Vampsdread 2
The tall man looked inside his black leather trenchcoat, quickly examining the weaponry within. Around his trim waist he wore a belt containing a trio of stakes, and two Desert Eagles in a western style cross-draw holster. A 590 Mossberg shotgun hung in a sheath on the inside left of his jacket, while on the right side hung a gleaming Katana. Satisfied that everything was in place, he pulled his cross over his neck, checked his sleeves and set off out of the dingy hotel he was staying in, his blood already pounding with the thrill of the hunt.
Standing six feet tall, the man was dressed entirely in black and even his long, flapping trenchcoat could not hide his muscular physique, muscles that although large didn't hinder his movement but enhanced it, giving him an almost predatory grace. His face was drawn as if he had seen and had done terrible things, things that still haunted him. His most striking feature was the eye-patch covering his left eye. Yet despite his disability it seemed as if the man's remaining brown eye missed nothing, containing as it did a bitter, angry watchfulness.
The entire look resulted in a man that few ignored. Some were repulsed or frightened by him, others were attracted to the air of command and danger that surrounded him. To the man it made no difference - he ignored all onlookers as unimportant.
Finally he stopped outside a boarding house and rummaged in his outer pockets. After reading the note he screwed it up and threw it in a near-by trash can. Turning, the man entered the darkened alleyway beside the boarding house.
Within seconds he was accosted by two burly six footers. "This place is exclusive see," growled one of them, a cockney that uncomfortably reminded the man of a long-dead associate. "You're not welcome."
The man smiled crookedly, vampire bouncer - good a warm-up before the main event. "Aw but I'm welcome everywhere. A party's not a party without me," his smile slipped. "Even if I have to make my own welcome."
Suddenly the man sprang into action. Stepping forward rapidly, he slammed a pair of thudding rights into the cockney's face before turning his attention to the other vampire. Ducking under an overhand right, he smashed a left into the vamp's stomach before flicking his right wrist to produce a stake from up his sleeve. He shoved the stake at the vampire's heart only for his wrist to be grabbed just inches from its target. Thinking quickly, he drove a knee into his rival's groin, his hand free again he plunged the stake into his adversary's heart.
Even before the vampire had exploded into dust, he'd spun round to face the cockney. Smoothly side-stepping a lunge, he stuck a foot into the creature's path, sending him falling face-first into the wall. Before the stunned vampire had chance to recover, he'd grabbed him, spun him round and staked him. "Uh," the man muttered as he coolly surveyed the two dustpiles lying on the ground, "and the fuss the Slayers made about vampires."
After taking a second to focus he moved towards his destination. Six weeks ago word had reached him of an operation buying or kidnapping human girls aged 14 - 20 to use in a demon brothel. Apparently any demon with enough cash could buy a girl for a night and use her in whatever way he wanted. With certain demonic perversions and anatomical differences, the girls didn't last long. But there were always new girls who wouldn't be missed. It had taken him time to track the operation down, but tonight, tonight it ended.
* * *
In all her twelve years, Marie had never been as scared as she was now. Not even when she'd first been kidnapped two weeks ago. She stared up at the snarling green running its scaly paw down her left cheek, choking back a sob as its forked tongue flicked out and licked at her face.
The creature pulled away and nodded at her master, a small fat man who ran the place she was now in. "She's very pretty. No one's used her before?" the creature's voice was a hissing lisp.
The man shook his head; for once her master shared her look of fear. "No sir, she's been disciplined. But not taken, no."
Marie felt her pounding heart thump even faster when the creature turned back towards her, his mouth twisted in a sick parody of a smile; she thought about begging but instinctively knew it wouldn't do any good. Finally the beast nodded slowly, reaching into his pocket and passed a thick was of notes over to her captor. "I'm very happy. I'll take her."
"No you won't."
Marie tore her eyes away from the monster and towards the voice. In the doorway stood a tall man. His clothes were blood-splattered and his one eye was colder than ice but she just knew that this man was a hero like those in the pulp books her daddy read.
In one smooth motion the man brought up the gun in his hand and fired twice, its booming report causing her ears to ring. The green monster's face exploded like an over-ripe pumpkin and his headless body fell to the floor where it lay jerking spasmodically. The man moved lightning-fast, covering the long drawing room in a few long strides. Grabbing her kidnapper around the throat, the man slammed him into the wall.
Her owner's face paled. "I have money, lots of money," he gasped.
The man smiled and cocked his head to the side, as if considering the offer. "Guess what?" he paused. "Don't care." The man thrust a knife into her master's groin and dragged it upwards to his lower belly, causing blood to spew out, before pulling his weapon out and letting the body fall to the ground.
The man turned towards her smiling a goofy smile that Marie knew meant that despite the violence she'd just seen meant she could trust him. Her rescuer crouched down until he was eye to eye with her. "Hi beautiful," his voice was kind and gentle, belying his brutality just seconds ago. "You look like a little girl I once knew. What's your name?"
