I've had this one kicking about for a while as i debated whether to post it. I personally don't think it's that good but it might strike a chord with someone out there. It's Blood Pack pre-Blade 2 (I don't think there are enough stories set then). Only one chapter long but it's quite a long one. Enjoy, Skaye.
A cold rain fell in the great sluggish river and rooftops of Budapest turning them to gleaming black masses like the backs of immense beetles under the amber lights. Among these sleek boxes walked a woman in a long black coat that glistened with rain. The face rimmed by her shiny red hair was youthful yet severe, pouting with indignation at the weather and the hands stuffed into her coat pockets toyed with slim silver knives. Hunting was the only thing worth venturing out for on a night like this and even that was quickly proving futile. A man's voice crackled over her ear-piece just as she stopped to comb the water from her hair.
"Verlaine, give your position and report."
Verlaine sighed and flicked the switch of the throat mike to on.
"I'm just up Belgrad Rakpart coming onto Erzsebet Hid by the waterfront. No action out here whatsoeverand I'm soaked to the skin."
"No noise from the others either," came the unsympathetic reply from her team-mate, Asad, "Rendezvous with Lighthammer and Priest at the intersection of Arany Janos and Nador as soon as possible."
"Roger," she muttered shoving her hands back into the coat pockets again and slitting the tip of her finger on one of her prize knives. It healed practically instantly but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell. Silver blades were dangerous things for someone like her, any vampire really,to use. Sucking her finger until it stopped bleeding, she rounded the corner of the intersection and saw the other two waiting. Her immense muscle-bound Lighthammer looking hopelessly but defiantlyout of place armed to the teeth with tattoos covering the lower half of his face and tall, lanky Priest who raised his eyebrows and folded his arms at her, wetreddish curls of hair partly obscuring his vision.
"Nothing by the waterfront?" Priest questioned her as soon as she was within earshot.
She walked to Lighthammer and stood with him as she replied,
"Silent as a grave. A few drunk guys coming across the bridge and the odd tramp asleep in a doorway but other than that it was all rain and Asad 'reassessing the situation' every three minutes."
"The rod up that man's arse has a rod up it's arse, I swear," Priest muttered, "Reckon I'm just going to go along withReinhardt and switch off my com link and say it's a tech fault."
Lighthammer laughed a little bitterly.
"Nyssa'll have your head."
"Bitch doesn't scare me, she's just Damaskinos' little princess. Doesn't belong in a squad of big men like us."
"Perhaps not but I have been placed in command nonetheless," came the voice from behind him. Nyssa stood coolly reloading her berettas and looking completely unconcerned about the weather. "And Priest? That 'tech fault' excuse nearly got Snowman killed 7 months ago. You remember? Rome. Werewolves. A call for back up that went unheard. Don't even think about it or you'll be lucky if it's just your head I'll have."
Priest scowled but was silent.Reinhardt and Chupa came into sight swaggering across the street, their guns and clips in full view. Asad and Snowman joined them last and the squad was reunited.
"It seems Budapest is clear." Asad said. "We've seen neither sight nor sign of the Daywalker and there are none of the usual signs that he's even been here."
Nyssa shook her head.
"There was some sign. This place is very low on other vampires. For a city this size that's most abnormal."
"So what?"Reinhardt scoffed, "Makes our job that much easier without all them new bloods scurrying in the way. Pah. Wannabes."
"Nyssa's right," replied Asad deliberately ignoring Reinhardt's comment. "I say we track down the largest coven in the area and find out what's going on."
"So now we're the fucking vampire social workers?" askedReinhardt nettled by Asad's indifference.
"We're getting nowhere with simply patrolling," Nyssa put in, "It's in our orders to track down the Daywalker no matter what it takes. If we have to resort to manipulating the human Intelligence to find him then we will."
She was dead-set on her mission, the others could see this. It was going to be a long night. Priest snorted.
"Human Intelligence. Now there's a pretty contradiction in terms for you."
Ignoring this, they all set off, eight pairs of metal plated boots slamming the concrete pavements of the Hungarian capital, eight pairs of smooth immortal hands locked around weapons ready to kill any quarry that presented itself.
The nearest coven house of any great size lay on a broad boulevard, a vast dark house with every Gothic architectural cliché imaginable carved onto its sandstone façade. Through grotesque stained glass windows candle light glowed and gargoyles leered from every flat surface. It was unmistakably a vampire coven house. Security cameras watched them from all angles from the moment they neared the gate. Not being one to waste any time on pleasantries,Reinhardt marched up to the great studded oak door and banged on it with his fist. The others reluctantly followed and stood before it, weapons at the ready. A fellow vampire could easily be as much of a threat as an enemy if identities got confused. The door opened and a tall, heavy man with sleek blonde hair and a deep purple velvet suit looked them all over. A mortal familiar. He wrinkled his nose taking in their wet garments and unfriendly expressions. And the sheer size of Lighthammer, Chupa and Reinhardt.
