Doug’s distinctive hobble in the figure. Colin looked back at the corpse and then back at him.

“Change that call, one confirmed vampire sighting, one confirmed vampire dead.”

Elizabeth Fuchs sat in the packed monorail car, head resting against the cool glass. The night hadn’t been what she wanted; her old roommate had called saying she couldn’t make it and Elizabeth had gotten on the wrong tram on her way back to the Police Barracks and ended up on the far south east of the city near the harbor. Now after over a half an hour of line hopping, she was finally one that was pointed in the right direction.

She thought over what the bastard of an instructor Colin Ross had been talking about today. When he walked into the simulator room, he had such a smug look on his face; she was inches away from hitting him. He had rambled on about how her technique was flawless; he heaped praise upon her, building up towards what he really wanted to say.

Elizabeth wondered if it was her fairly liberal, open-minded upbringing that made her more accepting than most. Her parents taught her to be tolerant of other people and try to look at every situation from every possible angle before making a choice. That desire to try and analyze everything was what had her in Clarence. She hoped to bring some fresh blood, a fresh mind to the AEB, but it seemed that most had already been brainwashed.

As the monorail made a gentle curve, lights bouncing off the walls of an approaching building caught her attention. Most other people in the car noticed as well and all twisted and moved to see what the excitement was as the car passed overhead. There wasn’t much to see, police officers were blocking off the area, and others were starting to take pictures.

Elizabeth just made out the silhouette of an armored car parked near the edge of the flashing lights before the tram passed them. AEB, either a vampire was killed or they found someone who was killed by one.

Elizabeth put her head against the headrest; Captain Ross would have something special in store for her. She knew it.

Speaker of the House Oscar Follett sat behind his desk; the window blinds were open, the sun bathing the massive office in soft light. Most lawmakers personalized their offices to the hilt with paintings, pictures, and maybe an odd knick-knack or two. Follett’s only personalization were pictures of his family and a painting depicting the Battle of Barishu River on the wall. He wanted to keep the office as separate from home life as possible, this was work, he didn’t intend on living here.

He crossed out several lines with a green pen on a proposed measure for college student tax breaks he was reviewing. The previous administration had done “wonders” on the economy, the destruction of Imitoria and the damage it had caused upon the Golden Simatar as well as President’s dedication to holding onto and repairing Sanshyuum didn’t make life any easier. He supported tax breaks for college students; he remembered the excitement of getting the loan from the government, but then the terror of wondering if the resources could be brought together for another year’s loan. Now however, most tax cuts and breaks were being curtailed or shelved all together.

A buzzing snapped his attention from the document to his telephone. He pressed the glowing button. “Yes?”

“The President is on the White House line sir.” The receptionist said quickly.

“Alright, thank you.” A second button blipped to life, Follett picked up the phone, waited a second and pressed it. “Morning Mr. President.”

“Mr. Speaker.” Yellen’s voice came over the other line.

“What can I do for you Mr. President?”

“Last night I was reviewing our laws for non-humans, are you familiar with them?”

“One second sir.” Follett swung his chair around, behind him was a bookshelf that dominated the entire wall. Thick books with every law ever to be passed were present. He put down the phone and went to the far end. Retrieving a book, he returned to the chair. Follett picked up the phone. “I got them right here sir.”

“I want you to take a look at the Coven laws. The pack laws are pretty much the same but look at the coven ones for now.”

Follett opened the book and flipped to the pages Yellen wanted. “Yes sir.”

“Now I’m wondering how subsection Four was passed. ‘Coven is subject to random search, with or without a warrant, by the VIB under any circumstance.’ Now, as I understand, these laws protect vampire citizens. And all citizens are protected by the Constitution…”

“I see where you’re heading Mr. President.” Follett said. When the laws were passed, many in Congress voted on them without reading any of the laws. “Yes it does clearly violate the Constitutional protection of personal home and business from unwarranted searches.”

“Excellent, I want you to introduce it into the House for a repeal. I know the likelihood of it ever coming into play is astronomically small, but it's still an unconstitutional law on the books. I will not have it.”

Follett nodded, Yellen was right, no vampire covens would ever form in the country, but having a law that violates the Constitution was a serious crime. “I can’t imagine many voting against it sir.”

“Alright, also repeal the werewolf pack section as well.”

“I understand sir, I’ll get someone on it.”

“Very good. That’s everything for now, have a good day.”

“You too sir.”

Follett hung up after he heard Yellen’s end click. He sat quietly for a few minutes, drumming his fingers on the pages before him. It was a call that was so out of the blue, but then again Yellen was known somewhat for doing things that came out of the blue. Follett shrugged. He’d get his staff working on it after lunch.

Before a bill or any measure could be brought up to vote for both Houses of Congress, it had to pass through Committee. At times this was a blessing, a controversial bill could be passed through various ‘dump’ and sub-committees before reaching a primary Committee then reach the floor the House. On the flipside a bill could be simply delegated to a minor, wholly unrelated Committee and never see life beyond the doors.

As of yet, the Simatarian Congress hadn’t formed a Committee to review or watch over laws concerning non-humans. When the laws were originally drawn up, they were made in a somewhat hastily made group from long serving Senators to fresh faced Representatives and once the laws were passed, it was disbanded and all returned to their normal work.

Oscar Follett had one of eight chairs of the Simatarian Military Forces Committee. He looked at his watch, forty-five minutes before the end of the day, perfect timing. Follett waited patiently as Chairman Irene Baxter finished her summary. Baxter looked around the table at those assembled. “So, if there is no business for the day, I don’t think there is any reason for us to sit around and twiddle our thumbs.”

“There is one thing Irene.” Follett said. He held up the three-page document that had been handed him halfway after lunch. “I’d like the Committee to pass this repeal so it can be put up to vote on the House.”

“What is the repeal for Oscar?”

“A repeal of Section C subsection Four of both Articles One of Laws and Stipulations of Simatarian Vampires and Two of Laws and Stipulations for Lycanthropic Creatures of the Laws of Supernatural Creatures in the Golden Simatar. Both are the same and read ‘Coven is subject to random search, with or without warrant, by the VIB under any circumstance.’ Reason for repeal, it violates the Simatarian Constitution that protects private residences and business against unlawful search and seizure by law enforcement.”

The room was quiet. It started as the contemplative quiet then slowly moved into the awkward silence. Follett looked around the table, he could tell everyone wanted, desperately wanted to say ‘no’ and put the document at the very bottom of the pile. However, the moral side of them said they had to sign it and pass it to the House.

Baxter rapped her fingers on the table, breaking the silence. “Who put you up to this Oscar?”

“The President.” Follett answered blandly.

“I can’t say I agree with changing our vampire laws, they should stay the way they are. However, as a country founded on laws that not only govern the people but also protect them from the government…” She let the rest slide away.

Follett had the document handed up to her. She skimmed over it, there wasn’t much need for reading; it was a black and white issue. Unless the Constitution was changed, it was an unconstitutional law. Sighing, she took a fountain pen from her bag and signed her name on the line above ‘Committee Chairman’. Follett’s signature was already on the document.

It made an almost unnaturally slow progression around the table, maybe on the House floor when it came to vote would be the time to say no to it. But with certain Committee records available for public viewing, this wasn’t the time to vote no on it.

When it made its way back to Baxter, she nodded. “Alright, I’ll put this in for vote on Friday.”

That Friday, the House of Representatives was in full session. The enormous room was filled with three hundred and eighty nine men and women. Follett sat in his chair behind the main podium area, overlooking the chamber. One hundred and ninety-five votes would give him just a scraping majority. More votes would be needed to pass the repeal, a hell of a lot more votes.

Over the past several days, there had been a steady rumor going around about a proposed repeal on the grounds of violating Constitutional rights. It had caused some excitement in the younger members, who were itching at a chance to get to speak at the podium and decry the older generations for passing such a heinous bill. Follett had spoken briefly to several of his friends in both parties, hoping to elicit their support, but they were apprehensive somewhat when he told them of what the repeal was for.

“The next item on the agenda…” the House Clerk said as he retrieved a sealed manila envelope. Cracking the red seal, he removed the document. Follett couldn’t see his face, but by the way the man moved his head the Clerk was taking it all in. The Clerk spoke into the microphone. “Repeal of Article One and Two, Section C, Subsection Four of the Laws of Supernatural Creatures in the Golden Simatar. Laws read: ‘Coven is subject to random search, with or without warrant, by the VIB under any circumstance’. Repeal is on grounds of violating the Constitution in the protection of private residences and business from unlawful search and seizure by law enforcement.”

Looking out into the crowd, Follett could see many confused faces. This was the first time anything had come up in the Golden Simatar concerning the Non-Human Laws that actually made it onto the floor. There had been other proposed changes in the past, but they were collecting cobwebs somewhere in the basements.

On one side of the coin, there was the obvious recourse to Vote Nay and have an unconstitutional law on the books. Or on the other side, Vote Yea, repeal the law and possibly look weak on the Vampire issue to the populace.

“The floor is now open for deliberation or comment.” Follett said into his microphone. He waited the prescribed five minutes before banging his gavel once. “Let the record show that no Representative spoke on the subject. Voting will commence for fifteen minutes and be collected electronically.”

At each table, there were slots for the Representatives to slide in personal identification cards and underneath a covering were three buttons each was textured different for identification; Nay, Yea, Abstain. Follett slid his card into the slot and reached inside, feeling the smooth Yea button. He pressed it, removed his hand, then his card. There was a click, a blue light flicked on the top of the cover before it disappeared.

Fifteen minutes passed and Follett banged his gavel. “The poll is closed. Can the House Clerk please read the tallied votes?”

“Yes Mr. Speaker.” The Clerk turned on a small terminal attached to the podium and opened the tally. “Official Vote For Repeal: Ninety-Six Abstain, Eighty-Nine Nay, Two-Hundred and Four, Yea.”

Follett felt a sigh of relief rush through his body, though he couldn’t show it. It was a God damn slim win, but, it has a majority, however slight, and could pass onto the Senate. Banging his gavel again, he spoke into the microphone. “Let the record show that the Repeal of Article One and Two, Section C, Subsection Four of the Laws of Supernatural Creatures in the Golden Simatar is considered pass by majority vote of Two Hundred and Four Yea to Eighty-Nine Nay. Ninety-Six votes were Abstain.”

As Follett banged the gavel, announcing a move to the next order of business. The Repeal would pass to the Senate on Monday where he knew it would face a harder battle. Senator Kevin Callahan ruled the Senate chambers like a king, if he couldn’t be swayed, the Repeal would die.

Follett’s eyes were drawn up the balconies by a flurry of activity. Usually school groups, tourists and reporters occupied the balconies. Now he could see journalists rushing out of their seats towards the doors. Tonight’s news would be interesting.

“That’s right, you heard it here first, a repeal for a portion of the Non-Human laws passed the House of Representatives with two hundred and four votes. Ninety-six representatives elected to abstain while another eighty-nine voted no.”

Buzz

“The repeal was proposed by Speaker of the House Oscar Follett, the Demo…”

Buzz

“Liberal, vamp loving bastards. They’re letting those bloodsuckers live in our nation…”

Buzz

“The repeal was proposed because the law was unconstitutional. Though it did pass, there was enough abstains and no votes that many are wondering if it will make it through the Senate.”

Buzz

Thomas flicked the radio off. The vampire placed the portable radio next to him on the rooftop. The vampire looked up into the night sky and leaned back a little. He didn’t know why the humans were humans getting so hyperactive over something that would have no effect on unregistered vampires. It wasn’t like he was protected under any laws anyway.

He licked his lips, getting the last of the dried blood that was caked there. Sandhya was still feeding; she said she’d come up once she was done. The vampires hadn’t fed in the last few nights; VIB activity seemed to have escalated recently, something to do with a sudden spike in vampire related deaths. The pair of bums they had fed on was enough to sate their hunger.

Sandhya appeared on the roof, she smiled, her teeth tinted red. “That felt better.”

Thomas just nodded. He hasn’t really grown use to the idea of killing for food, but as of right now, the choice was to eat homeless humans, prostitutes and gangbangers or go hungry. Sandhya walked up to him and leaned on the roof’s AC unit. “That thing actually work?”

“Yeah it does, heard something interesting. The House of Representatives said it’s unconstitutional for unwarranted searches of vampire citizen’s homes.” Thomas said with a slightly amused grin. “Some rednecks ain’t happy.”

Sandhya looked at him, slightly dumbfounded. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Of all the things I heard in my life…pissed off? Please. People just need something to bitch about that’s all. Until they actually do something worthwhile, not very interested.” The vampiress said dismissively.

“Yeah well, it’s a step forward.”

“Yeah well, if they stop taking those steps I’m willing to be some other country is gonna come in and bitch slap the fuck outta the humans.” Sandhya barked. “Get someone in here to knock some sense into those asses up in the Capital. Might be amusing too.”

“I wouldn’t think that’ll happen, I don’t think any nation is gonna do war over something like vampires being oppressed.”

“Don’t say that, cause it’ll happen.” Sandhya walked over to Thomas, she propped herself up on the roof, looking over the city. “So, what do you think we should do tonight? Dinner has been served, how about you show me…”

“Run…” Thomas whispered.

“What?”

“We gotta run, run now.” Thomas said faster, he grabbed Sandhya by the arm, ripping her from the edge of the roof. Barely a second later, where they were standing exploded in a shower of debris as a burst of machine gun fire struck.


Two blocks down, an AEB armored car equipped with thermal censors rumbled towards the building. On the rooftop, a single remote controlled machine gun continued to track the dull signatures of the vampires as they fled.

“Call in a bird, we got two bogies heading south.”

Thomas leapt from the edge of the rooftop towards another. Lacking the grace of more experienced vampires, he hit with a stumble and lost momentum, Sandhya followed, hitting with better footing. The pair raced across the roofs away from the street, they couldn’t see that the armored car accelerating and swerving around the street as it continued its tracking.

Sandhya kept running the fear of death moved her more than anything. She turned her head, not sure if she was suppose to be looking for anything, but seeing nothing behind her gave her some sense of security. The sense of security dropped as she saw a sleek, black helicopter racing along the skyline towards them. “Thomas!”

Thomas turned his head; the distraction broke his concentration on the ending of the roof up ahead. The vampire slipped off the roof with a cry of surprise. Momentum carried him into a fire escape. Crashing into the metal bars and grates, he fell down several levels before his hand grasped a rail.

