Shaggy the Vampire
Chapter 14 – The Army
Days passed in the same tense manner: Daphne and Velma took turns keeping watch at the hospital (and arguing continuously with the medical staff about visiting hours) whilst researching all they could about the missing persons and their families. Scooby was looking after the apartment (which was now treated more like a hotel) cleaning and shopping whenever supplies got low. Meanwhile, Shaggy was spending all his time with Bridget; he'd returned to the forest at the first opportunity and warned her of the potential threat – then had spent a good hour trying to calm her down. It was all Shaggy could do to stop her from simply running to the hospital to grab James and just keep running.
The new vampire was doing well under Shaggy's training, taking control of her bloodlust and new abilities. Trying to retrace her steps, however, was proving difficult. Her first few days as a vampire were a complete blur, as Shaggy's still were, and retracing her path through the forest led them to the Coolsville Lake (a large body of water that came inland from the sea to pool between the city and the forest). As water washed away all scents, they had tried circling all the way round the mainland from the trees to the buildings but could find no trace so took to swimming across the lake and scouting the opposite bank for anything familiar. Finally, after much searching, Bridget spotted something she thought she recognised. "There…I think we hid there." It was a tiny inlet of water – just part of the bank, really, that went deeper than the rest – and was shadowed by higher ground hanging over it, creating half a cave. As they walked through, there was a faint but distinct smell of death and blood.
"Yeah. Like, it looks like you did. Let's see if we can find which way you came from." They found a scent along the outskirts of town and found themselves on its borders, overlooking a series of quarries. The town of Coolsville had previously been a large industry town in the olden days, with quarries and factories and mines so the surrounding land was filled with rough earth and abandoned buildings and underground channels. Bridget, being a tourist and not knowing the town history or landscape, simply viewed these places as wasteland. The gang had put research into this line of thought but gave up as there were numerous potential 'wastelands' around town and Shaggy had simply been told he'd need to go through them one by one.
So, the two vampires set out among the rough earth following the scent as best they could; it was days old and had been crossed over since by wandering animals and the odd hiker but it was still detectable. Finally, it grew stronger and then overpowering – more so than one vampire could produce. The two reached the edge of the largest, farthest quarry from town and looked down into it…and there, in its centre, was a horde of moving figures reeking of death.
"Bingo," smiled Shaggy. He looked over at Bridget, who appeared anxious. "You okay?"
"I could be there still…as could you. He wants us to join him. I could have lost James, I still could! And you could lose your friends. Daphne…Scooby…That girl with glasses you mentioned… He's down there and he's going to take it all away!"
"I know. But we're gonna stop him. We will! My friends and I have experience in dealing with the supernatural and solving mysteries and catching the bad guy."
"Yes, but I'll bet they weren't real monsters!"
"…Some of them were," Shaggy replied, thinking about the Witch's Ghost and Zombie Island amongst others.
"Okay, well, if you're the expert, what should we do next?"
"Well, uh… Try and get a closer look, I suppose? That's what the gang usually did. I never thought I'd be the one actually suggesting it – I always tried to hang back or run away on our mysteries."
"Well, why don't we? I mean, we're facing a vampire army and we could lose everyone we love – why not just grab them and run?"
"Because if we don't stop them…we'll lose everything, anyway. Like, he plans to take over the world, remember? What will happen to our loved ones then? …Come on."
The two cautiously descended into the quarry, alert for any sound or movement that might mean they'd been detected. They passed the odd loner now and then – sitting by themselves far out from the centre – who looked up as they heard the two passing but took no further notice; small groups appeared along certain levels who also paid little attention to the two, believing them to be just more soldiers; until they reached the largest group in the centre of the quarry pit. These were scattered around the pit in little clumps as were puddles of blood and the odd limb or pile of organs. "I take it this is where they feed," whispered Bridget, partially disgusted and partially hungry. Although the two were both horrified by what they were seeing, they couldn't quite silence their bloodlust. Here, among their own kind, they didn't have to pretend and their natural instincts were being steadily drawn out.
"Any sign of the leader?" Bridget asked. The two had a quick scan of the area but couldn't find anyone familiar.
"Guess he's not in," reasoned Shaggy.
"Yeah, probably out looking for more soldiers," snarked Bridget.
"Well, while he's out, let's see if we can convince some of these guys to rebel."
Back home, Velma had her face almost pinned to the computer screen, scrolling through pages of missing persons' reports from the local area. Scooby was attempting to use the coffee maker in order to give her a little caffeine (she'd been working virtually 24/7 since coming back, feeling guilty for deserting her friends and wanting to make up for it, and no amount of objecting or reasoning could convince her to take a break).
"Rhere rou go," Scoob said, carrying a tray over in his mouth with a coffee cup and a salad for her. "…Rhelma?"
"Oh, sorry, Scooby," the girl apologised, taking a grateful sip of coffee. "Hey, that's good stuff. Thanks!"
Just then, the phone rang. "Rhello?" asked Scooby. "Rhaphne! Rhelma? Rhere she is. It's Rhaphne," he announced, handing the phone over.
"Thanks, Scooby," smiled Velma. "Hey, Daph. How's it going?"
"Oh, alright. I'm down in the cafeteria – no phones allowed in the main hospital, of course, for the equipment. Like they really have an effect! Anyway, James is doing quite well. He's off nearly all the machines now but the heart monitor and they reckon he should wake up soon."
"Oh, that's great to hear! Finally, some positive news for Bridget. That should help her focus better, knowing he's alright. How's your research going?"