"Jo ejszakat?"
Reinhardtsnorted and said,
"Well that's a hell of a thing. Who would have thought the Hungarian familiars would speak only Hungarian? Imagine my surprise..."
Nyssa rolled her eyes and asked the others,
"Do any of you speak Hungarian?"
The answer seemed to be a unanimous no. Lighthammer spoke up.
"I know a little."
He stepped up to the door and said in flawless Hungarian,
"Nem ertem Magyar, beszel Angolul?"
The man smirked and nodded.
"Igen. I speak English. You wish to speak to my master here? Please enter"
The Blood Pack collectively glowered.
"You understood what we were saying?" asked Reinhardt, clenching his fists. "Then why didn't you speak up before, shit head?"
The man suppressed laughter.
"In my position, mien Herr, would you?"
In answer, the man got his first punch to the jaw by a large immortal wearing steel knuckle-dusters.
"Hope you bleed all over that stupid suit," he muttered following the others inside.
The interior of the house followed the same pattern as the outside, anything that could be carved, patterned, covered in velvet or embroidered was. They made their way to an immense elaborate ballroom where most of the coven lounged about dressed in velvet or drank delicately warmed blood from high crystal glasses. Someone played the Waldstein Sonata on a grand piano in the corner. The Blood Pack with their weapons and dripping hair lwere out of place and unwelcome. It nettled each of them that this decadent party was the sole occupation of the upper class of their species. The master of the coven was an immense fat man with dark curls of hair and an expression that implied a lot of smugness and not much intelligence. He greeted them like a king greeting old friends to his court. Bustling up to them swathed in green velvet with a little blood around his lips, he shook the hand of a rather bemused Asad and attempted to kiss Nyssa on both cheeks. She poked the end of one beratta into his ribs.
"We need to speak to you about the disappearance of vampires in this area recently. Your co-operation with our investigation would be appreciated more than your cordiality."
A shrewd expression came into the fat vampire's face and for the first time he showed signs of intelligence. Ushering them over to seats, his eyes wandered over them disbelievingly.
"You are Damaskinos' famed 'Secret Police' I assume. The Blood Pack. We have only heard stories and rumours of you, the greatest mercenaries from the ranks of the Children of the Night chosen by Damaskinos to fight our deadliest enemy. It is an honour to welcome you to my home. Please call me Esteban."
Nyssa nodded and the others looked faintly proud. They had a reputation already. And not a bad one apparently.
"As Nyssa has said, Herr Esteban, it is your help rather than your hospitalityLord Damaskinos would value at this moment," Asad replied rather curtly.
"The rest of us wouldn't mind a bit of both, pal,"Reinhardt grunted
Nyssa glared at him but raised no objection as Esteban summoned towels, glasses of blood and attendants for them. They moved to a smaller parlour and took up more comfortable positions, slouched over chairs and sofas and, in Verlaine's case, over Lighthammer's broad shoulders.
"Now," Nyssa began when they were all comfortable, "What can you tell us about action in the area over the last two weeks?"
"My coven have lost none but another coven master in the city, Julian, has had a blood bank decimated and all those inside vanished without a trace even the humans."
"Without a trace?" said Nyssa.
"Not entirely without a trace, there was blood everywhere."
"Sounds fairly normal for a blood bank to me."Reinhardt cut in.
"By 'everywhere' I mean all over the walls, the floor, the few corpses left and their discarded possessions."
"And the security cameras?" Nyssa asked.
"Not yet retrieved. Understand it's not my property that's been destroyed and they're a little wary of sending men in there or so Julian tells me."
"Is that all you can tell us?"
"Complete destruction and apparent disappearance of everyone inside. I regret that is the extent of my knowledge although I would be pleased to have you all stay for a while. There are only a couple of hours until sunrise."
"Your offer is appreciated but we can easily make it back to our base by that time and we wouldn't wish to intrude," she replied coldly, motioning for the others to stand. They followed her regretfully out into the chill rain and back to the streets.
"He was lying," Asad said instantly, "that was far from the extent of his knowledge."
"I know that," Nyssa replied, "he may not have been aware that we knew but he was certainly willing to try and get a price for the information and we have no time to deal with him."