Sandhya braked, barely stopping at the edge. She looked down at Thomas as the man dangled by an arm. She twisted her head, the helicopter was close, and she could make out the windows of the cockpit. The vampiress jumped, landing hard on the fire escape. She scrambled down the rusted steps to where Thomas hung.

Thomas’ head stopped swirling, his chest more than anything hurt like a bitch. Swinging his body, he grasped the railing with other hand as Sandhya appeared. “Help me up.”

Grasping the male, Sandhya helped haul him up and over. The male vampire fell onto his back on the escape. “Come on, we gotta go, they’re still…”

The deafening roar of the helicopter’s engine drowned out the rest of Sandhya’s words. The light attack helicopter hovered above and near the end of the alley where the vampires were. Attached to a stubby wing on the side of the aircraft was a dual machine-gun, clearly locked onto them.

Though the noise of its arrival was drowned out, the vampires glimpsed the armored car that had attacked them screech to a halt at the entrance of the alley. A calm, voice came over an unseen loudspeaker. “Hands up, put your hands behind your right now and down on your knees.”

Sandhya looked at Thomas, Thomas was looking at her, both at a loss of what to do. Running was an option sure, but the helicopter and car would rip them both to shreds before they got ten feet. Sandhya reached down and helped Thomas to his feet, both staring at the helicopter. The pilot’s voice rang out again. “Hands on the back of your head and get down on your knees!”

Thomas was the first; he got down on his knees and put his hands behind his head. Sandhya stared at him, she was willing to run, but…while it was what she wanted and knew she had to do, it was the dumb and suicidal thing to do.


On the Thermal HUD fused directly with the cockpit windshield, the pilot watched the two vampires do as commanded. A wide smile crossed her lips. She released her finger on the loudspeaker control, keyed her radio and let out a triumphant cry. “Yeehaw! Command, send a paddy wagon. We got a couple of live ones…well, as alive as those fuckers can be.”

Down below, several VIB and AEB units were converging on the spot, ready to haul the vampires in.

Sandhya gritted her teeth. If they ran, the helicopter could launch a string of rockets and simply blow them to Kingdom Come. Or the pilot could simply empty the machine guns at them. However…. she looked around, there was no window on the wall where they were, so either the humans would order them to go to the rooftop to get restrained, come down to get restrained or send a team to restrain them. She suppressed a smile.

“Thomas.” she linked to him.

Thomas’ gaze hadn’t parted the AEB troopers down below since they got into this situation, now a pair of vans and several other vehicles were parked at the end of the alley and there was probably close to twenty VIB agents, police officers, and AEB troopers down there. “What?”

“I know how to get us out of this. Just do as I say. Trust me.”

Before he could respond, the fire escape rattled. He looked up, six or seven figures; all armed to the teeth were moving down towards them. Two had what looked like oversized toy ray guns in their hands. The others were armed with machine-guns. But all were wearing thick body armor.

Sandhya waited, it had to be timed just right. The humans with the larger weapons were moving in first. As they got within two levels of the vampires, she could see small blue lights down either side of what must be the barrel. On the rear of the weapons were yellow and red-stripped cubes. It didn’t take her a few seconds to know that the humans had gone all out on an anti-vampire taser.

She readied herself, the hair on the back of her head rose as the humans landed on the level just above them. The first human started to move down the stairs that behind the vampires. Five, four, three…

The vampiress threw her body back as she hit two in her head. Rolling onto her back, she swung her leg out and kicked the man as hard as she could in the knee. The human let out a scream as the bone shattered and punched through his flesh. Sandhya jumped to her feet, taking advantage of the distraction of the pain, she grabbed him and shoved him back towards his partner. Tangled on the stairs the humans were frantically trying to work their way free.

“Thomas lets go!”


“Shit fuck! Bogeys are on the move!” The helicopter pilot barked into her communication link. On the screen she could see the shapes leaping down into the alleyway. She had the guns locked onto the pair, but the weapons refused to fire. The proximity of the capture team was too damn close. Opening the throttle of the aircraft, she pulled up and took off above the buildings. “George! Track those fucks!”

Her copilot kept his eyes glued the to the small screen on his side of the cockpit. “I got ‘em, they’re heading east bound Jill.”

“Got that. Command this is V-Ray Two-Seven seeking permission to engage bogeys.” She said as she swerved to give the machineguns the best firing position.

“This is Command V-Ray, you have permission to engage. Shoot to kill.”

Jill smiled as she saw the two blue humanoid shapes on the screen and the buzzing in her ear announced the guns had a solid lock. She pulled the trigger.


The burst of .30caliber rounds shattered the concrete as the guns compensated for the vampire’s sudden change of direction. Sandhya yelped as a chunk of concrete smacked into the back of her leg as she spun around the corner, following Thomas down one of the city’s streets.

“I’m okay! Keep running!” She yelled as they continued their flight. Sandhya twisted her head as she watched the helicopter yanked itself into a turn, heading the other way. Then, it made another sharpe turn, back to them. “It’s coming back!”

Thomas skidded to a halt; he saw the lights of the approaching armored cars reflecting on the buildings ahead. He turned around as Sandhya stopped with him. The helicopter was lining itself up for another gun run.

He looked around for some place they could run, someplace they could hide. The sirens were getting closer time for thinking was gone. “Fuck.”


Jill let the buzz in her headset get to almost deafening pitch, as she got closer to the pair in the street, no misses this time. The range counter on the screen was disappearing quickly; at forty she squeezed…her arm and body jumped and twisted as she was raked from the side by gunfire.

The heavy rifle slugs tore through her body like butter, the burst striking her in the arm and chest, lurching her back and the to side. George the co-pilot was thrown back against his seat as the helicopter pulled backwards and the left. The aircraft slammed topside into the edge of a small office building. The impact sent the bird into horizontal spirals as it crashed to earth.


“Shit!” Were Sandhya’s only words before she and Thomas started to run away from the crashing aircraft. The body slammed into the ground just meters from where they were standing, it skidded and bounced like a child’s toy down the street. It rammed into the first armored car that came around the corner, both tangled in a mess of steel and continued into the front of a clothing store.

The vampires watched in disbelief at the spectacle before them. The humans had forgotten about them, they were rushing to free any trapped survivors and prevent a fire from happening…but….how the hell?

“Y’all better come along. They’re gonna have some foot guys coming for you.” A voice from behind caught the pair by surprise. Standing behind them, a man looking to be in his early forties wielding an assault rifle gave them a fanged grin. “Well, ya coming or not?”

Sandhya nodded quickly; hell anything was better than staying here. She looked at Thomas, nervousness seemed to put him off, but taking a look back at the mess the mysterious vampire had caused, decided it was probably better to go with him. He nodded.

“Alright then, come on.” The new vampire said as he turned, leading them from the carnage.

The male vampire slid the drainage cover back into place before dropping down to Thomas and Sandhya below. He led the pair through the maze of tunnels before reaching a side tunnel whose channel was dry; metal grates blocked off entrance and a sign reading ‘Danger: Condemned’ hung across them. The vampire grabbed several of the bars and easily lifted a section of it away, he replaced it once Thomas and Sandhya were through.

“You two were in one hell of a tight spot.” He said.

“Yeah, thanks for saving us.” Sandhya said. “If I may ask, what’s your name? I’m Sandhya.”

The vampire turned around and offered his hand. “John.”

“Thomas.” Thomas said when John offered his hand. He was grateful he was still alive, however he was wondering where the hell this man was leading them. He got his answer shortly when John took them into an old pump room.

The room was lit by electric lamps, a stack of various batteries from car to AAA sat in a corner. There was a door that leads into another room in the back; a corner of a refrigerator was just visible. Tables that took up most of the space in the center and the racks, boxes and sacks along the walls that drew Thomas’ attention the most.

The boxes and sacks on the walls were a various collection of gardening and home chemicals and fertilizer, there was also pipes, nails, wires, and jars…a sinking feel developed in his stomach. The feeling continued as he saw the odd, yet well maintained, collection of firearms along the walls and tables, rifles, shotguns, pistols, machine-pistols and what looked to be homemade rocket launchers.

“Good God…” Thomas muttered.

John looked over his shoulder as he put his rifle back on the rack. “A bit surprising ain’t it? We got a couple-a shops like this cross the city. Everyone else seems to be out at the moment, should be back before daybreak.”

“What the hell are you going to do with all this…stuff?”

“Protect ourselves, what do you think? A reason why we kept getting slaughtered is because we don’t arm ourselves well enough. So…” John said with a wave of his arm across the workshop. “….we decided to start collecting. Humans ain’t gonna be so bold in marching right on in when a few jars filled with explosives and nails goes up in their face.”

Sandhya looked at the setup from an entirely different viewpoint. “Have you thought about actually bombing their headquarters?”

John looked over at the vampiress with an amused look. “Yeah. We planned to rig a truck up with a remote control and drive it straight through into the lobby and let the bomb go off. However that was voted down for being too risky.”

Sandhya sighed. “So your plan is to just booby-trap hideouts and blow them to smithereens?”

“At the moment yes. Drag up such a casualty rate they’ll be more willing to negotiate.” John said. “If they refuse to negotiate, well…attacks against the VIB and police will start.”

“You’re talking about terrorism.” Thomas said, still aghast at the whole affair laid out before them.

John turned towards the other man, his face turning from friendly casual to dead serious. “I’m talking about fucking survival here mate. We’re getting hunted like rats, as citizens of this God damn country we deserve our rights.”

“Blowing…”

“Yes, because violence is the only thing they are willing consider with us; then violence just as or even more brutal is the only thing that’ll get their heads on straight. I’m talking about every time a group of vamps is wiped out by the AEB, we ambush and destroy a team of VIB, and they show no mercy we need to show no mercy. After that, we keep ratcheting up the pain.”

Thomas took a half step back; John walked over to him, bringing himself within a foot of the other man. “Look mate, you’re not safe, I’m not safe, no vampire is safe in this country. We’ve got to make it known that we’re not just going to roll over and die. We’re staying because its our fucking country too. You want to live in a house? Hold a job down and enjoy life?”

“Yes.”

“Tough shitting luck, because that’s not going to happen so long as this regime is in control. She’s still a citizen, I’m still a citizen, and you’re still a citizen. But because we have fangs and live on blood we’re no longer protected by our Constitution. If they give us our civil rights back, we’ll trash everything here and go and live. But that’s not going to happen. You know what will make them change? You know?”

Thomas shook his head.

“A fucking full-fledged revolution.”

Isaac Rhymer walked down the staircase towards the kitchen of the White House, a piece of paper in his hand. He found it odd the President would be down there, but as he entered, he heard Yellen whistling to himself. The kitchen itself was fully equipped with the latest in kitchen equipment and was usually staffed by a master chef and two assistants; more were brought in during large functions. Though there didn’t seem to be anyone else there.

“Left at the fridge door Isaac!” The still unseen Yellen called out to him. “Do you plan to have children someday?”

“Uh, yes sir?” Isaac rounded the large door of the walk in refrigerator and found the President, his sleeves rolled up, tie and jacket over a chair. Yellen was slicing strips from a block of white cheese and placing them onto what looked to be a small pizza. The President looked up and smiled.

“Give them the same advice my father gave me. The key to success in networking at college isn’t by joining clubs or organizations. It’s by knowing how to cook past microwave dinners and ramen noodles.” Yellen smiled and placed another slice of cheese onto the pizza. “Care to join me for lunch? Spicy chili on a cornmeal curst with white cheddar on top. Care for anything else on yours?”

Rhymer paused, it was past noontime and he hadn’t eaten; but this was still odd. Then again, Yellen himself was odd. The assistant could still remember the bizarre looks Yellen had received at the Fatal Terrain Conference when he had ordered chocolate milk and everyone else was going for something, stronger. “I will join you sir. I’ll have mine like yours.”

“Excellent, give me a minute to make yours.” Yellen slid the pizza he made for himself onto a baking sheet and went about making another. “I gave Maggie the week off, her mother’s sick, hope the best for her. Let her staff take a break too. Must say, this place is a bit of a maze. Help yourself to a drink from the fridge.”

Rhymer simply nodded and fetched himself a beer from the refrigerator. Despite the President’s lack of drinking, a small quantity was kept for others. He returned a few moments later, Yellen was almost finished with the second pizza. “Thank you very much sir.”

“No problem, now, for the problem.” Yellen’s face turned grave as he slid the second crust onto the sheet. He spoke as he slid the sheet into the oven. “How many votes were listed as ‘abstain’?”

The proposed repeal of the Vampiric Law stating it was lawful to search a Vampire’s home without warrant had gone up to vote in the Senate several hours before. Rhymer looked at his paper to double check the number. “Out of one hundred and twenty, seventy-seven abstained.”

Yellen thumped his fist on the table. “Damn it.”

“The decision was to send it back to Committee for review.”

“Well then it’ll never see the light of day again.”

“I wouldn’t say that sir, there’s been a lot of media attention about this.”

“Well not as much as seeing the latest movie star’s baby pictures. In a week, this will be forgotten till election time when they’ll point at me and go ‘He’s a Manchurian Candidate for the Vampires’…say it enough times people will believe you.” Yellen cut himself a slice of cheese from the block and thought as he ate. “Damn shame…”

“If I may ask sir, what is with the sudden interest? I know the law violates the Constitution, but does it really matter? We have no Vampire Citizens, no Werewolf or Werecreature citizens and doubtful there ever will be.”

Yellen looked over at Rhymer, his face was calm as well as his voice. “If you look through history Isaac, when a government or individuals in the government turn their back on law, the country dies. It may not die right away, under this new order, it may even experience growth, but…they die. And die painfully. I don’t want that to happen to my country. To stop it from happening, we need to destroy the articles that disregard the Constitution. We must also work to try and quiet the fears of the people.”

“Quiet the fears?”

“Come on, you know just as well as I do that in four years some little shit who thinks he’s the hot ticket is going to run on fear. Charisma to spare, no experience, and people flocking to his side but at the end of it, what will the message be? Fear. Fear of the unknown. Put enough fear into a populace and they will sign over every right they have and even their souls to their leaders. When that happens, then the rest of Fatal Terrain has the right to call us Nazis.”

“I understand sir. How do you intend to go about this?” Rhymer took a sip from the bottle. Yellen’s attitude was strange, until recently the President didn’t pay much attention to it, now it seemed like a priority.

