Chapter 52

Contagion

"Clear" An EMT yelled out as an old bearded man is strechered through the doors of an emergency room "We got a middle aged man with massive bleeding, it looks like he was bitten by something."

"Bitten?" A doctor asked as he inspected the gaping wound on his neck "Jesus… this is like the eigth one this week, where did you find him?"

"In some alleyway." The EMT reported

"Okay…" the doctor began with a sense of urgency in his voice "Lets get him to the ER."

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"Tragedy has struck Seattle tonight, as the world headquarters for Mandrake Pharmaceuticals stands in flames. The blaze began at sometime after midnight, and has been burning well into the early hours. As yet no statement has been released offering an explanation to this disaster. The blaze comes only days after the tragic death of Senator William Cain, the brother of Mandrake Pharmaceuticals CEO and Chairman Robert Cain. Although there is no indication that the two incidents are connected, as of yet. It is believed that…"

The TV clicked off as Malachi lay back in his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He felt the petit form of his paramour stirring next to him "Sounds like Casper makes quick work." She spoke wearily as she rested her head on her lovers arm. "You think the Chairman's dead?"

"He is" Malachi nodded "Casper checked in earlier. Now the Lycans have no allies… no where to hide."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're about to go and wage a war… again." She pouted

"Because that's what we do angel." He told her plainly

"I don't want you to." She smiled sweetly

He looked down at her beautiful form, her sapphire blue eyes illuminating the otherwise darkened room, he allowed himself to smile at her relaxed manner and pulled her supple body close to his, dressed only in a thin negligee she wrapped his arms around herself for warmth "Maybe I'll let Cas deal with this one then."

"No you won't." She grinned "You always have to be involved."

"No I mean it…" he smiled "…I reckon it's about time Casper earned his paycheck."

Her curiosity tweaked Nina rolled over so she could face him "And what would you do instead?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know" he shrugged "I suppose I'll do what all the other old men in this country do… I'll learn to play golf."

"Golf?" She laughed "I can't imagine you swapping your walking cane for a nine iron. You can't play golf all the time though, what else would you do?"

"Who knows" he laughed to himself "We could do what other old couples do, go on a cruise or something."

"A night time cruise I hope?" she grinned "Besides… I am not old… I'm not even fifty yet."

"That's a good point." He conceded "I suppose I'll have to think of something else to do."

"When you're not playing golf?" She giggled

"When I'm not playing golf." A nodded, Malachi paused for a moment to gaze at the Princess he held in his arms "You are so beautiful when you laugh. You don't laugh enough anymore."

"That's because I'm always worried about you." She told him delivering a playful slap to his arm "Ever since I got you back it's just been one drama after another. We weren't even in the same state for the first six months… what with being kidnapped by Lycans and all."

"Yeah but these six months have been alright haven't they?"

"Four months Malachi." She corrected him "Four months, two weeks and five days. And in that time we've gone to war with the Lycans, Mandrake, Selene, Viktor and half our coven."

"Fair point." He nodded "But like I said… I'm gonna be here a lot more now, I'm going to leave the Lycans to Cas, and as soon as Amelia and I bag this Hybrid, I'm all yours."

"Promise." She asked with wide innocent eyes

"I promise." He nodded "It's about time me and you started to enjoy eternity."

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"Well we've got him stabilized but I still don't know what's wrong with him." A doctor told his staff "Put him with the others, and keep a close eye on him."

"Yes doctor." An orderly nodded as he wheeled the old bearded man along a ward, "All these people with the same illness and you've got no idea what's wrong with them?"

"None whatsoever" The doctor answered as the orderly wheeled the patient into place.

As the two were about to leave the room, they were stopped by the sound of a patient sitting bolt upright in his bed, he let out a cry of pain. "Are you alright?" The doctor asked the young Asian man who was screaming before him "Help me restrain him." He told the orderly, as the two struggled to sedate him, the mans eyes turned an alarming shade of green, his muscles tensed and his teeth elongated into razor sharp fangs. "What the fuck." The Orderly muttered, the man swung an arm causing the doctor to fly across the room, grabbing the orderly by his collar he pulled him in close and sank his fangs into his neck, as the orderly lay bleeding on the floor the patient leapt from his bed and exited the ward.

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Nina fixed an earring as she waited for Malachi to come out of the shower, she paced up and down her chambers, occasionally clapping her hands together, "My Lord!" A voice called from the other side of the door, "My Lord!" It called again this time accompanied by the sound of heavy knocking.

"Shit" Nina sighed, as she quickly buttoned up her blouse and opened the door "What is the emergency?" She asked the Death Dealer who stood there to greet her.

"I need to speak with Lord Malachi." The Death Dealer answered her

"He's busy" Nina told him "You may talk to me."