"I didn't like that servant of his," muttered Reinhardt, hands shoved into pockets and scowling.
"I don't think he was over-fond of you either, Reindeer, although you gave him a pretty bruise to remember you by," Priest said ducking the return blow thatReinhardt aimed at him. Snowman followed silently, deep in thought. He held in his hand a camera no bigger than a matchbox on which were many pictures of the interior of the building along with it's inhabitants. It never hurt to have a little extra information. Verlaine and Lighthammer walked slower behind talking and thinking about their mission.
"I don't like him. Esteban I mean. And I don't like this, patrolling still with only two hours until sun-up and the base 20 minutes away." She spoke, as usual, in Czech. Lighthammer replied in a neutral mutter, swinging his immense hammer over his left shoulder like a baseball bat.
"Nyssa and Asad know what they're doing. We must trust their judgement for what it's worth."
"If the Daywalker is involved you know as well as I that our esteemed leader has a tendency to get carried away."
"It is as I said then, we will be fine."
Verlaine stared at him. "I don't follow, mien leibe."
"I said we'll be fine because this is nothing to do with the Daywalker."
"How do you know that?"
"Whoever committed this massacre left humans dead as well as vampires."
"Familiars perhaps."
"Esteban said whoever it was killed everyone inside. That means familiars and onlookers. Correct me if I'm wrong, Verlaine, but isn't the Daywalker's self-appointed mission to spare their worthless lives? And doesn't he usually leave corpses and ashes behind? If our informant is to be believed there wasbarely a trace except blood left afterward."
She gripped his hand. "I fail to see how that helps us at all. One menace to our kind is much the same as another."
"You may be right, leibchein, but it is all we can do to hope."
She clicked her tongue and shook her head, "I never thought I'd hear the day I heard you talk about hope."
"If we take down the Daywalker, we'll be free of this contract with Damaskinos. We may be able to choose our own fights and hunt alone again."
"I admire your optimism."
They stopped outside a large industrial building roughly converted into a blood bank of questionable cleanliness. It was locked up and sectioned off by police tape. This presented no barrier to the pack who stepped into the blood-stained corridors twenty seconds and three hammer blows later. Nyssa divided them up into four teams of two, one team to each section of the building. She walked off with Asad towards the labs in the left wing, Snowman and Priest headed for the staff areas, Lighthammer and Verlaine took the surgical rooms andReinhardt and Chupa were left with the security and reception area to the right. Very conscious that there was only a little less than two hours until daylight, Nyssa ordered them all to be brief but thorough and keep in contact.
There was, as they had been told, much blood on the walls and floors and one or two barely recognisable corpses. Furniture had been overturned, windows smashed and even walls dented. Signs obviously of struggles. Unsuccessful struggles if the blood was to be believed. Other than that nothing notable except the security tapes which Rhinehart and Chupa retrieved. They left the building with less than half an hour to return to base, a twenty-minute walk. The sky was overcast so the danger wasn't so great but as with all vampires they instinctively fled the sunlight like humans flinch from fire. They ran the last half-mile making it back to the immense concrete compound with only a few minutes to spare.
These they spent disarming, Nyssa appointed watch shifts of three hours during daylight, she was to take the first with Snowman, Priest and Chupa the second, Lighthammer andReinhardt next and then Verlaine and Asad until sunset. The time between watches was their own although they mostly just slept through it. Nyssa herself went to report the progress of their mission to her father. Upon a gut instinct, she left the security tapes from the blood bank in her room and didn't mention it in her analysis. Where this sudden rebelliousimpulse came from, she couldn't say but concluded that what her father didn't know couldn't hurt him and reporting with more information when they actually had it might be more appreciated. His reaction was predictable, investigate the massacre, find the culprit and destroy them. A mere chore for the great Blood Pack, he said, and with his own daughter leading them, they could not fail. She thought she caught a slight look in his eyes and note in his voice akin to strain. Slight desperation. Was he worried about this? Did he suspect as she was beginning to that perhaps this wasn't just another hit by the Daywalker? The tapes would tell.
Lighthammer slept badly. He was never much of a sleeper at the best of times but tonight for some reason he felt especially uneasy. The destruction of the blood bank or their narrow escape from daylight perhaps were to blame. Verlaine slept easily at his side, their legs entwined, her arms thrown across his torso. Pushing her off him, he rose and dressed intending to spend the four hours until his shift at the firing range. Verlaine woke just as he opened the door and sat up.
"Restless, mien leibe?" she asked.
"Sleepless at least. I don't like this."
"What do you think of it all?" she asked, rising to stand with him.