“Well I’m not going to force it down the throats of the people. I want them to change on their own, give them a nudge here and there but I won’t force it upon them. Skirmishes must be waged instead of battles, a little bit at a time. Try to do too much and this will blow up in our faces. Little by little, but first is to reign in the non-human laws and get them under the Constitution. Once that is done, can start the real work.”

“If I may ask sir…what’s with the sudden interest? We still have several hundred square miles of land flooded, many displaced, and we are taking care of a defunct nation. There’s a lot to do.”

Yellen smiled. “All that, that will always be the priority. At the same time however, we must look at a broader scale of things. Isaac, we Simatarians have prided ourselves through history with being progressive. We were one of the first nations to move from a monarchy to a democracy…we received three civil wars because of it but we did change and give the voice to the people. In other countries homosexual marriage is banned outright or in court battles, it has been legal here for centuries. We developed at a similar speed as our neighbors and then…stopped. Technically and socially speaking. What happened to us? How’d we become isolated? Now…now we’re a bloody backwater.”

Rhymer kept his mouth shut; there really wasn’t much he could say on that. The Golden Simatar at one point could be considered developed and one of the top nations in the region but…somewhere along the line the progression stopped. Now even the country’s best technology barely rated against they’re neighbors.

“Dare should I mention regional rumblings?” Yellen said, locking eyes with Rhymer. “I’m told by our ambassadors in Assington and Tarlachia there are interest groups demanding the government sever all ties with us and even have us embargoed for the non-human situation. Needless to say I don’t have to mention what the Tanaaran’s are saying in their papers.”

Rhymer took another drain of the beer. “I understand sir. So, what is there to do?”

The buzzer rang; Yellen turned around and removed the pizzas from the oven. He slid them onto separate plates and cut them. He turned and offered a warm smile to Rhymer. “First thing, lunch. Come on get yourself another beer. We’ll eat outside.”

Todd Barlow bounced the pen against his cheek for perhaps the hundredth time in the past two minutes. Barlow leaned back in the leather chair, his feet propped up on the terminal, semi-relaxed. He looked over the gigantic glasses that sat on his nose at Colin Ross. Barlow didn’t like people in his little control booth; then again he didn’t care much for people period.

The control booth for the VIB Simulation Studio jutted out from the wall above the fake rooms and hallways below. The windows allowed for easy observation of the course below. There were also several catwalks above the Studio that allowed for that very same purpose as well.

Barlow looked at the bank of small monitors against the back wall, watching as the single figure moved through the rooms with complete professionalism. His eyes turned back to Colin, the man’s eyes were focused on the windows. Barlow shifted his lanky frame, the chair creaked slightly, and Colin looked over.

“Make it harder.” Colin said calmly.

Barlow shrugged. “Ya mean get an actual vampire and plop it in there? Shit I put it as high as it’ll go, hell I threw werewolves at her like you wanted. I’ve cranked up the hologram speed past the point where anyone could actually hit anything. Sorry mate, it’s as good as you’re gonna get.”

Colin glared down at the techie, the man wasn’t even VIB proper, he was some wiz kid who got hired right outta university. Barlow wasn’t worth fighting with, for being a sarcastic smart ass; he actually knew what he was doing. Colin turned and looked at the monitors and watched as Elizabeth Fuchs cleared another room by herself.

She had gone by the book, the AEB book at least, she hadn’t offered a contradictory thought, she fired the second a hologram vampire appeared, she was doing everything by the book. She was up to something.

Colin blinked as the buzzer announced the end of the simulation. He sighed and opened the intercom. “Very good Ms. Fuchs, that’ll be all for today.”

Fuchs visibly relaxed on the monitor and wandered out of view. She was passing damn it, something Colin didn’t want. He put easy money down on the second she got into a real situation she would revert to her old ways; people like her didn’t change easily.

“Ahem.” Barlow’s interruption made Colin turn slowly back to him. The techie motioned to the door with his pen. “Ya done?”

Colin grunted and obliged Barlow’s desire for privacy. The second the door shut, Barlow slid deep into his chair and removed a gadget magazine from a pouch slung over the armrest. He licked his finger and gently opened the magazine to the first page and slid deeper into the chair, now fully relaxed.

Colin walked out of the simulator control booth and headed down the hallway towards his office. He had to think of something to do about Fuchs. Her record was clean and her recommendations were high. As good as a SWAT officer she was, the AEB needed something better. Getting her kicked out of the program because of his suspicions wouldn’t be enough, there would need to be hard evidence of incompetency. Incompetent she was not.

Colin stopped by a vending machine and slid in bill and some coins for a soda. As he listened to the machine whirling and watched the plastic holder rushing up to his selection, he got an idea. Booting her out wasn’t the answer. Keeping her from entering target buildings was. The AEB always needed people to operate Van Helsing’s and maintain the communication gear. A smile crossed his face as the bottle thumped into the dispenser.

“Sir?” The voice behind Colin drew his attention. The name on the shirt of the man before him read “Crane”. Colin recognized him as part of his class.

“Yes?”

“I’m Rodney Crane, part of your…” Rodney started.

“I remember, what can I do for you Mr. Crane?” Colin asked as he twisted open the bottle top.

Rodney shifted on his heels, uneasy. “I don’t like to complain about people sir, I was never a snitch. But, it’s about Fuchs sir, with the real run coming up, it’s got a lot of folks very nervous going in with her. I think I can speak for everyone when I say no-one wants her to cover them.”

Colin nodded. It was understandable, hell he could see even during the simulated runs no one wanted Fuchs to be behind them. Colin took a swig of cola before he answered. “Don’t worry Mr. Crane, I have everything sorted.”

Rodney smiled. He knew despite what Elizabeth was portraying, she was still the same ‘vampires have rights too’ person on the inside. “Thank you sir.”

With a brief salute, Rodney turned and started back down the hallway, but after a few paces, he stopped and turned around. “Sir. You might be interested, but it got announced that the President would go on the air in a few minutes for an address about the vampire vote.”

Colin blinked, he had heard about the crash and burn the bill had in the Senate, but not about the President talking about it. “Thank you very much Mr. Crane.”

Colin turned around and strolled back to his office, wondering what President Yellen might say.

The White House Press Room was full as usual, reporters chattered amongst themselves and made sure their recorders worked, the camera operators that lined the walls, focusing on the single podium that rested at the far end of the room. The audience slowly grew quiet as Isaac Rhymer walked to the podium. He cleared his throat. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the Republic of the Golden Simatar.”

There was a rustling of chairs and people as Yellen appeared behind the red velvet curtain that flanked either side of the podium area. The President appeared to be in good spirits, he smiled warmly and as he took position behind the podium, he motioned for everyone to sit.

“Good afternoon everyone. Several hours ago, the Senate voted against the repeal of the law allowing unwarranted search and seizure in homes of vampire and werewolf citizens of the Golden Simatar. Voted against is however the wrong phrase for what the Senate chose to do. The Senate chose instead to run from responsibility to the citizens of this country.

“By their own silent admission, they allowed a law that breaks our Constitution to say in law. The Senate feels that unconstitutional laws are acceptable; I however cannot find this acceptable. I do not forget the same sort of vote in the House however. Which is why I ask that the repeal to be put to vote again by a combined session of House and Senate with Abstain being removed from options.”

Yellen paused to fully concentrate on the assembled mass. The faces were mixed, some were shocked, others confused and others were down right furious. Behind him he knew Rhymer was trying his best to remain composed. Yellen had only told his aide minutes ago what he planned to say. He had been warned that what he was saying for all intents and purposes was declaring war upon Congress; but Yellen didn’t give a damn.

“It is unacceptable for laws that so blatantly go against the Constitution are allowed to exist in the law books. It is even more unacceptable that the men and women who took the oath to protect it, allow these laws to live. I also ask that a full review of the Non-Human laws be commenced in order to find if there are any other laws that disregard the Constitution.”

Yellen paused again. “However. However, should revision not be made in a timely fashion, I will sign an Executive Order ordering a repeal of these laws. When I was sworn into the Senate and when I was sworn to be your President, I swore to uphold and protect the Constitution wherever it was challenged. Here, the Constitution is being challenged. The document that so many have taken for grant it, the document that gives every man, woman and child in this great country the right to live free is under threat.

“This is about our nation standing behind the basic laws and rights given to all citizens of our country. Whether they are white, black, Asian, Hispanic, gay, straight, human…or non-human.”

Yellen took one final pause as he looked across the room. It was harder to read the faces now, all meddled into one massive gasp. He took a deep breath. “Thank you all. God bless.”

Yellen turned and walked out of sight into the preparation area. He stood and felt his whole body shake. Silence was behind him, no one had a chance to stand before he left and now the reporters were probably processing and trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

He had promised Rhymer he wouldn’t sign an Executive Order, but this was something bigger than he was and bigger than his image in the history books as the President with the most Executive Orders under the belt. If push came to shove, he’d do it and he knew it would be the last thing he ever did in office.

The Simatarian President sighed and headed out back to his office, he knew he was going to have to fight to stay President now.

Yellen collapsed into one of the couches in his office. He laid down and shut his eyes, wondering if he had made a mistake. Mistake in demanding a revote; no, no mistake there. A mistake in saying he would make an Executive Order; probably. It would be his twelfth since he had come into office. He couldn’t think of any previous President who had signed so many in only the first two years of their Presidency. Then again, he couldn’t think of any who signed that many during all six years of their Presidency.

He felt the familiar tickling along his hands. Yellen smiled and patted his stomach. Several seconds later, his three pinschers were on the couch; almost knowing their master was troubled. They settled down along his side. There was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Rhymer walked through the door and shut it behind him. He walked over and sat on the couch opposite of Yellen. “You promised sir.”

“Isaac, I’m a bloody politician, we break promises.” Yellen said with a chuckle. He opened his eyes and looked over at Rhymer, the other man looked obviously uncomfortable. Yellen sighed and sat up, the pinschers scooted off of him and curled up on the couch. “What is it?”

“Sir, Callahan has been trying to find a way to get you out of office since you got in. You just gave him the ammunition to load the gun with. Most of your Executive Orders have gone somewhat unnoticed by people as you hit military programs and the ones that were noticed had popular support behind them. This though…”

“Yeah, I know.” Yellen said. He laid back, absently scratching the heads of his dogs.


Senator Kevin Rouse Callahan was a mountain of a man. He wasn’t extremely fat, but it was spread across his great height. A thick beard dominated his face and a pair of fierce gray eyes watched the replay of Yellen’s speech. His fingers crushed the stress ball in his hands as he watched the President demanding another vote. Bastard isn’t gonna get it. He will get out of office though.

His office door opened, his secretary poked her head in. “Sir, Mr. Follett is here to see you.”

“Send him in.” Callahan said. He dropped the stress ball onto the floor, the foam ball lay in a withered mass, unable to regain it’s form. Callahan stood and tried to smile as Oscar Follett walked through the door. The Speaker of the House smiled and shook Callahan’s hand before he sat down.

“How’s your son Kevin?” Was the first word out of Follett’s slightly smirked mouth.

Callahan’s features instantly turned threatening. His son, Kevin Rouse Callahan II was never to be mentioned in his presence. Callahan had tried to groom his son into being President, but instead his son wanted to be a writer, embarrassing the ego-centered father. He had sent the boy off on test run of some new tram that was built in Tarlachia. The kid had come back half out of his mind and was now at a psychiatric hospice off in the mountains. The Senator only continued to pay for his son’s treatment because he was now trying to run for President next election. Callahan forced a grin. “He’s fine.”

“So, what can I do for you Kevin?”

“I want to know what the hell were you thinking when you brought the damn law up for vote.”

“Ah.” Follett had been fielding the same question for the past several days. “Well it…”

“Was Yellen wasn’t it?”

“Well…”

Callahan thumped one of his massive hands on the desk. “Tell me straight, what is Yellen who asked you? Yes or no, simple answer.”

“What’s it to you?” Follett said. There was no love lost between the pair; they had clashed repeatedly on Committee and in joint House debates and the rivalry that dated back to when they were both junior Representatives wasn’t going to die anytime soon.

Callahan took a deep breath; Follett would be able to help if he got him on his side. After calming himself, he spoke. “What it is to me Oscar is that the President has been over stepping his bounds. He had interfered constantly in the workings of the Legislative branch of government to the point where no previous President has. He has continuously usurped our voice with his bloody Executive Orders.”

“You’re saying he’s trying to set himself up to be a dictator?” Follett cut Callahan at the pass.

Callahan shrugged his shoulders, trying to be dismissive. “Well, if you put it like that…”

Follett rose from his chair. “I know where this is going Kevin. You want me to vote against the vampire law and help you impeach Yellen. Good day.”

Follett turned and walked towards the door, as he reached it, Callahan called out to him. “It would be bad for you to go against me on this one Mr. Speaker.”

Follett turned around and stared at Callahan. “It would be bad for you if your little plan blows up in your face.”

Follett exited Callahan’s office. Callahan leaned back in his chair and thought, Follett would be a needed ally, but not necessary. He could get by without him.

“The speech made by the President today is certainly going to be ruffling some feathers in the halls of Congress today with President Yellen’s demand for a revote in both Houses concerning the law allowing unwarranted search and seizures in residences of vampires.”

Click

“Should we call him Mr. President or Der Furher?”

Click

“Next caller you’re on the air.”

“Yeah, I just wanna say that the law is unconstitutional, but since we have no legal vampires in this country, who gives a rats ass?”

Click

Thomas shut off the radio. The vampire rested his chin in his hands. Things were starting to look up on the outside, the President was moving, and the law actually got to vote. However, ignorant humans then shot it down and now seemed more determined than ever not to let vampires ever be part of society.

The vampire looked around the room he was in; the old control booth in the sewer had been converted into a rough barracks with cots made into makeshift bunk beds. He was the only one in. Sandhya was with the other vampires, a bunch of domestic terrorists if he ever did see some. They were plotting some plan to bomb the VIB headquarters or do something to retaliate for the deaths of their vampire brethren.

Thomas had no stomach for action like that. He crumpled into the bottom bunk and looked at his watch. Four hours till nightfall. To stay or to run, that was the question.

Yellen sat his desk; flipping through the altered Non-Human Laws Nicole Malone had given him. As he browsed through, he paused several times and checked a copy of the current laws, comparing what the changes were suggesting. Christ… Yellen was perfectly happy if there wasn’t a single vampire citizen in the country, but he wasn’t happy that laws that brushed aside the Constitution and every common law of man were legal.