"I'm sorry Princess" He bowed "But I have strict orders."

"What's going on" a hastily dressed Malachi demanded as he came out of the shower,

"Amelia needs to see you… right now." He told him

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"What's the problem?" Malachi asked as he entered Amelia's chambers

"You should knock before entering a room Malachi." Amelia told him firmly

"If you wanted to see me you should have called me. What's with the armed escort?" He asked, pointing to the Death Dealer that had followed him in.

"I wanted to make sure you came straight here." She answered with a slight grin "There has been an incident, several actually."

"What sort of incidents?"

"A series of bites, that has lead to a mysterious sickness, resulting in violence ."

"Bites?" Malachi asked "Lycans?"

"No" Amelia answered him simply

"Vampires?" He asked with a raised eyebrow

"Definitely not." Amelia snapped at him

"Then what could it…" He suddenly stopped himself as his eyes widened "What hospital?" He asked her nervously.

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The automatic doors to the emergency room slid open as Malachi entered the hospital, his full length leather over coat was buttoned all the way up, clutching his cane he had struggled to prevent his eyes turning their vampiric green, there were ripples of unrest as the gothic warrior entered the emergency room, not least due to the men following him, over each shoulder stood a column of Death Dealers, six in each line. As Malachi came to a stop in the hospitals reception, so to did the Death Dealers stand to attention, the sound of their combat boots coming to a halt causing onlookers to jump out of their skins. "I'm here about your bite victims!" Malachi called out "Who do I need to talk to."

"That would be me." A doctor nervously stepped forward "And you are?"

"Malachi Davenport" He answered politely "These men and I have come to assist you with your problem."

"Thank you" The doctor told him "But who exactly sent you. The government?"

"Err… yeah" Malachi answered "That sounds about right, now take us to them."

"Okay this way." The doctor answered, as Malachi followed the doctor the Death Dealers again followed him, the doctor seemed somewhat unnerved by the twelve uniformed men marching in formation behind this mysterious visitor "Mr. Davenport if you don't mind me asking do you have much experience with unknown infectious diseases?"

"Oh yeah" Malachi answered him "I've had loads of experience."

"Really?" The doctor questioned him "What are you like twenty?"

Malachi paused for a moment "I've aged well" he grinned "Is this it?"

"Um… yes" the doctor answered as he opened the door to a ward "Eight cases all in the last week, patient number two is the only one to have regained consciousness."

"Patient number two?" Malachi asked him "Was he the one who bit your orderly?"

"Yes Sir." The Doctor responded

"I'm going to need to see him."

"Of course"

Malachi walked over to one of the patients who was laying unconscious before him, peeling back the dressing on his jugular he inspected the bite, "looks like a combination of Lycan and Vampire fangs" he whispered to himself. "Okay, let's see how dangerous this is." Malachi told his Death Dealers, resulting in two of them stepping forward and producing Uzi's from their jackets.

"Whoa… what's going on?" The doctor asked as he was restrained by a Death Dealer.

Malachi bore his fangs, and brought his wrist to his mouth, slicing open his arm he allowed the blood to trickle down into the patient's mouth. For a few seconds there was nothing, until the mans eyes opened, his blue eyes suddenly turned a shade of green, then jet black and then back to green. "Shit." Malachi spat as the man began to convulse, the first change to occur within the man took place in his hands, his fingers transforming themselves into razor sharp claws. Malachi jumped back as the writhing mans skin turned a leathery black "Fire" Malachi calmly instructed his Death Dealers, as the muzzles of their weapons exploded into gunfire, the creature was forced back against a wall, before lunging at his attackers. However before he could get to them, there comrades stepped in, as four men pounced on the creature another fired a pistol at any part of his body that was still visible. The creature would not stop struggling, it even managed to shake off a few of the Death Dealers only to have their comrade's taken their place. Fearing the situation was spiraling out of control, Malachi twisted the ornamental handle of his cane to unsheathe his silver blade, as he stood, weapon poised over his foe he suddenly reconsidered his actions, looking down at his blade he sheathed it, turning to his Death Dealers he asked "Did anyone bring a bigger sword?"

"My Lord" A Death Dealer answered as he produced a broadsword from his coat.

"Ah yes." Malachi grinned as he took the blade "That should do it. Move."

His Death Dealers scurried away allowing the creature to pounce to his feet with a vicious roar, only to be met with the kiss of cold European steel. As the body and head of the creature fell to the ground Malachi turned his head slightly, so as to look at the Death Dealers, and the doctor "Isolate this ward… and lock the doors, as of now this hospital is under quarantine… a total lockdown."

"Yes Sir." A Death Dealer nodded.

Malachi took a deep breath and reached for his cell phone "The hybrid was responsible for these attacks." He told the voice on the other end "And we have another problem… It's contagious."