"It wasn't the Daywalker, it was something worse. Something not so selective in its victims or predictable in its actions."
"Perhaps some other vampire hunting group?"
"No bullets. The only weapons mortals can effectively use against us are projectiles and there wasn't a single one. Also no ashes. The place had a strange smell but it wasn't ash."
"Rest, Lighthammer. You only have a few hours until your watch and you'll need strength."
"Verlaine, vampires can do without sleep almost ad infinitum. I think you only sleep out of habit."
"Humour me then, lie with me a little while I sleep please."
"This time could be better used on the firing range…" he began
"When we're this close to a confrontation, leibchein, what possible use is one more practice?"
"The more we train the better our odds of success…" he attempted again and was this time cut off by her kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He sighed, giving up and slipped his arms around her waist kissing her back so hard he almost pushed her over. They slept eventually.
Just before sunset that evening, Nyssa gathered them all together and they watched the security tape that showed exactly what happened as the pale, bald immaciated man went through the vampire surgeons and human security guards before tearing apart the whole building in his thirst for blood. It left them speechless. How could such a threat have arisen so quickly and unnoticed? It was untraceable and seemingly unstoppable. Asad turned to Nyssa and spoke,
"Does the lord Damaskinos know of this?"
She paused choosing her words carefully,
"I have not yet informed him that we have the tape in our possession. I…forgot to mention it last night."
He looked at her cynically.
"It is crucial that he knows everything about this investigation. Withholding information from him could get us all into a lot of trouble and doom our mission to failure."
By now the others had noticed them and looked round to watch the inevitable argument.
"I will inform him of it, do not think I want this mission to fail any more than you do, Asad. We have no way to find this thing but to patrol until we find more evidence of its presence. This is what we will do; divide into groups with com links active and scour the whole city if need be for this menace or any trace of it that could lead us to it."
"So pretty much same plan as last night only with a view to actually achieving something tonight?" saidReinhardt clearly unimpressed, "Well I think we should be able to manage that alright, cap. What I want to know is whatever happened to 'we're getting nowhere with simply patrolling'? Those were your exact words weren't they?"
Chupa sniggered and the others except Snowman smiled. Priest spoke, agreeing with Reinhardt,
"This is fast turning into a job for beat cops and boy scouts your high and mighty-ness."
She scowled.
"Regardless of your opinions, that is what you will do. Without a definite location to search or any leads willing to speak, this is the best idea we have. Form two groups of three plus one of two. Now split."
Reinhardtsighed with mock exasperation. He gestured to Chupa and Priest.
"Come on then, boys. Let's go play hide and seek with the mystery skinhead vampire slayer."
Nyssa teamed up with her second in command as usual and Snowman, Verlaine and Lighthammer formed the last team. They collectively armed, synced their communicators, sectioned up the city and marched out into the night.
Nyssa and Asad took North Buda including the park district, Reinhardt's group took South Buda from Alagut and across the river Snowman's group covered Pest. It was a long boring walk andReinhardt frequently grumbled that he wished they would meet some threat just to break up the monotony of houses, parks, shops and roads. The streets were still bustling in the early evening so they were forced to keep their weapons out of sight and speak of their mission only in the ancient vampire language, which they all knew close to instinstively although they frequently lapsed back into English or Czech.
It was Reinhardt's group that hit the first action in a side street off the waterfront. A skinny bald figure suddenly sprung on Chupa as he trailed behind the other two. The thing's nails scraped down his face and it was with difficulty he beat it off and yelled for them. They turned and opened fire without a second thought. Flawless marksmanship allowed them three hits to the creature's body before with an unearthly shriek it bolted from the alley out into the wide pavement of Bem Rakpart. They instantly gave chase hollering down their throat mikes for back up. Nyssa's voice replied instantly.
"What's your position and direction?"
"We're on the Rakpart and running our asses off approximately south towards the Szechenyi Lanchid. This fucker's pretty fast so I'd say we'll be on the bridge towards Pest in about another 3 minutes," yelled Reinhardt, his voice tripping over all the spikey Hungarian names.
"We're on our way, rendezvous at the bridge. Snowman, do you read? Meet at the bridge in 3. Come in, Snowman! Lighthammer! Anybody!"
Lighthammer's voice came through over their ear pieces. "We're on our way. Hang tight."
The chase to the bridge was frantic and futile, despite causing several cars to swerve to avoid collision and firing whole clips worth of ammo in full public viewReinhardt and his group lost the running creature in the crowd before the bridge even came into view. Meeting with the others at the bridge they reported their failure.