The man pulled back from the desk and rubbed his eyes; the day had seemly dragged on forever since he had made the speech. His eyes caught a bright white light flashing on his desk’s phone. Yellen was too tired to bother thinking that the light had never glowed once during the entire time he had been in office. He picked up the phone and pressed the white button.

“Yellen.”

“I have to say you have certainly grown a bigger pair than your predecessors with that little talk of yours Mr. President.” An unfamiliar male voice came in over the line.

“Uh, who is this?”

“Stephen Malone.”

Yellen’s posture instantly changed from exhausted to being all ears. The meeting with the vampire’s wife was fresh in his mind. “Uh, well thank you Mr. Malone.”

The vampire on the other side of the line chuckled. “I wonder if you have considered any of the other changes my wife and I have suggested.”

“Well I am currently reviewing the recommendations and the laws. I’m appalled…”

“Appalled? From what Nicole told me, you said you were fine with the laws.”

Yellen gulped. He clearly remembered the power Nicole Malone exhibited; he was terrified of what her husband could do. “Yes but I’m taking a second look you see. Some of these laws go against all a civilized government should stand for.”

There was a soft sigh on the other end. “It’s better than nothing at all I guess. I’m happy you’re at least looking at them. One last thing, I wonder if you are willing to make the offer for clemency to any vampire who walks into a VIB station to register?”

“No…wait I mean no as in the context I haven’t thought too much of it. I might give it a whirl. I’m fucked anyway.” Yellen said.

The line was quite for a few moments. “Well enough. One last thing, I suggest you watch channel seven tonight at nine.”

“What for?” Yellen asked, leaning forward, curious.

“You’ll see.” The line then went dead.

Yellen turned on to Channel Seven at nine o’clock that evening just as Stephen Malone had said. He sat on his bed and took a sip of chocolate milk as the over stylized graphics bombarded the screen. He always hated the emphasis on expensive graphics every news network had, it was more annoying than anything else.

The anchorman smiled out at the camera. “Good evening, Mike Lincoln here for Channel Seven News. Earlier today President Yellen made a startling speech, slamming House and Senate for the number of abstain vote in a repeal of part of the vampire law. Well, things are getting more interesting as we were given a video today that has some interesting interviews about opinions of other people in the region on how they view the current situation. Jim can we roll the tape?”

The screen changed and there was a montage of images, busy city streets, people going in and out of businesses, motorists honking angrily at the elderly sitting at a green light. It seemed completely average; the usual hustle and bustle of a city. But then the pictured slowed, allowing the viewer to clearly see many of the people passing before the camera were not human, the pointed ears gave away the Elfish lineage.

A young woman’s voice started to narrate.

“Here in the capital city of Turath, Tarlachia, life goes on as usual. However, all is not totally well in the heart of one of the most powerful and influential countries in the region of Fatal Terrain. The question concerning one of Tarlachia’s oldest allies, the Republic of the Golden Simatar is starting to become a hot issue for many Tarlachians, human…” The screen flashed to a night scene. It was a café; people were talking outside in the darkness and enjoying themselves. The camera focused in on one person in particular, the pale skin and the flash of fangs as the woman laughed gave the viewers all they needed to know. “…and non-human.”

A human man standing in the middle of the street looked off screen at the woman interviewing him. “So sir, what’s your opinion of what’s going on in the Golden Simatar?”

The man grunted. “It’s disgusting. You think they were stuck in the dark ages over there.”

The screen changed to a young elf, sitting on a park bench with some friends stared off screen as he was asked the same question. “I think we should leave them in the dust man. I mean they’re going after vamps and all, but what about elves? Do we have rights?”

The screen changed again to a human woman sitting behind a desk in a well-furnished office. She looked to be in her middle thirties. The unseen narrator spoke. “Ms. Preston, the group you represent is currently trying to get the Tarlachian Empress to follow the Tanaaran path and sever all ties with the Golden Simatar. Care to expand?”

“There is not much to expand upon.” The woman named Preston said. “I do not think that the government of this country should be in any sort of diplomatic or economic relations with a nation that persecutes it’s own citizens based on what they are.”

“Have you been successful in getting an audience with the Empress?”

“No, but what I can say is that we have several prominent politicians on our side. We hope that they’ll be able help persuade her in breaking off relations.”

“Even though the Golden Simatar and Tarlachia have been allies for centuries and the Simatarians came to the aide of Tarlachia when it was attacked by demons.”

Preston nodded. “That is an understandable platform to come from. While I know many do appreciate the work the Simatarians did as part of a multi-national coalition that does not excuse their current behavior. Even during the Demon War, there was still persecution.”

“Lets say if the government did change, would you stop your campaign to sever ties?”

Preston leaned back in her chair and thought for several seconds. “We have discussed amongst ourselves that remote possibility. If the Simatarians did change, we would cease to a point.”

“A point?”

“Well there is no guarantee that they would change back to their old ways. So we would put our own people on the ground to monitor the situation and if it looks like progress is being stopped, we will take our case again to have ties severed. But, this time permanently.”

“Now you admit you can’t speak for all Tarlachians...”

“Agreed in that completely. However we represent a collation of vampires, humans, werecreatures, and elves, so we represent a slice of the diversity that is Tarlachia. I know there are indeed other groups in each species calling for the same thing we are, but I can’t speak on their behalf.”

“Ms. Preston thank you very much for your time.”

The Tarlachian gave a warm smile. “My pleasure.”

The screen cut back to the montage of Turath. The young woman’s voice came up again. “Though not a complete investigation into the thoughts of Tarlachia concerning one of her allies, it should non-the less be food for thought for all Simatarians that our actions are having consequences.”

The screen flashed back to the anchorman. “And that was that. Tarlachians are mad about our policies. In other news the religious controversy surrounds the filming of a new horror film in the city of Chelam continues to mount as the Catholic Church seeks to have production shut down completely. The film is helmed by veteran horror director...”

Yellen muted the television. The important stuff had passed, now they were onto dribble. Celebrity and movie gossip had overtaken news networks, short of invasion; the bullocks coming out of the entertainment industry somehow always got importance.

So this is what Malone was talking about. How the hell had he known? The woman on the video didn’t sound like the vampire’s wife and she certainly couldn’t have done it as some of it was filmed in the daytime.

However, the video might actually lend support for him. Then again, it might have the opposite effect and have Simatarians raising Cain over the Tarlachian’s ‘uninformed’ opinions about what was going on.

Sandhya looked down at Thomas as he slept. She thought about waking him up, most of the group was going out to feed before scouting the area around the VIB headquarters. The plan was to fire a few homemade rockets into the foyer and at the same time hitting the IBI headquarters and bombing some police stations. The hitch holding the plan up was that the security around the VIB headquarters was extremely tight in the evening and they needed everything to go off perfectly.

From the short time that she knew him, she knew that Thomas wouldn’t be interested in those kinds of activities. It made her wonder however what the other vampires would think of him. If they would try to force him into it or even kill him. Sandhya liked him well enough, but there was also the question of where to draw the line when the fight came.

Sandhya decided to let Thomas sleep, she left with the others.


Thomas waited patiently, his eyes closed and breathing softly. He had perfected faking sleep in college; it was a nice tactic to use when one wanted to be left alone. Once he felt the last vampire disappear, he jumped into action. Grabbing his bag, he quickly rushed around the makeshift base and tried to locate a blood supply, he could find nothing. Hunters, all they are….

Deciding not to risk grabbing any of the weapons lying about, Thomas simply ran out of the sewer, leaving the exit as he had founded. While he dreamed, he also thought, going back on the run was preferable than sticking with a group of terrorists. Sandhya was with them though, he wanted her to come with him, and maybe he could convince her later once she got her away from the bunch.

Once got onto street level, Thomas went out searching for a quick blood source.

The bottom floor of the VIB headquarters was almost a complete glass wall; inside the reception area there was a large marble desk before reaching the main entry hallway to the rest of the complex. The glass doors were electric, and when they opened, from the side it was easy to see the near half-inch thick glass.

“Probably bullet proof.” Sandhya said as she peered through binoculars.

“Bullet, but not rocket proof. It’ll shatter when we plug a rocket through it.” The vampire ringleader John said. “We’ll also blast their upper levels. Show them they’re not invincible.”

The vampires sat on the top of a rooftop air-conditioning several blocks away from the VIB headquarters. The range of the VIB’s vampire detection equipment wasn’t fully known, but on the night of the attack, it wouldn’t matter. When they blast their way through into the foyer, they’d kill everyone who was in the lobby and the immediate area, no prisoners, no mercy.

“Will your friend join us?” John said, looking at the vampiress. “We need every vampire we can get.”

Sandhya lowered the binoculars and turned to him. “I dunno, he doesn’t like eating humans and he has an aversion to violence.”

“A bloody idealist.” John said as he slapped his binoculars into the case. “We don’t need one of those.”

“He’s a good guy, a bit confused.”

“How confused?”

“He would like to register.”

John muttered something under his breath. “Well, we don’t need him. Are you, like that?”

Sandhya felt a twinge in her gut from the look of the male vampire. She shook her head and spoke firmly. “No, I’m not. I say we blast these bastards back to the Stone Age.”

John laughed. “Agreed.”

Sandhya turned back to the VIB headquarters, in a few days, they’d have their revenge.

It was going to be a hot day, it was just past noon and according to the thermometer, temperature was already at ninety. Colin Ross could stand heat, he just hated humidity, and it made everything that much harder to do. Going into the remodeled middle school in full battle gear was going to make it even more unpleasant.

Colin looked down the command trailer at the team. It was going to be a bit of a sizeable operation with the influx of trainees, however to give balance in experience, there was about two-to-one ratio of veteran AEB to trainees. This was their final, a real run on a vampire nest. No holograms, no paintball guns and people in face paint. It was the real deal. If they survived and preformed to expectations, the trainees would be part of the AEB, if they survived but didn’t meet expectations, they could either go back to their old groups or be given another chance. If they died, their deaths would be treated as if they had died in regular SWAT operations.

“Alright listen up people. Early this morning a group of suspicious persons were seen entering the school’s north wing.” Colin pointed to a ‘T’ shaped construction jutting out from the main school complex. The north wing is basically complete, however it has still yet to be fully attached to the school. The plans call for a complete hallway that’ll add in for locker space. The framework for the hall is up, however with the hallway incomplete, the group is confined to the north wing.

“A thermal scanner van arrived and confirmed there are vampires inside the north wing. A scan and a manned sweep of the rest of the school confirmed none were in the main complex. VIB agents tried to get the vampires to surrender they refused. So we’re going in.” Colin paused and took a sip of water. “I’ll be leading team Alpha and Lieutenant Walton will take Bravo; Bravo will enter by the roof and clear the second floor, Alpha will clear ground. According to the company whose doing the work, no doors have been installed for the classrooms.

“Now, for you trainees, stick close to your stick, don’t wander off. If there’s one-thing horror movies get right is if you wander off you get killed. Keep a close eye on the veterans, copy them and you’ll get through fine. Objective is simple, find the vamps and exterminate. Rock n’ Roll.”

Colin picked up his G36C from the table and checked the battery life on the flashlight and muzzle camera. He looked out of the side of his eye as he checked over his equipment. He could see Elizabeth Fuchs religiously checking her M4 and service revolver. He waited several seconds before speaking. “Fuchs.”

Elizabeth looked up and quickly slid through the group towards Colin. She stood in front of him, looking smart. “Captain?”

“You’re staying here, take a seat at one of the consoles, you’ll be monitoring the location of the cold thermals.” He said with a grin.


Elizabeth’s stomach turned to stone. She tried to figure out a way to word her response as Colin went about the last bits of prepping his kit. She had to get something out. “But sir…”

“No buts Fuchs, you’re staying here. That’s an order.” Colin said as he slung his carbine over his shoulder. He walked past her to the door at the back of the trailer. “Right move out!”

The rear doors opened, letting in a blast of sunlight and midday heat. The teams piled out and as the last one departed, the doors shut. Elizabeth stood there, watching the door. Her fingers balled up into a fist, rage burning through her. The fucker, the bastard, he had found a way to keep her out. She wouldn’t be part of the AEB now, she wouldn’t get a chance to get in and start her attempt at changing it.

“Oy!” A voice called to her. Elizabeth spun around, looking down at the man sitting behind the console. “Ya gonna take a seat and help out like you’re told? Can’t keep my eye on everything.”

Elizabeth angrily ejected the magazine from her rifle and cleared the chamber as she took a seat next to the man. “Aren’t there suppose to be two people?”

“You’re the second person. Now keep your eyes peeled to the monitors alright? Shout out if you see any of those blue orbs flanking our boys in red” He said somewhat agitated. On the monitors, blue colored orbs representing the locations of vampires stood out against the red orbs, showing the AEB. He grasped the microphone on the console. “Reading me loud and clear Cap?”


Colin pushed his body against the wall of the building as one of the troopers fixed a breeching charge to the door. To his left, Bravo Team scrambled up a pair of ladders to the rooftop. “Read you loud and clear Joe.”

“Alright, according to the readouts, there are two signatures in the room to your immediate left when you enter. There are more signatures down the next room down the hall on the right. Hallway itself is clear”

“Copy that. Walton, ready to breach?”

A harsh hacking sound gave those who weren’t use to the progressively growing poor lungs of the chain smoker cough into the microphone a jump. “Fifteen seconds.”

“Roger.” Colin looked back at his team, as he counted down to zero his head. He pulled out a flash grenade and pulled the pin, holding down the safety lever. He quickly doled out orders. “Crane, Gibson, and Jones, you are with me. We’re hitting the room to the left. Swede, Black and Scott, room to the right. Rest of you secure and hold the hallway. Alpha and Bravo ready to breach. Stuns first. Breach in three, two, one!”

The tiny semtex charges on the door on the ground and on the roof exploded, the doors blasted inwards with violent force. Colin hurtled the grenade towards the room he was focused on. He moved in swiftly, the troopers following him close behind. He made for the room that sat several feet from the entrance. His grenade erupted, the loud ringing drowning out of the shocked cries of the vampires inside.

As he entered the room, he moved against the back wall, covering the room. His weapon light fell upon two staggering forms. The combined gunfire of four assault weapons with silver nitrate and explosive shell loads left the vampires dead before they hit the ground.