"Marie, are you going to take me home?" she asked timidly.
"That's the plan." The man offered her his hand. After a second she hesitantly took it. "Marie, I've got to take some other girls to the police but once I've done that, how about I take you back to your parents?" Her rescuer chuckled at her enthusiastic nodding. "Let's go then."
"P..please don't leave me."
Her saviour turned towards her kidnapper, his eyes suddenly cold again. "Until I heard about you I didn't think it was possible to get lower than kiddie porn, but congratulations you managed it. How many girls Brandon? Your establishment has been open five years, must be quite a turnover." The man turned towards her, "Marie sweetie, could you leave the room and close the door behind you?" She nodded and walked out. As she closed the door she heard a series of gunshots. Seconds later, the man appeared and scooped her up into his arms.
The next few hours were a blur. She remembered the sobs of gratitude and dazed expressions on the faces of the girls she'd met that very night as the man had patiently herded them into the back of his van and dropped them at a near-by police station. She remembered being gently lifted from the van's front seat and carried to the front door of the home she'd thought she'd never see again, feeling safer in the stranger's arms than she'd ever felt before. She remembered her mother's tears and her father's look of stunned glee as the man had passed her over to them, explaining he was an agent with the FBI. He'd shown them a card and everything, but it was a lie, she'd never seen a policeman act like that on TV.
And she remembered pulling away from her mother's embrace to hug her hero goodbye. Remembered him ruffling her hair and telling her to be a good girl for her parents before kissing her on the forehead and disappearing into the night, never to be seen again.
* * *
Vampsdread wiped away the tears running from his remaining eye. He didn't usually get so involved in his cases, had never done anything except dump any survivors on the relevant authorities, but Marie had reminded him so much of a little girl he'd once baby-sat and protected, he'd wanted to spend a little extra time with her. His hands shaking, he pulled away from the kerb. Alone again, no joy but no pain either.
* * *
"Heard the news Mr. Crook? Seven girls rescued from a slavery ring just forty miles from here. Reckon the ring has killed nearly two hundred girls. I say gas the bastards!"
"Too painless," he replied automatically to the desk clerk as he signed in. Already he was planning his next mission; he'd heard rumours about a trio of street kids running a hunting operation in Memphis. He'd go down, run a recon, check there wasn't a Slayer in the town and that the hunters weren't indiscriminate, before offering his training.
His mind still going over his options, his usually keen senses failed to register the uninvited guest in his hotel room until she spoke. "Hi Xand, long time no see. So is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?"
The tall man looked inside his black leather trenchcoat, quickly examining the weaponry within. Around his trim waist he wore a belt containing a trio of stakes, and two Desert Eagles in a western style cross-draw holster. A 590 Mossberg shotgun hung in a sheath on the inside left of his jacket, while on the right side hung a gleaming Katana. Satisfied that everything was in place, he pulled his cross over his neck, checked his sleeves and set off out of the dingy hotel he was staying in, his blood already pounding with the thrill of the hunt.
Standing six feet tall, the man was dressed entirely in black and even his long, flapping trenchcoat could not hide his muscular physique, muscles that although large didn't hinder his movement but enhanced it, giving him an almost predatory grace. His face was drawn as if he had seen and had done terrible things, things that still haunted him. His most striking feature was the eye-patch covering his left eye. Yet despite his disability it seemed as if the man's remaining brown eye missed nothing, containing as it did a bitter, angry watchfulness.
The entire look resulted in a man that few ignored. Some were repulsed or frightened by him, others were attracted to the air of command and danger that surrounded him. To the man it made no difference - he ignored all onlookers as unimportant.
Finally he stopped outside a boarding house and rummaged in his outer pockets. After reading the note he screwed it up and threw it in a near-by trash can. Turning, the man entered the darkened alleyway beside the boarding house.
Within seconds he was accosted by two burly six footers. "This place is exclusive see," growled one of them, a cockney that uncomfortably reminded the man of a long-dead associate. "You're not welcome."
The man smiled crookedly, vampire bouncer - good a warm-up before the main event. "Aw but I'm welcome everywhere. A party's not a party without me," his smile slipped. "Even if I have to make my own welcome."
Suddenly the man sprang into action. Stepping forward rapidly, he slammed a pair of thudding rights into the cockney's face before turning his attention to the other vampire. Ducking under an overhand right, he smashed a left into the vamp's stomach before flicking his right wrist to produce a stake from up his sleeve. He shoved the stake at the vampire's heart only for his wrist to be grabbed just inches from its target. Thinking quickly, he drove a knee into his rival's groin, his hand free again he plunged the stake into his adversary's heart.
Even before the vampire had exploded into dust, he'd spun round to face the cockney. Smoothly side-stepping a lunge, he stuck a foot into the creature's path, sending him falling face-first into the wall. Before the stunned vampire had chance to recover, he'd grabbed him, spun him round and staked him. "Uh," the man muttered as he coolly surveyed the two dustpiles lying on the ground, "and the fuss the Slayers made about vampires."