"It was impossible, that thing was faster than us and had the added advantage of being dressed exactly like a normal person. They could almost blend in if not for the complexion," Rhinehart panted.
"What do you mean?" Nyssa asked.
"I mean they had a colour that made Damaskinos look practically rosey. Dressed as some kind of police guy I think."
"And now they're loose in Budapest," finished Chupa kicking a stone over the edge of the bridge into the river.
"Was it the same creature that we saw on the tape?" asked Asad.
"Can't say, looked the same, bald and skinny with an unhealthy colour but I could have sworn the guy on the tape was taller. Better built too."
"We've done enough for tonight, I think," Asad began, "We've had a sighting, found out more about them and…"
"We still have at least six hours left until sunrise to resume the search and we are not going to waste them," Nyssa interrupted. The others sighed exceptReinhardt who uttered something more like a growl.
"If you think we're going back to combing the streets for bald freaks twice as fast and strong as us you've got another thing coming."
"I don't just think it, Reinhardt, I command it. We have a mission to complete and the longer we leave these things the further they'll spread. We are not giving up now."
Asad attempted to placate them both.
"Reinhardt, it is essential we find them, never forget your mission. Nyssa, there's little more we can do with the information we have. We must go back to Damaskinos, report what we found on the tape and think up a different strategy."
Nyssa set her teeth andReinhardt glowered but both went along with the suggestion and they returned to base before 2am stopping only briefly at the blood bank so Nyssa could collect blood samples. Unseen by the others, Snowman went about with his tiny camera photographing every splash of blood and corpse in the foyer and adjacent corridor. Even a stray cat who had been in the waiting room had been massacred. Seeing it, for the first time he feared what they were up against. Not that it made the slightest bit of difference, as he had been taught he would fight whatever enemy they encountered and defeat it or die trying. That was simply the way Snowman lived.
Reporting to Damaskinos was not easy, he had complete confidence in them and no mind for tactics or techniques. His constant assurance that his warriors could handle anything made him almost unable to tolerate failure.
"How could you, my own daughter, allow them to give in so easily? Retreat after one pathetic chase? I am disappointed in you."
Nyssa bowed her head and presented him with the security tape and blood samples.
"We did manage to retrieve these, father. I have not yet had time to analyse the blood but I believe that at least one sample must belong to that creature and from that I could hazard a guess as to what it is."
"Do it then. Get out of my sight and do not return until you have somethingworthwhile to report."
She left and spent the remaining hours of the night with their most prominent vampire and captive human scientists analysing every sample, comparing each to the others and their own. For the most part they were human, some vampire and one cat but shortly before dawn, a human scientist found a tiny sample that was none of those. Something entirely new. It was compared again to the other samples and Nyssa's own blood ran cold in her veins as she realised for the first time what they were up against.
She assembled her men and stood before Damaskinos to report her findings. Chupa and Reinhardt looked pissed off at being disturbed from their rest, Snowman stood calmly with his sword still strapped to his back and his hands by his sides. Priest leaned lazily against a pillar with his shades down, Asad stood to attention and Verlaine and Lighthammer simply waited side by side a little anxious about the impending news.
"The blood we've found is neither human nor vampire and from what we can gather is not that of the Daywalker either. Surprisingly though that is what it bears most resemblance to. Vampire blood altered somehow. Perhaps a mutation."
They were stunned. A vampire mutation.
"So far we can tell almost nothing else about it. The face appears on the tape to split at the jaw which, we assume, is how they feed. They are clearly stronger and faster than us and we can see no way with our current resources to defeat them. It gets worse, as with all vampires, the bite it administers transmits the virus. Any human or vampire it bites becomes like it. That's why there were no ashes and few corpses at the blood bank. They have been turned and are right now out there turning others. They will multiply and I believe they have the power to destroy us."
Damaskinos turned away from them hiding his face.
"I thought I told you to return when you had good news."
"In this situation, father, the fact that we have any news at all is good news. Knowledge isour greatestadvantage. What do you propose we do?"
He thought for many long minutes as the Blood Pack stood waiting. Finally he turned to them and said, "We obtain a new recruit. Someone who can defeat them."
They looked at one another each equally puzzled.
"It's clear to me. You, my Blood Pack, are the best the vampire race has to offer. This is why I chose you.But to defeat this particular foe we must look for outside help. We must look to the Daywalker."
I do love the Blood Pack. May write more if this story does well. Thanks for reading it, please leave your opinions as you leave. Skaye.
PS. Thanks for the pointers, Raven Silvers, I think I changed it accordingly. Thank you all for your reviews. Re - writing more, i'd be glad to if people will read it. No point otherwise.