The chatter of more gunfire from other parts of the school made is slightly difficult to make out Colin’s voice on the speakers. “Room Clear!”

Elizabeth watched the monitor marked “Ross Muzzle-Cam” in disgust. “He just gunned them down.”

“Yeah he did ya got a problem with that?” The technician Joe said.

“Uh, duh? They’re not giving them a chance to live.”

“Look I’m not going to discuss politics right now alright?” Joe ripped his gaze from the monitors. “Ya know why you’re here in this trailer with me? It’s because everyone knows you’d stroll in there and ask them politely to put their hands up. But that’s not our job; our job is to kill them. They got the chance, they didn’t take it, and so they get blown away. Now, put your eyes to the screens now.”

“Fine.” Elizabeth turned her eyes back to the screens. She watched as the blue orbs tried to flee the encroaching red ones.

“Take a look at your peaceful vampires. Screen nine.”

Elizabeth looked over, ‘Crane Muzzle Camera’ was written above the monitor. Down the hallways where Rodney Crane was shooting, a hand poked up from behind a doorway, an automatic pistol visible. Several wild shots cracked down the hallway from the pistol; Crane fired back, his bullets blasting the area just in front of the arm.

The arm retreated and the next thing Elizabeth could see was a hand grenade rolling down the hallway toward the door. Crane’s voice broke into the trailer. “Fucker still moving down there?”

Joe looked over at Elizabeth. He twisted the microphone to her. She could see on the monitor, the blue orb moving slowly around the room. Elizabeth grasped the microphone and shut her eyes. “He is still alive.”

“Roger.” Crane responded.

Joe looked over at Elizabeth and smiled. “Odd for someone like you to be in the AEB. Gotta have stomach, it’s them or us and the way this thing is going, it’s always gonna be them getting their asses filled with silver. Rather see them lying in blood than a fellow human. Bad choice for you to choose AEB, ya ain’t gonna change nothing.”

Elizabeth opened her eyes, she could see on Crane’s muzzle camera the twitching form of a female vampire. The vampiress lay in a pool of blood, her guts dangling out of her stomach. Elizabeth keyed the microphone. “Crane, she’s wounded, take her prisoner. I’ll come in and…”

BANG

The vampiress’ head exploded as Crane’s muzzle flashed. His calm voice drifted through the speakers. “Target terminated.”

Elizabeth let out a ragged rush of air from her lungs. Her fingers twisted white around the microphone. Joe reached over and grabbed it. She pried herself from the device and collapsed back into the chair. Maybe I made a bad choice…maybe….

Joe looked over at Elizabeth as she lay within her own thoughts. He snapped his fingers, he could care less about her personal problems right now. “Oy! Oy! Buckle up, got a job to do. Mind the monitors.”

Elizabeth glared at Joe, she dragged herself up to a seated position. She made sure however to keep her eyes strictly on the map monitor however.

“Alright, wind it out!”

Colin shouted as he stepped back from the metal sled. Piled on top of the sled were several vampire corpses in a heap. The sled was made from hardened metal; the edges were raised in order to prevent any of the Vampiric blood from escaping. Attached to a winch on one of the AEB armored cars, the sled was dragged from the building into the daylight.

Unlike movies, the vampires didn’t catch on fire a dramatic fashion and nor did they puff into a cloud of black dust. Instead the vampires began to cook once they hit the daylight. The blood began to bubble and the skin began to bake and crisp over. Instead they smoldered slowly burning away. A VIB agent in a biohazard suit walked up to the sled with a small blowtorch in a hand and got a fire going. Within several minutes, all that was left on the sled was ash and bones. Several persons in biohazard suits and shovels moved forward and began to remove the remains and place them into containers for complete destruction.

Colin turned away from the sight and went back to work. Now that the building was clear, lights had been set up and the cloths that had been placed on the windows to keep out the sun by the vampires had been removed. VIB agents combed over every inch of the building, looking for evidence of links to other nests. Meanwhile, cleanup crews and the AEB were collecting the corpses and blood from the vampires for disposal.

Colin watched as several trainees dragged one of the sleds to the main doorway. He thought about telling them it was easier to go outside, fetch one of the metal cables and hook it up and let the winch do all the heavy work. But, they’d learn on their own.

It’d been a good run, no one was killed, however two suffered minor gunshot wounds and a trainee had been rushed to the emergency room when a vampire tried to run her through with a knife. Three wounded versus sixteen dead vampires, good run. They had also confiscated a stash of small arms, mostly hunting weapons and a few small caliber pistols. Nothing they hadn’t seen before.

More importantly however, he had kept Fuchs away in the command trailer where her impact was minimal. When he had entered after the building was secure, he found her looking incredibly depressed, or was she moping? Pouting? Colin chuckled to himself at the thought.

Either way, he was sure she’d quit and go back to SWAT.

Yellen sat anxiously behind his desk. Three blocks away a combined session of the House and Senate was under way. Instead of going straight for a straight vote on the Non-Human Law matter, Congress had decided to have a preliminary “Vote to Determine if a Re-Vote is needed.” It was an utterly useless gesture; the President didn’t have any doubts that Callahan was behind it, trying to force the President’s hand, trying to see if he had been bluffing about signing another Executive Order.

It would be his thirteenth, however he found no humor in the coincidence. As he sat alone in his office, he brooded if he should really go ahead with it. An Executive Order could only been overridden by another President and if he was removed from office, he knew there’d be a good chance that Secretary of State Ali Dyan (who was next in line) would cancel it out. He didn’t have to do it, leave the laws the same…if it was only that simple.

The threats of a full-fledged vampire revolution and the very real possibility of regional isolation kept him on the path toward changing the law. It had to be changed, period. The long-term benefit of the country depended on it. If...

Yellen’s thoughts were broken as the door opened. Rhymer stepped through and shut the door behind him. He stepped in front of the President. “They’ve voted, not to have a re-vote.”

Yellen sighed. He looked down at his desk at the papers before him. His fingers slowly wrapped around the fountain pen on his desk and he signed along the line. Silently he notarized the cover document with a press on his desk. Folding the papers into an envelope, he then with a tiny ladle he took a small stick of wax from a heated reservoir on his desk and added the Presidential seal onto the envelope. Yellen offered the Executive Order to Rhymer.

Rhymer didn’t take it; he stood there and looked at the folder and then at Yellen. Over his time serving the President, he had grown from hating his guts and trying to stop his every move to being an active participate in his schemes. He felt he had to get back to the old Rhymer now. “Sir, I ask you to reconsider. It’s unwise to fight Congress over there. Your support base is fully behind you what you’re doing economically and militarily concerning taking care of Sans…”

“Isaac, take the bloody envelope.”

“Sir, I must protest. You’re risking your whole Presidency; you’ve effectively distanced yourself from Puroc’s administration and have rallied almost the whole country behind you. But have you looked at the polls recently? Some are starting to second guess you, thinking you’re no longer acting in their best interest.”

Yellen smiled. “Well, since when has the populace ever known what it wanted? They change their minds every six years. Isaac…whether they like it or not, I am acting in their best interest for the long run. Take. The. Envelope.”

Rhymer looked down and reached out and slid the envelope from Yellen’s grasp. “Sir, you know Callahan is going to…”

“Jump right on me. You’ve said this to me every day since I entered office. Now, pass that along.” Yellen said.

“Yes sir.” Rhymer said before he turned and departed the office.

Yellen leaned back in his chair and waited.

“This is Abigail Jones for Channel Eleven news. Yesterday, President Alexander Yellen signed his eleventh official Executive Order. Dubbed the “Non-Human Law” Order, it puts all non-human Simatarian citizens under protection of the Constitution and overhauls many points of the current Non-Human Laws. Registration remains the same for any non-human, however unlike before where a non-human could have registration revoked and be extradited it they are found guilty of a crime, which had been struck out of law.

Feeding laws, a point that few outside of the region seem to have issue with remains the same. Siring laws also remain the same. One of the biggest changes however comes with Coven laws. Covens are permitted, however like homes and businesses are protected under Constitutional law. Unwarranted searches are banned as well as the law stating that no weapons may be kept on site has also been removed.

Another heavy change comes with unregistered vampires. The “shoot on sight” policy allowed in the laws has been removed. This has been the most controversial of any of the laws, as many outside of the country believe it gives the VIB free reign to commit mass genocide.

Laws concerning foreign non-humans have changed such as the removal of the need of registration should they be visiting or traveling through the Golden Simatar. Other laws however do remain the same.” The anchorwoman shuffled her papers slightly and took a breath.

“The biggest shock comes in at the very end of the Executive Order. Combing power of Presidential Pardon with Executive Order…well, clemency is offered to any non-human who registers within the next three weeks at any VIB station or the VIB headquarters. What could this mean for Simatarian citizens? We might actually see legal vampires and werewolves here, though this reporter doubts is slightly.

“In a predicted move, today Senator Kevin Callahan announced that he will be Congressional hearing to determine if impeachment proceedings will happen for President Yellen. We’ll keep you updated with this breaking story as it develops.”

Yellen shut off the television and sat back in his chair, he took a handful of chocolate-coated raisins and popped them into his mouth. He was under no delusion he was going to be kicked out of office, but he had a few tools up his sleeve he intended to hit Callahan with.

Senator Kevin Callahan sat presiding over a fifteen-member panel for the impeachment hearing of President Wesley Yellen. The chamber in the Congressional Building was filled with healthy reporters and spectators. Yellen sat before and below them by himself at a polished wooden table. The President’s counsel was seated in a table nearby. Callahan had shown the expected respect to the President when he had entered the chamber, but now he was at his mercy. Callahan wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, get Yellen out of office but putting him on trial, which was something he was still thinking of.

It had been the quickest summoning of an impeachment hearing in recent memory, barely a week after Yellen’s Presidential Order, they were sitting in session. Public reaction had been overwhelmingly negative to it, many viewing the laws as the only thing that kept them from falling into an all out vampire-human war. So far, there wasn’t a single registration either.

Callahan thumped his gavel once. The chamber grew quiet. “This proceeding will begin. The indictment for the impeachment of President Wesley Yellen is as follows: ‘Eleven Counts of abuse of office by use of the privilege of Executive Order to alter law and workings of the government as a whole by bypassing the Legislature with Executive Order.’ Mr. President do you possess a copy of this indictment?”

Yellen had been calmly reading along with Callahan as his indictment had been read. The President looked up at Callahan and nodded. “Yes I do.”

“Very well, we shall pro…”

“But you left out two Executive Orders in your indictment.” Yellen said. There was a murmuring behind him in the crowd and his counsel quickly looked through their papers to try and find what he was talking about. One of them came over and whispered to Yellen, who calmly dismissed him back to the table.

“Two Mr. President?” An elderly Senator from the corner of the panel asked.

“Yes Senator Brigham. I signed Executive Order Number Four and Five, Four is the termination of work on Project Eclipse and Five is termination on the reboot of Project Rebecca.” Yellen spoke. Before any questions could be asked, Yellen continued. “Project Eclipse was a Class Ten military project in development for ten years, it was put into motion by President Mirren. The hope was…”

Callahan quickly interrupted. “Mr. President I remind you that under Section Sixteen of the Military Act that exposure of Class Ten military projects will result in federal prosecution and…”

“Under the Public Knowledge of Military Projects Law signed into law by President Becky Kimble after it passed through Congress states and I quote ‘…any military project, chemical, biological, or nuclear in nature that is hazardous to the general public will be made known to the general populace in order so that proper measures in case of contamination leak can be taken.’ So Senator, I am in perfect right to detail these projects to the best of my ability. And since they are two of my Executive Orders and they are on the official indictment before me, they should be spoken of.”

Callahan and Yellen locked eyes. It was Yellen’s only card to pull on him, hoping to offset Callahan’s momentum by revealing that the proceedings were going on under false ground. Yellen’s hand motioned back one of his counsel as he tried to come forward. Yellen seemed to actually want this to go forward. The President knew that Callahan had been the Congressional backer for both projects and was trying to protect his own ass; the Rebecca Disaster left nearly one thousand people dead. Course, Callahan could hide behind protection of military secrets act.

“Mr. President.” Senator Brigham broke the unsettling silence. “Project Rebecca…am I to understand that the military tried to, bring back the Rebecca Virus?”

“Yes. However the original virus samples had been under deep freeze conditions for too long and were degraded beyond use. Attempts over seven years and three hundred million dollars later showed no progress in reengineering it from scratch or reverse engineering it from the last few antidote vials that remain.”

Brigham looked more unsettled than the rest in the room. He had more than vivid memories of the leak of the Rebecca Virus by a crazed doomsday cult. He took a nervous drink of water. “And, what is...or was Eclipse?”

“Eclipse was an attempt by the military to create part super-soldier part vampire killer by artificially creating dhampires, half human half vampire. According to records, the hope was to produce an injection that would give the subject Vampiric style strength, sight, smell, hearing, but without the aversion of sunlight, silver and the need for blood. Isolation of vampire DNA however, after nine and a half years and two hundred and twenty-six million dollars eluded them.” Yellen said calmly.

There was a flurry of murmurs in the room. This was a massive bombshell to those outside of Yellen and Callahan and no doubt in homes across the country many people were looking equally shocked at their televisions. Yellen decided to ride wave of quiet talk to push his case further.

“I decided to terminate both projects by executive order because I felt the funding going towards both projects would be better suited for more productive reasons. Basing off the expenditure records of both projects, the taxpayer has saved…” Yellen flipped through several pages. “…roughly forty-six million dollars combined.”

Callahan shifted in his seat, trying desperately to think of way to regain control of the proceedings, his position was threatened, hell everything was threatened by Yellen’s little outburst. He looked left and right, his supporters looked equally helpless. He leaned in and made it looked like he was whispering to them before he charged forward to get control; he banged the gavel three times before silence reigned. “Both Charges for Executive Orders Four and Five were kept off public record in keeping with the law put down by Congress. However…since both projects have been revealed, they will be added to the public indictment. This proceedings will continue after a fifteen minute recess.”

Callahan thumped the gavel and then loud talking began. Reporters were on their phones and cameramen were jostling for the best position to get footage. Yellen’s counsel flooded his table and began to try to lobby the President to have them get the proceedings dismissed.

Yellen’s eyes were firmly fixed to Callahan’s; the President gave a small, slightly cruel curl of the lip before turning to his counsel.

“So you’re saying that you signed it in order to facilitate growth of the economy, but how is cutting taxes for corporations suppose to heal the economy Mr. President?”