After taking a second to focus he moved towards his destination. Six weeks ago word had reached him of an operation buying or kidnapping human girls aged 14 - 20 to use in a demon brothel. Apparently any demon with enough cash could buy a girl for a night and use her in whatever way he wanted. With certain demonic perversions and anatomical differences, the girls didn't last long. But there were always new girls who wouldn't be missed. It had taken him time to track the operation down, but tonight, tonight it ended.
* * *
In all her twelve years, Marie had never been as scared as she was now. Not even when she'd first been kidnapped two weeks ago. She stared up at the snarling green running its scaly paw down her left cheek, choking back a sob as its forked tongue flicked out and licked at her face.
The creature pulled away and nodded at her master, a small fat man who ran the place she was now in. "She's very pretty. No one's used her before?" the creature's voice was a hissing lisp.
The man shook his head; for once her master shared her look of fear. "No sir, she's been disciplined. But not taken, no."
Marie felt her pounding heart thump even faster when the creature turned back towards her, his mouth twisted in a sick parody of a smile; she thought about begging but instinctively knew it wouldn't do any good. Finally the beast nodded slowly, reaching into his pocket and passed a thick was of notes over to her captor. "I'm very happy. I'll take her."
"No you won't."
Marie tore her eyes away from the monster and towards the voice. In the doorway stood a tall man. His clothes were blood-splattered and his one eye was colder than ice but she just knew that this man was a hero like those in the pulp books her daddy read.
In one smooth motion the man brought up the gun in his hand and fired twice, its booming report causing her ears to ring. The green monster's face exploded like an over-ripe pumpkin and his headless body fell to the floor where it lay jerking spasmodically. The man moved lightning-fast, covering the long drawing room in a few long strides. Grabbing her kidnapper around the throat, the man slammed him into the wall.
Her owner's face paled. "I have money, lots of money," he gasped.
The man smiled and cocked his head to the side, as if considering the offer. "Guess what?" he paused. "Don't care." The man thrust a knife into her master's groin and dragged it upwards to his lower belly, causing blood to spew out, before pulling his weapon out and letting the body fall to the ground.
The man turned towards her smiling a goofy smile that Marie knew meant that despite the violence she'd just seen meant she could trust him. Her rescuer crouched down until he was eye to eye with her. "Hi beautiful," his voice was kind and gentle, belying his brutality just seconds ago. "You look like a little girl I once knew. What's your name?"
"Marie, are you going to take me home?" she asked timidly.
"That's the plan." The man offered her his hand. After a second she hesitantly took it. "Marie, I've got to take some other girls to the police but once I've done that, how about I take you back to your parents?" Her rescuer chuckled at her enthusiastic nodding. "Let's go then."
"P..please don't leave me."
Her saviour turned towards her kidnapper, his eyes suddenly cold again. "Until I heard about you I didn't think it was possible to get lower than kiddie porn, but congratulations you managed it. How many girls Brandon? Your establishment has been open five years, must be quite a turnover." The man turned towards her, "Marie sweetie, could you leave the room and close the door behind you?" She nodded and walked out. As she closed the door she heard a series of gunshots. Seconds later, the man appeared and scooped her up into his arms.
The next few hours were a blur. She remembered the sobs of gratitude and dazed expressions on the faces of the girls she'd met that very night as the man had patiently herded them into the back of his van and dropped them at a near-by police station. She remembered being gently lifted from the van's front seat and carried to the front door of the home she'd thought she'd never see again, feeling safer in the stranger's arms than she'd ever felt before. She remembered her mother's tears and her father's look of stunned glee as the man had passed her over to them, explaining he was an agent with the FBI. He'd shown them a card and everything, but it was a lie, she'd never seen a policeman act like that on TV.
And she remembered pulling away from her mother's embrace to hug her hero goodbye. Remembered him ruffling her hair and telling her to be a good girl for her parents before kissing her on the forehead and disappearing into the night, never to be seen again.
* * *
Vampsdread wiped away the tears running from his remaining eye. He didn't usually get so involved in his cases, had never done anything except dump any survivors on the relevant authorities, but Marie had reminded him so much of a little girl he'd once baby-sat and protected, he'd wanted to spend a little extra time with her. His hands shaking, he pulled away from the kerb. Alone again, no joy but no pain either.
* * *
"Heard the news Mr. Crook? Seven girls rescued from a slavery ring just forty miles from here. Reckon the ring has killed nearly two hundred girls. I say gas the bastards!"
"Too painless," he replied automatically to the desk clerk as he signed in. Already he was planning his next mission; he'd heard rumours about a trio of street kids running a hunting operation in Memphis. He'd go down, run a recon, check there wasn't a Slayer in the town and that the hunters weren't indiscriminate, before offering his training.
His mind still going over his options, his usually keen senses failed to register the uninvited guest in his hotel room until she spoke. "Hi Xand, long time no see. So is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?"