“When you have a multi-billion dollar company begging for handouts and tax breaks because the executives claim that it is the only way they will be able to stay in the country and remain profitable and then have factories and plants shut down. In a five-month span six factories were closed putting a combined near hundred thousand people out of work. The executives meanwhile gave themselves a combined three hundred million dollar bonus.”

“Mr. President, there are Congressional hearings about these matters of abuse of government funds…”

“Yes there are Senator Callahan, but in each case the verdict found by the hearings was that the executives were doing what was necessary to keep jobs in country. How is laying off thousands of Simatarian workers keeping jobs in country?”


“You agree that the Golden Simatar should push itself ahead in terms of technology Mr. President?”

“Yes I do.”

“Then resources are needed to facilitate this growth. Your first order banned the opening Federal Land to development. For example in the Barishu Mountain National Park it is known that there are thousands of metric tones of platinum. Would you not agree that platinum is important raw material for growth?”

“I do agree with that Senator Cochran. However pull from the history book and show this law passed through Congress and signed by President Patrick Sharpe nearly one thousand years ago prohibiting the use of any land for exploitation that is under the hand of the federal government. My predecessor chose to ignore this little detail and as I recall that after his own impeachment hearing there talk that the land should remain open.”


It went on for a full week and a half, from nine-thirty in the morning to five o’clock in the afternoon and sometimes later. Back and forth between Yellen and the Congressional panel, much of the focus however came with Yellen and Callahan’s duels. Both men jostled for position, trying to get above the other, Callahan attacking Yellen’s orders, making them look like the President was acting upon personal interest and not on interest of the people and Yellen firing back with, as he called it, sense and logic. The balance shifted throughout the proceedings.

Even so, few could dispute Yellen had won the opening salvo with coming out about the two Executive Orders that hadn’t been made public. It crippled the Congressional party more when several members began to back up the President, though none came out in public to say the impeachment should be dismissed. The opening day had stayed fixed upon Yellen’s latest Executive Order for the rights of non-human citizens. But after the first day had ended, the subject never arose.

A week and a half later at four thirty in the afternoon, Callahan and the panel reentered the chamber. Yellen stared coolly only at Callahan, the Senator had a suppressed look of annoyance and attempt to hide exhaustion. There were bags under the eyes of the President, however to those in the chamber, he looked ready to go on for another week or more.

Callahan cleared his throat before he spoke. “It is the finding of Congressional board that President Wesley Yellen did knowingly abuse the power of the Office of the President of the Republic of the Golden Simatar. Though, no criminal charges will be filed against President Wesley Yellen now or at future date for crimes associated with this hearing. However, President Wesley Yellen is to be removed from the Office of President and Secretary of State Ali Dyan will be sworn in as President the day after tomorrow at noon. This impeachment hearing is now closed.”

Callahan glared angrily at Yellen, communicating all the hatred and the prayers that he would have been able to get Yellen onto a full criminal trial were gone. However, there was a slight bit of a smirk underneath his thick beard, he had finally nailed the President, not completely, but somewhat.


Yellen collapsed exhausted into his office chair, letting the warm leather absorb him. He finally let the exhaustion and all the pent up physical strain that he had kept built up overtake him. He was out of job, removed from Presidency, never to return. Though, he knew he got off easy, his early strike against the board certainly had impact. There were times where he felt that he had played his hand to early, the failed mention to bring up the subjects of Eclipse or Rebecca caused him halfway through to regret playing so early. But, it was the right move.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

Isaac Rhymer walked in; he gave a small smile and stood before Yellen. “I just thought you should know sir that we have had nine confirmed vampire registrations in the last few days. None in Clarence…but, thought you might want to know.”

Yellen chuckled. Some comfort, nine vampires…some comfort. “Isaac, get the strong stuff and two glasses.”

“Sir?” Rhymer asked, perplexed.

“Don’t ‘sir’ me, I know y’all hide some bottles of scotch around here, grab one and two glasses.”

Rhymer couldn’t move, Yellen was asking for alcohol, he couldn’t believe his ears. The closest thing to alcohol the man ever came to was beer he would mix into his chili when he cooked it. Rhymer just nodded and disappeared from the office in a bit of a stunned glaze and returned a few minutes later with a bottle of fifteen-year-old scotch and two glasses. Rhymer sat down and poured. “You sip it sir.”

Yellen took the glass he was offered and smelled the amber liquid; the smell instantly opened his nostrils. He pulled back and sipped. The second he swallowed, Yellen let out a horrendous hacking coughing, he almost dropped the glass as he tried to recover. His voice was hoarse. “Good God!”

“I said sip sir.” Rhymer said incredibly amused; the President was a complete alcohol virgin, it was simply entertaining. Yellen’s coughing subsided after several seconds and color began to return to his face after about a minute. Rhymer gently sipped his glass. “So, what are you going to do now sir?”

“I dunno, do whatever former Presidents do; write a memoir, play golf, fish, do humanitarian work.” Yellen said as he sipped, even less than he did before, from the scotch. He still coughed, though not as bad. “Are you going to stay on for Dyan if he asks?”

Rhymer nodded. “I think so sir. Sir, I have to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“Was it worth it? Nine vampires for loss of your Presidency?”

Yellen rocked back in his chair. “Only time will tell Isaac.”

Ali Dyan was a short man, standing just about five ten. His hair was gray and started to recede, his beard was kept short and well trimmed. A pair of sharp brown eyes sat behind a set of wire rimmed glasses. He had served in government in some capacity for most of his adult life and now at fifty-six, he was hitting the highest office in the country, though it wasn’t the way he would have wanted it.

Dyan smiled and shook Yellen’s hand as the former President prepared to leave the Presidential Manor. “Wesley, I’m sad to see us part ways like this.”

“Same here. But, what can one do? Ali, I wish you the best of luck my friend.”

“Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.” Dyan said.

Yellen smiled and tapped his leg. His dogs, which had been sitting obediently by his side galloped into the waiting limousine. He gave one last smile to Dyan before he climbed into the vehicle. The engine rumbled into life and rolled slowly out of the grounds and disappeared shortly after it turned out of the gate.

Dyan watched him go before he walked back towards the manor. He paused to wipe his feet on the mat and pulled a simple, metal mezuzah case from his pocket. He kissed it gently and fixed it to an exposed nail on the doorframe.


Rhymer walked into the office carrying a notebook, he found Dyan pulling some family pictures and personal effects from a cardboard box and situating them on his desk. “Hello sir.”

Dyan turned and smiled. “Mr. Rhymer. Just to let you know my wife and children will be moving in after they get out of school on Friday.”

“I understand sir, I can have the staff clean the rooms and get them ready.”

“Very good.” Dyan said as he situated the pictures. He paused and looked over. “What do you think?”

“About what sir?”

“About the whole situation. I’m the third President you’ve served under, the ones before have been removed...what do you think about all this?”

“That at this rate I’ll be President by election day.” Rhymer said with a laugh. Dyan’s look seemed less than amused. Rhymer flipped the notebook open. “Well sir I cam to talk to you about what your first order of business will be. Some are expecting a national address as within a few days. But the biggest question is what will be you first order of business. I spoke with some Congressional aides and they wanted me to let you know that some in Congress are looking for you to overrule Yellen’s last Executive Order.”

Dyan tapped his finger on the cardboard box for a few seconds. “Yes on the speech, no on the overrule. There are more important things to do.”

“Uh sir there is a feeling that…”

Dyan stopped Rhymer. “Alright I want an independent group of lawyers and analyst…and I mean independent, pretty much anyone outside of the beltway and lock them in a room. Have them go over all the Non-Human Laws and formulate a new draft based off the current laws, but more importantly, off what is legal in the standard laws of our country.”

Rhymer stopped writing halfway though. He looked up. “Sir?”

“The more important things I spoke of is first and foremost rebuilding relations with our neighbors. I want those fixed above all else.”

“You don’t feel the old laws worked?”

“No…no I don’t. I haven’t thought they’ve worked from the moment they came into law. But in this climate, speaking out like that is dangerous. Now, Yellen has sacrificed himself for change and his sacrifice will not be in vain.” Dyan said firmly. He turned fully Rhymer, they’re eyes meeting. “Many years ago a mad Bohemian Corporal tried to wipe out my people. I think there have been enough mad Bohemian Corporals in this office, don’t you?”

Rhymer stood in silence, his eyes unable to break free from Dyan’s. He simply nodded to what the President had to say.

Dyan smiled. “Very good. I see Yellen’s three-week span for clemency ends tomorrow morning. I think that can be extended.”

Rhymer nodded. “Yes sir.”

Dyan nodded and put the last few knickknacks from the box onto the desk.

Elizabeth Fuchs leaned against the counter to the armory in the basement of the VIB building. Her fingers rapped on the wooden counter as she looked at her watch again, the hands told her she had been waiting for fifteen minutes for the armourer to return with her weapons. She could have waited till morning to pick them up, but all she wanted to do the next morning was to get in her car and head back home to Pembrooke. She’d already made hotel reservations for the forty-hour drive back.

Finally, the one legged armourer Doug appeared with her M4. He made one last inspection of the rifle before he handed it to her. He looked down at a clipboard and read off the work done to it. “One license built M4 in six point five caliber equipped with standard red dot reflex sight, flashlight attachment and detachable forward hand grip put in for cleaning and routine maintenance. No problems were found so she’s still fit as a fiddle.”

Elizabeth looked over her weapon as he talked, satisfied, she popped open the case on the ground for her M4 and gently placed it inside. She locked it as Doug laid out a receipt for her to sign. Giving one glance over it, she signed her name at the bottom. She took her copy and picked up the case. “Have a good evening.”

“Sad to see you go.” Doug said as he filed his copy.

Elizabeth paused and looked back, a sarcastic look on her face. “Really?”

“Oh yes, I’ll be missing all the good gossip that you generated being here.” He said with a smile. Elizabeth gave a quarter hearted mock laugh and headed out of the armory. She just wanted to get out of the building, then to her car in the parking garage across the street, back to the hotel she had gotten after she had checked out earlier that day from the VIB trainee dormitories...one step at a time.

As she entered the lobby, she saw the evidence of why no vampires had registered in Clarence. Around fifteen AEB troopers were milling around the lobby area, they weren’t decked out in full assault gear, but they still had magazine webbings and their weapons slung around their backs. They milled about, chatted, laughed, read a book and listened to music. It was an extremely overtly blunt attempt to look normal; they just wanted to scare off any vampires who might have wanted to come in.

As she walked through, one by one looked at her, she recognized several as part of her class, the ones who had been allowed to make the real run and pass. No Ross, good, she came parallel to the reception desks, still no Ross; the door was only about thirty feet away…twenty-five…fifteen…still no “Fuchs!”

Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, her fingers tightened around the handle of her M4 case as she turned around. Colin Ross stood there, a slight smile on his face. Elizabeth marched towards him and stopped several feet away. She gave a salute and lowered it. “Yes…Captain Ross?”

He smiled at her. “I just wanted to say good-bye. Good-bye.”

Elizabeth’s face twitched slightly in anger. The hell with it, she wasn’t VIB; she was Pembrooke Metro SWAT, no jurisdiction for conduct. “Captain, go…”

The sudden blaring klaxon drowned out what was intended to be her final sentence to Ross. Ross’ eyes flashed up above her, his reaction changed to the same determined tactical gaze he got before he went into battle. He pushed her out of the way and brought up his weapon.
Elizabeth turned as she was pushed, as she did she could see other AEB troopers moving forward with their weapons, however they were holding their fire. As her eyes turned towards the front of the building, she saw what they were pointing at.


Thomas’ eyes were clamped firmly shut, his arms were raised as high as they could go without popping from the sockets, and his fingers were even outstretched in a wide open palm. He only had the clothes on his back and his jacket, his backpack was in an alley a few blocks away and his pistol in a dumpster. His features were slightly gaunt, after leaving the insurgent base, he had gone back to stealing blood or getting his hands on whatever stray animals he could. He had only been able to get his hands on a single human, a half drunk, doped out homeless man…it probably made the vampire worse than he would have been.

Thomas started to shout. “I just want to register! I just want to register!”

The blare of the klaxon throbbed in his head; he couldn’t hear the shouts of the humans as they came closer. At any second he expect to feel the hammer blow to the head before being enveloped in Death’s darkness, but it didn’t come. He kept shouting, the humans kept shouting, the klaxon continued to blare.

The vampire let out a cry of surprise, his eyes burst open as he felt a hard kick to his knee. His body flopped to the ground and he felt the weight of a person leaping on his back, pinning him to the ground. Several muzzles of assault weapons were jammed in the vampire’s face.
Thomas lay there; he felt the human frisking his pockets and checking him for hidden weapons. As the human searched, the alarm suddenly died, but it took Thomas a while to realize it as it continued to buzz in his head. He felt the human climb off of him and then a power hand grasped him by the hair and several more hands grabbed his arms and he was dragged to his feet. His eyes met the eyes of a tough looking bastard, the dreaded silver vampire skull on his cap told Thomas all he needed to know. Through his peripheral vision he could see similar dark blue caps on those holding him all were AEB.

“Please…I…I…I…” Thomas stammered, unsure of what to do. “…I ah….I ah….”

“You want to register? Is that right bloodsucker?” The man said.

“Yes…”

“Tell me, why shouldn’t I shoot you? Killed lots of innocent people have you in the last three weeks? Satisfying your bloodlust till the last moment?” The man said, Thomas’ head shook furiously, even in his malnourished state; he had some strength over the humans holding him. “What makes you think that I won’t kill you?”

“I’m….I’m on camera…it’s…it’s against the law…” Thomas stammered, his eyes falling on one of the black orbs hanging from the ceiling.
The human turned back and looked at the camera and then back at Thomas. He let a short, slight amused laugh. “Alright…let him go, let him register. Mark his face and information all, he murders an innocent…I think we’ll all take it very personally because we didn’t kill him like we should’ve.”

Thomas felt the hands let him go. He avoided the gaze of the human before him and did his best to skirt around the group. Managing to maneuver his way out, he walked to the receptionist desk. The man behind the counter, Thomas could smell the hidden fear behind the tough look. He’d probably never been this close to a vampire. The man rolled his chair back and stood. “Wait here, let me get the paperwork.”

Thomas slowly nodded as the human departed. The journey was coming to an end. After he had Yellen’s final Executive Order, the vampire was bouncing for joy and had gotten within several blocks of the VIB headquarters before he stopped himself. He didn’t know it all wasn’t some complete ruse put on by the government in hopes of orchestrating some mass killing. But he brushed aside the ruse theory when the impeachment proceedings began. Even so, he feared that he would simply be shot, despite the President’s Order, the second he walked into the door. That fear kept him away until his need to get registered and hopefully get some blood in him drove him to walk in the door.
Thomas rested his head on the desk; the years of wandering were coming to an end at last. He felt something odd and shot up, looking to his side. He saw a blonde haired woman standing a few feet away staring at him. She wasn’t dressed like the others, but she was definitely law enforcement of some kind. Thomas flashed her a weak smile before he heard the receptionist return with a cough.

The human behind the desk dropped a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it onto the desk. “Fill it out.”

Thomas nodded and took the pen attached to the clipboard and started to write. He stopped just as he started his last name. A high-pitched scream behind him made the vampire spin, the humans were oblivious to it, and all were watching him. The vampire’s eyes bulged as he saw two reddish balls heading for them.

The first rocket impact atomized the glass doors and shattered the glass walls around them. The humans let out cries of shock; they were too stunned to see the second rocket whirl in. The second rocket whipped upwards and struck the ceiling.

The blast shockwave sent Thomas into the desk; his head struck the top, his world flashed to black.

Elizabeth was thrown to the ground from the blast; her M4 case flung from her hand and skidded across the ground towards the elevators. She shook her head and lay there dazed for several seconds before a staccato of gunfire broke her from her daze. She drew out her .45 caliber automatic revolver from her hip holster and flipped off the safety. She only had lead hollow points now, but they’d have to do.

Rolling behind the reception desk, she was joined shortly by several AEB troopers. Elizabeth poked her head around the corner, the other troopers staked themselves behind the columns in the lobby and others knocked over the benches. Five troopers lay dead on the floor. Rodney Crane’s bloodied face was locked in a state of shock his skull was partially crushed.

Elizabeth could see muzzle flashes popping out of the darkness of alleys and the tops of buildings. She whipped around the corner and fired two quick shots from her revolver before whipping back around. The marble corner exploded into dust as bullets smacked into it.

“God dammit I want support now!” Colin shouted into the Walkie-talkie. “Roll up some armored cars from your station and get some cops here!”

“I hear you Captain! But we’re under fire here too!” The voice at the other end shouted back. Colin had to press the Walkie-Talkie to his ear to hear the pops of gunfire over the sounds of the gunfire happening with him. “We got our own shit sir!”

Colin cursed under his breath. His back firmly against the column, he felt the rock shudder as bullets struck it. The vampires were being smart, they were shooting from cover, and they weren’t pressing their attack, yet anyway. He didn’t know how many attackers there were, obviously there were enough to attack another VIB station. The balance had to shift. He changed the frequency and keyed the Walkie-Talkie. “Doug! God Dammit pick up!”

“I hear you Colin! I’m getting the boys down here suited up, we’ll be right up!”

“Don’t bother they got the lobby and hall covered! Send up a Van Helsing! Elevators can support one right!?”

“Yeah, right on it!”

Colin jammed the device onto his belt and poked his rifle out from around the corner and fired a quick burst out the blasted out doors. He brought it back in just as some bullets struck, a round grazed his arm, and the adrenaline pumping through his blood only registered it as a sting.

His eyes settled on the vampire lying on the floor, his fingers gripped his weapon tighter as he stared at it.


A huge grin was put on Sandhya’s face as she fired round after round from the semi-automatic rifle into the lobby. But she wasn’t hitting anything but marble. The humans were firing blindly back at them and weren’t offering much resistance. They should be moving in to attack, they could overwhelm them. There were only about fifteen vampires; but they were spread across the area across the street from the VIB headquarters, giving them a good range of fire.

Sandhya ejected the magazine from the rifle and began to move from where she was shooting to find a better spot. Hopefully she might actually bring down one of those AEB fuckers. She slid behind another vampire in an alley and aimed down the sights of her rifle. As she looked through the low power scope, she caught a form at the bottom of the view. She lowered the barrel, her finger wrapped around the trigger.

The vampiress stopped herself as she saw the familiar jacket the figure wore. “Thomas…”

She stood staring down at Thomas’ form, amazed to actually see him and here of all places. His body was still, he could be dead, but then again he could be unconscious. To try and save him…or not….to try and save or not…she kind of owed him, then he owed her, then vice versa, they had paid each other back…he was though like a friend…

Sandhya’s feet started to carry her across the street, her finger pulling the trigger at every step as she moved swiftly towards one of the concrete separators between the glass walls. She exchanged magazines, in barely a second and kept firing as she rounded the edge and entered the lobby. She turned her head back briefly; several others were following her lead.

The vampiress didn’t have time to think what she was doing; she looked down at Thomas’ form. Her eyes caught movement at the hallway entrance to the elevators and stairwells. The vampiress stopped in her tracks at the sound of an animalistic roar.

The metal body of the VH-72 Van Helsing rumbled out of the threshold, heavy machine-guns for arms. An animal like roar seemed to emanate from the mechanical beast. The machine fired a burst towards the outside, chasing away her support.

Fuck! Sandhya looked down at Thomas, then back at the Van Helsing, she had to run. She had to leave him. Her eyes caught movement above Thomas, her weapon swung up with her eyes. A blonde haired woman holding a pistol suddenly appeared.

Both women pulled triggers simultaneously, Sandhya’s rifle refused to bark, the vampiress felt the heavy thud of a shell striking and exploding in her chest.
Sandhya stumbled backwards, but there was no burning, not a silver round. She let out a primordial scream as she ripped the charger handle back, clearing her weapon as the blonde woman fired twice more in quick succession, both rounds striking Sandhya in the shoulder area.

Sandhya’s weapon fired. The bullet clipped the blonde in the shoulder; the woman disappeared behind the desk.

Sandhya’s blood was running, she didn’t see the Van Helsing swing on her. The vampiress screamed in pain as a fifty-caliber slug ripped her right leg at the knee. She fell to the ground, unable to move, the pain, her whole leg felt numb. Sandhya looked up to see the Van Helsing roaring towards her. The vampiress tried to grab for her rifle in a useless attempt to save her life.

Sandhya’s screams rose and shattered through the gunfire as the metal behemoth rolled over her.


Elizabeth lay back against the wall, grasping her arm. She felt the warm blood oozing between her fingers. One of the AEB troopers looked over, his eyes falling on her wound. Despite difference, the man tore off part of his jacket and tied it around her wound. She smiled at him; she was about to thank him when an unholy scream made her jump in shock, the screaming cut off barely two seconds later.

Elizabeth peered over the desk and duct back down as bile rose in her throat. She dipped her head into the nearest trashcan and vomited. Beyond the desk, she could hear the roar of the Van Helsing’s guns, but she couldn’t hear the pop or crack of incoming fire.
The AEB behind the desk with her stood up first, the trooper who had helped her looked down. “It’s over.”

Elizabeth looked up and pulled herself to her feet, when she crested the desk, she made sure not to look at floor ten feet from the desk. The human looked around the lobby, dozens of bullet holes pocketed the marble walls, and blood was smeared along sections of the floor and columns.

“I want an ambulance here asap! God dammit now! I got men down!” Colin’s voice drew her attention. He was stalking around the lobby calmly yelling into a Walkie-Talkie, other AEB troopers were hurrying to the bodies on the floor, hoping for some life left in them before tending to those who were still alive. Thudding feet from down the hall hailed the arrival of Doug and those from other parts of the building.

The vampire…

Elizabeth inched around the desk and looked down on the floor, the man’s form was still there, apparently untouched by the battle. She knelt down next to him and prodded his body with her pistol, no use checking for pulse. She poked the palm of his hand with the barrel of the pistol, the tips of his fingers gently curled…

Click-Click

Elizabeth froze, her eyes, then her head slowly turned to find Colin Ross standing above her, his rifle hung by his side. She blocked the view of the vampire’s head. Colin motioned her away. “Out of the way Fuchs, now.”

Elizabeth looked back down at the vampire he was still alive. He had done nothing wrong. She gripped her pistol tight. The woman rose and stood in front of Colin. “No, sir.”

“I’m not in the fucking mood for one of your lectures…” Colin said as he tightened his grip on the gun.

“I’m not in the fucking mood to watch you execute an innocent man you fucking asshole!” Elizabeth screamed.

Colin stared down at the woman. He sighed and stared past her at the body on the floor, all but the head was visible. Colin’s left hand grabbed the front of the G36 and started to lift it.
The muzzle of Elizabeth’s revolver appeared just below Colin’s left eye. Colin stopped; his eyeball twisted down to see the grooved bore of the weapon. He looked at her, a snarl on his face. “Are you threatening me with that weapon Sergeant Fuchs?”

Elizabeth drew back the heavy hammer with a single click. She answered coldly. “Yes I am.”

Colin’s lip twitched slightly, he dropped the barrel of his rifle. He could hear nothing but silence from around them, he could feel the eyes of those in the lobby on the pair. He spoke loud enough for them to hear. “Fine. Take this vampire to one of the interrogation cells…as for Fuchs. Put her under arrest and into one of the holding cells, a medic can check her there.”

Elizabeth kept the pistol firmly aimed as Colin, one eye trained down the sight, the other on the male vampire as his body was lifted between two VIB men and was carried off. She reached forward with her thumb and grasped the hammer; pulling the trigger she slowly let it down.

Elizabeth felt the pistol ripped from her grasp and a pair of hands gripped her arms and brought them behind her back. A pair of handcuffs was thrown on.

Until she was ripped away, her eyes remained firmly locked to Colin’s.

VIB Director Cindy Little looked outside of her window and stared down at the street below. VH-72 Van Helsing’s and AEB troopers and VIB agents marched around the perimeter, thermal controlled machine guns covered the lobby and every corner. Four days had passed since the attack and the VIB headquarters had turned into a virtual fortress.

She turned and looked at the man sitting across from her. Looking down at the folder in front of her, she sighed. “I should be asking you how you got in here…but…”

“But…?” He said, curiously.

“I don’t think you’d tell me. This plan of yours…the Joint Chiefs have Okayed it. So, yeah, I’ll support this” Little said. She sighed. “Okay, you can have him. And, she’ll get out.”

The man smiled and nodded as Little reached across the desk to the intercom.


Elizabeth sat patiently in the holding cell. The cell she sat in was barren, a simple cot bolted to the floor, a toilet on one side and a thick Plexiglas wall facing a hallway. She looked over at the stitches on her arm, there was redness around the edge, but they were healing fine. After the medic had stitched her wound shut, no on had been down to her cell unless they were bringing some food. Probably just leave me here to rot.

The door hissed open, Elizabeth looked over to see a VIB agent standing there holding a pair of handcuffs. “Director wants to see you, lets go.”

Great.


When Elizabeth entered the Director’s office, she noted immediately the dramatic lighting of only the light on the desk and the ghost lamp behind. The VIB Director looked up and stopped them a few feet in. “You can take those cuffs off and leave.”

Elizabeth smiled as she felt the agent remove the cuffs; she waited until the man departed before walking to the Director’s desk. The woman drew herself up straight when she halted. It was then she caught something in the corner of her eye in the shadow, turning her head slightly, she saw the shape of a person watching her intently.

“You’re facing serious charges Ms. Fuchs.” Little’s words drew Elizabeth’s attention back to her. “You threatened Captain Ross with your sidearm. Let me hear your side of things.”

“Well ma’am, the man uh the vampire hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d come in for registration, that’s it. He was knocked out once the rocket hit and was out the entire time. After the firefight, I think Ross…Captain Ross thought that he might have been apart of it or just wanted to kill a vampire.” Elizabeth said as plainly as she could.

“What makes you think he wasn’t apart of it?”

Elizabeth caught herself on a grunt and changed it to try and sound like a cough. “Sorry ma’am. But it’s utter bunk that the vamp would be apart of it. If he was apart of the group, they’re total idiots for having one of their guys go into the lobby for no reason other than to be knocked unconscious. The way he looked too…”

“Way he looked?”

“Exhausted, unwell, sickish…I don’t think he was in any capacity to do anything to anyone. I didn’t want to see another innocent being murdered by Ross, so I did what I had to.” Elizabeth paused. “That’s it ma’am.”

Elizabeth looked down at Little, the Director was staring up at her and tapping her fingers together. The woman reached behind the desk and removed a plastic bag and dropped it on her desk. Inside were Elizabeth’s automatic revolver, holster, and speed loaders. “This yours?”

“Yes.”

“Take them.” Little said. Elizabeth looked confused. Little continued. “I saw the video of when the vampire walked in and some of what happened from one of the only cameras to remain online after the attack. Ross would have broken the law, we can’t have that. He’s a good man, good trooper, thickheaded though.”

“Thank you…” Elizabeth reached down and took the bag and removed her weapon and began to fit the holster back to her belt. When she finished, she went back attention.

“Fuchs, I had a heart to heart talk with the President yesterday. He expressed in no uncertain terms that either the AEB changed or the VIB itself would be laid off and replaced. The AEB in a way comes down to the source of our problems he said, the AEB is the bunch that breaks down the doors and does the takedowns. So, I am going to change it. The AEB’s MO is going to change to SWAT style, no more kill on sight, more control over the use of lethal force…” Little paused. “I wonder if you’d like to be apart of it.”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

Little leaned back in her chair and motioned to the side. “General I think you had something for Ms. Fuchs.”

The figure, Elizabeth turned curiously to see who this mysterious man was. Her heart skipped as she saw the face that emerged from the shadows, a face that was burned into the minds of every person who passed through the VIB. Elizabeth looked shakily back to Little, unsure of what to make of it. Little acted perfectly calm.

The man smiled politely and warmly. “Ms. Fuchs, I’ll be taking the vampire off the hands of the VIB. Now, I wonder if you can deliver this down to Ross?”

Elizabeth turned back to him and saw the envelope in his hand. Cautiously, she reached out and took it. “Of…of of course sir.”

Elizabeth’s salute was awkward, her mind still trying to wrap around what was going on. She turned and left the office and headed down the first elevator she could grab.


The Interrogation Cell Control Room was decent size, banks of terminals and television screens allowed those there to keep an eye on the prisoners in the cells. When Elizabeth walked into the room, she found six AEB troopers standing around a terminal. When the door shut, one of them turned and looked over. A scowl came to the trooper’s face. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Elizabeth walked down the steps towards them. “Where’s Ross?”

The door leading to the small cellblock opened, Colin Ross was wiping a towel against his knuckles. He threw the now red rag into a disposal. His eyes caught Elizabeth the second he walked in. “Look what the garbage truck dragged in.”

Elizabeth ignored the comment and walked forward, offering him the envelope. “Its for you.”

Colin ripped the top of the envelope open, ignoring breaking the decorative black seal on the back. He removed the paper and stuffed the envelope into his pocket. He read it, his face twisting in odd shapes as his eyes darted between the lines. Colin looked up at Elizabeth and smiled. “I’ve never heard of this shit in my life. The prisoner stays. As for you…”

A male voice came from behind him. “Are you disobeying an order Captain?”

“And who the hell…” Colin demanded as he turned, the words died in his throat as he stared at the man standing in the room.

The man stood just about six foot two, his dark brown hair was combed neatly, and two sharp cobalt blue eyes were set his face. He wore a black Class A Dress Uniform with deep crimson and silver piping along the edges and seams. The buttons were as black as the uniform and gave off a shine. On his left breast were the ribbons of around twenty military medals and citations arranged in a single block, the silver and black ribbon of the Battle of Clarence was set as the most recent. Above the bank of ribbons was a Master Paratrooper’s pin; two combat leaves were set among parachute. Just visible on his upper left arm near the shoulder was a green banner with the word ‘Ranger’ written in gold and placed below it was the blue shield adorned with a red dragon of the 17 Airborne Division. On the right arm near the shoulder was another unit badge; this one was round, the silver designs etched out the Moon. A red bat was set admit the lunar landscape. A crimson-bordered black banner with the words ‘Luna Nocturne’ stamped in silver sat above it. On his shoulder boards were four black stars arranged in a neat row.

The man smiled, a set of fangs visible in his mouth. The vampire spoke. “General Stephen Malone of the Luna Nocturne.”

The room was quiet for several long seconds, the human staring dumbly at the Vampire Elder before them. After the initial surprise ended, almost in unison the humans reached for their sidearms. Seven pistols were raised and the humans started pulling triggers.

Click-Click

Click-Click

Click-Click

Click-Click

The sound filled the room as the humans tried to fire. When their weapons wouldn’t fire, they drew back the slides to clear what should be jam. Instead, the slides slid smoothly off the pistols, rendering the weapons useless. Mystified by what was going on, a female trooper pulled a silver dagger from her belt and hurtled it at Stephen.

The blade stopped and sat in the air just a few inches from where her fingers had let it go.

“Be very glad that the vampires here didn’t have the teachers I had nor do they have the strength or concentration that is required for such tricks. If they did, your lives would be a lot harder.” Stephen said calmly. The vampire’s pupils seemed to shift slightly, the silver dagger dropped to the ground. The vampire sighed. “I can overlook this, it’s only instinctive for you to try and kill a vampire the second you see it. Now Captain.”

Stephen took several steps closer as he address Colin. The human was bracing himself, readying for a hand-to-hand fight, but the vampire stopped outside of arms reach. “You have your orders. The prisoner is now mine.”

Colin grunted. “A vampire in uniform? You, most wanted number one in uniform like this? Heh, if you want him, get him yourself.”

Stephen smiled slowly, his fangs becoming more prominent as his lips parted. “Alright, not like it is going to matter to you when I leave.”

The vampire walked towards doorway to the cells. He pulled a card from his pocket and flashed it across the reader. The light flashed green and the doors open. Stephen walked into the short hall, on either side there were three black doors, he walked to Cell Number Two.. He flashed his card again, the metal door slid open.

Stephen’s face twisted into a look of disgust as he saw what was before him. Instead of a simple table for interrogation, there were heavy cables stretching out from the plain white walls. On each cable was a heavy cuff made of clear plastic, fragile looking at first, each cuff was filled with silver nitrate. Stephen had seen what happened to vampires who had broken free of such cuffs given to police officers; it usually resulted in near severance of the limb.

Thomas hung limply on the cables; each wrist and ankle had one of the cuffs around it. He was clothed in the same clothes he was brought in, but now they were stained with dried blood. The vampire was gaunt; his features hollow, the bones on his face were prominently protruding.

Stephen walked up to him and grabbed his arms as gently as he could. Mentally the vampire pressed the release buttons outside of the cell. The cuffs released and the cables slowly retreated back into the walls. Laying Thomas down, Stephen pulled a small flask from his pocket and gently dripped a few drops of blood into the other vampire’s mouth.


Colin watched as Stephen carefully administered fresh blood to the starved vampire. How in the hell did that vampire, Stephen Malone, the most wanted vampire in the country get into the building? Hell how did he get within several blocks of it? What was with the uniform? The orders? Questions swirled around in his head; they were interrupted as Elizabeth coughed.

He turned. “Feels good?”

“Excuse me?” Elizabeth said, dropping the formality of recognizing rank.

“Seeing a vampire like that, dressed like a human, acting human?”

Elizabeth smiled. “He’s more human than you.”

Colin smirked and turned back to the monitors. He watched as Stephen apparently finished with his temporary treatment of the vampire, Stephen began to carefully lift Thomas from the floor. Casually, Colin looked down at the controls for Cell Two. He pressed a button marked Nitrate Sprayers.

Nothing happened.

Colin pressed again; hidden nozzles should be spraying the room with silver nitrate. The vampires should be melting alive. Colin pressed again and again, nothing. He looked up to see Stephen walking out of the cell and into the main hall. Colin reached over and pressed the button for the hallway’s sprayers, nothing happened.

“I think you will find the sprayers are offline for a bit Captain Ross.” Stephen said as he reappeared, holding Thomas with little effort. “I didn’t want any distractions.”

Colin looked back at the vampire, his arms were full, the space between them was barely eight feet, and he had his own silver knife. With warning, the human rushed, one step, his fingers around the knife…he froze. Colin’s eyes glazed over, his body seized, holding the running stance.

Elizabeth’s revolver was halfway from the holster when Colin stopped in his tracks. She looked around the room, none of the AEB was moving, and all had the same glazed expression. She looked over to Stephen; the vampire was nonchalantly brushing past them towards the entrance.

Stephen stopped and looked at her. “They’ll be back to normal once I leave. They’ll only remember that a VIB agent came to take the vampire to a holding facility. All you’ll remember is that you delivered those orders to him and that you need to tell him the director wants to speak to him.”

Elizabeth stared at the vampire; she felt her heart stop as he spoke to her. For the first time, she felt afraid. “Are you uh….”

“No, I’m not going to turn you into a slave.” Stephen said. “I’ve altered their minds of what has just occurred and I’ll do the same to you. You’re not that bad for a human, I might have use for you in my unit in the future.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes sir.”

“Good evening Ms. Fuchs.” Stephen said as he left.


Elizabeth let a long sigh. How am I going… Her thoughts blanked ever so slightly before images of a VIB agent with a gurney carting off the unconscious vampire slipped into her mind.

“Fuchs!” Colin’s voice bellowed through the room.

She looked up at him. “Yes?”

“Was there anything else besides the prisoner being taken away?”

“Yes, the director wants to see you.” Elizabeth said.

Colin sighed and stormed from the room, brushing past Elizabeth. She looked over to the foul-faced AEB troopers. She flashed a sarcastic grin before following Colin, anxious to see what Little had to say to him.

The director’s office was well lit when Colin entered. He made sure to close the door in Elizabeth’s face, preventing her from coming inside and seeing what was going to happen. He strode to Little’s desk, stopped a few feet short and saluted. “Captain Colin Ross, AEB reporting as requested ma’am.”

Little looked up from the papers across her desk. “At ease Captain. I’m sure you know why I called you here.”

“You’d like us to start full sweeps of the city’s sewer system with incinerators and flush these rats out?” Colin responded dryly.

“No. It’s that policy is changing.”

Colin’s eyebrow arched. “Policy change? How?”

“First, no more National Guard involvement. The AEB from now on will act as a last resort tool. The AEB will also operate with non-lethal weapons as first use against unarmed vampires. A SWAT oriented approach will be taken, no more shoot on sight. How does that strike you?”

“It strikes me as bullshit ma’am.” Colin looked down at Little, she didn’t look pleased but at the moment she was keeping her mouth shut to let him speak. “Brute force is the only thing these creatures understand. We need to beat them into submission. We’re the only thing that is keeping them from launching a full scale war on us.”

“By us, you mean humans.”

“Yes ma’am. Within the last year across the country the instances of vampires being equipped with automatic weapons and in possession of bomb making material has climbed steadily. It only means they are preparing themselves for war. We need to utterly crush them before they have this chance. Wipe every last bloodsucker off the face of the country.”

“You don’t think that opening the arms…”

“It’s a sign of weakness. A sign they won. We cannot look weak and let those things win, let them rule the night.” Colin interrupted.

“Your argument is…”

“The main weapon of the vampire is horror, so we make sure we are more horrible than our enemy. They know us, they know the AEB, and they’re running like scared rabbits. We cannot let ourselves back away.”

Little sighed, she had expected such an argument from him. “The President expressed to me that it was his wish that the AEB is changed.”

“It was only…”

“I’m making it an order.” Little stepped in. “The methods employed by the AEB are the source of many of our issues. The AEB’s tactics while proving effective also stopped any attempt at having the vampires who want to surrender and live normally do so. I’ve been reviewing gun-cam footage from across the country within the last few days, it’s shocking, pure execution of helpless vampires.”

“They get what they deserve.”

“Captain…shooting a vampire who is trying to kill you is one thing. Shooting one with a bullet through the head when they are trying to surrender, that’s something different.”

Little leaned back in her chair, she looked at Colin. “I’ve already dispatched the my orders to regional and district heads to convey to their AEB team leaders. I’ll be speaking to other AEB officers tomorrow about these changes. Captain Ross, you’re the best team leader in the city and one of the best in the country, I want you to stay on in the new AEB. I don’t want to lose someone like you.”

Colin straightened. He shut his eyes for several seconds in thought before he opened them. “It’s been my pleasure to serve in the protection of our people from these monsters. I cannot continue serving in this new capacity…but, when they attack again and the proper methods of disposal are brought back…I’ll be the first in line to sign up.”

Little stared back at Colin, she already knew his answer before he walked into the door. “I’ll accept that as your resignation. Return your weapons to the armory, you may keep your uniform.”

Colin nodded, with one last salute he left. Knocking past Elizabeth he walked into the elevator and pressed for the bottom floor. He let out a long breath of air; he wasn’t prepared for that, resigning his position in the AEB. He’d return his pistol to the armory and leave, tomorrow he’d call others he knew from across the country, see how many of them were leaving.

Colin felt his holster for the pistol. Nothing was there. What the? He flipped open the holster, no pistol. Strange. Must have left it in the interrogation room. When the elevator door opened, Colin headed down to the interrogation room. He was met by one of the troopers, a bewildered look on the woman’s face, in her hands she held the main body and slide for his pistol. “These are for you sir.”

Colin stopped and looked at the pieces confused. “What the hell happened?”

“Dunno sir. Our pistols without the slides, hell if I know how they got there.” She said. “After that VIB guy left, the pistols were broken down.”

“Yeah…strange….” Colin said as he quickly rebuilt the weapon. “Damn strange.”


Thirty minutes later, Colin was finished clearing out his locker in the locker rooms. Dressed in civilian clothes, he padded down his uniform, looking for his car keys. His fingers wrapped around paper in his pocket, pulling it out, he found it to be an envelope. Colin flipped it around, his eyes falling upon the black seal on the back. The seal was circular in shape, small crater designs were in it and a bat was set in the center.

“Luna Nocturne.” Colin said, reading the small letters on the seal. It meant nothing to him, there was nothing inside of it to tell him exactly what this Luna thing was, but combined with the partially disassembled pistol, it was damn confusing. But as he thought about it as he finished his locker cleaning, he decided to check on something.


The black and white image flickered slightly as a man dressed in a suit walked towards Colin and spoke to him. The pistols in the hands of the AEB looked to be perfectly fine, but something drew the eye more, they were drawn.

Colin scratched his chin. Why are the guns drawn? The vamp was in no condition to do anything but die. He looked over his shoulder, the heavily air conditioned room that held the banks of hardware and processors was devoid of life. Colin turned back and leaned in close to one of the small computers in the room, allowing quick access to anything in the databanks.

The video continued to roll, showing Colin from just over an hour ago standing at one of the security terminals. He was pressing the buttons for silver nitrate release furiously. Several seconds past, then the VIB man pushing a gurney with the vampire on it appeared. The image of the VIB man flickered black and seemed to change slightly.

What? Colin paused and flipped back frame by frame. As he did so, he caught the odd shadow; it looked more like two people standing next to each other than someone pushing a gurney. Colin stopped at flickered frame, he pushed himself closer. “What the fuck?”

The single frame was half distorted, but Colin could see clearly on the left side was a man carrying what looked to be the vampire (based on the clothing) out of the cell area. The top and the right half of the frame was showing half a gurney with the vampire’s body on it. Colin leaned in on the man holding the vampire though. He couldn’t see the face, but he could make out the black military type uniform and most strangely of all, it looked to be General’s stars on the shoulder. His eyes traveled down to the unit insignia on the upper right arm, the same Moon and Bat symbol as was on the seal. He couldn’t make out the words on the banner above, but he was certain they said Luna Nocturne.

The fuck is going on? VIB picked him up….but what the fuck is this shit?

Colin went through his pockets and then the box of his locker things; he couldn’t find his jump drive. He gave one hard look at the image, letting it burn into his brain.


It was well after midnight; Colin was sipping a second beer and eating the remainder of Chinese take-out leftovers at his desk. His eyes were glued to the computer screen; dozens of military related WebPages were opened or minimized on his desktop. He had been hunting for several hours, trying to find something about this thing called Luna Nocturne.

He had already burned through law enforcement fairly quickly and with no Private Military Companies in the country, mercenaries were ruled out. It had to be military. But, there was absolutely nothing. The closest he had come was an old Nightfighter squadron called Black Moon, but beyond that, nothing.

Colin leaned back, cracking his back. He finished off the fried rice and tossed the carton into the trash. He stared at the desktop, tapping his foot. Nothing came to mind, not even a vague recollection.

Colin looked at the envelope, there was something odd going on, he was sure of it.