"Good, I think. I've made a list of thirty-seven people who have been reported as missing within the last six months, including Shaggy and Bridget. James is no longer on the list since we brought him to the hospital. I'm surprised none of his family have made an appearance."
"Yeah, that's because he has none," replied Velma. "Parents died when he was at college, no siblings or cousins. He has a great uncle somewhere that he's never met, a cousin of his grandfather or some such. As for Bridget, her parents died when she was a baby so her grandparents brought her up – and they're now in a care home some miles away; one of them has dementia. We can't put this on them. I'm not even sure if they know she's missing."
"Well, that's a shame. So all they've got is each other. No wonder they're so afraid of losing one another."
"Yeah. But they've got us now, too. And we're gonna stop this."
"Better be quick. Only one more has disappeared since Shaggy and then it's all gone quiet. The trail's gone dead…pardon the pun. But I think I'm getting somewhere with this girl who vanished two weeks before Shag's attack. Her name's Sara Dunne and her family are running a campaign to try and find her. They've left contact details for anyone who might have information. …I just hope they believe us when we mention the word 'vampire'."
"Well, we needn't say that to begin with. They'll just hang up on us, thinking it's a prank."
"No, but we'll need to say something about what we know – and why we've kept quiet until now. What are we supposed to tell them?"
"…We'll come up with something. Just anything that doesn't include the word 'vampire'."
The quarry felt strangely empty, despite all the bodies in it. The pit and its levels was so vast and none of its occupants seemed to care about anyone else; to them, there were just various vamps milling about who disappeared every so often to feed. So the two new-borns had no problem wandering around approaching the others. Wary of the larger groups near the centre, they looked for outcasts out amongst the furthest edges of the pit – the ones who did not appear accepted and thus could hopefully be reached.
The first one they tried was a petite blond, who cowered back when they approached. Both raised their hands to show they meant no harm.
"Hi. Like, it's all right. We just wanna talk. That's all," Shag tried to reassure her. Bridget held back, uncomfortable and not feeling as in control amongst all the blood and other vamps.
The blond looked at them doubtfully but made no further movement – neither of acceptance or rejection. Shag decided to go for it and slowly went to touch her shoulder, hoping to give comfort. What he got was a small hand around his throat pinning him to the wall with surprising strength and a snarling face opposite his own. Keeping his face serene and his palms raised, he tried again. "Okay. Please calm down. I swear we're not here to harm you. We just wanna talk…and maybe help."
"You can't help me," hissed the blond, letting him go. Though he towered over her by more than a foot, she appeared the far more intimidating of the two. Bridget was stood back by the wall, tense and ready to spring; she'd made to launch at the blond to pull her off but Shaggy had signalled her to stop and wait. Fighting would get them nowhere in enlisting help, would only waste time and possibly draw attention.
"Well, we'd like to try."
"What do you want?" the girl asked, sullenly and disinterested.
"…How are you taking to be a vampire?"
Blondie scoffed. "You're kidding, right? This life…is no life! We squat here in the dirt hiding from those we once were, once cared about. These new thoughts and feelings… This burning thirst at the back of my throat! It's too much!" She started looking upset but, having stone-like skin, no tears would come. "I miss my friends. And my family. And they," she pointed towards the groups in the centre, "go out to find humans and rip them apart like they were nothing! To feed on like cannibals! It's wrong…and yet they insist that it's right. Try and persuade you to take a bite! It's sick."
"Like, what if there was a way back?" offered Shaggy.
"…There isn't. This is what we are and we can't go back."
"Oh, but you're wrong. I've gone back to my friends and they were fine – shocked, but still accepting of me. And I haven't bitten or harmed any of them. It is possible to go back."
"Really?" Blondie asked and her red eyes looked less hateful but still suspicious.
"It's true," spoke up Bridget for the first time. "I was changed just recently and…although it's difficult, I was able to resist biting my boyfriend."
"Hey…you're...? Aren't you the one who ran off?" Blondie asked. "Yes, I recognise you. The group down there wanted to eat the man with you, he didn't change, and you ran off with him. He was so angry."
"Who was?" asked Bridget.
"The boss-man. He's the creep who turned us all and keeps us here. He talks about our power and our place in the world and how humans ruin things. How the world is a mess and we could run it better. The ones down there," Blondie pointed down towards the centre, "agree with him. They like the power. They like this new life. Or they're driven so insane by the new senses and smell of blood, they can't focus. I caught a squirrel the other day and one of them attacked me – shoved me through a tree and ripped the squirrel in half. He didn't even get to eat it, it was just in pieces. He stormed away, furious, and neither of us ate. They're all so crazy with thirst, they can't think straight. That poor squirrel died for no reason. I don't like hurting anything but all predators must hunt to eat. And that's what I am now…"
"If you're so unhappy, why stay?" Shag asked.
"Because…the leader threatened me and my family. He knows who we all are; he watched us all before turning us. He warned he'd either turn our families or kill them. Anyone who disagrees with him is threatened – the first guy who tried to leave got as far as the forest before the boss-man dragged him back and just…ripped his head off. Nobody dares question him now, he just seems so much stronger and faster than everyone else. There's only a few that have managed to get away but he's searching for them high and low – and their families. He won't let anyone go."
"Who else got away?" asked Bridget with interest.
"A few of the earlier ones slipped away from here and haven't been seen since. He's absolutely furious. They even planned ahead and managed to hide their families from him. One guy never came here in the first place. The boss-man was disturbed during an attack and when he went back, the guy was gone. He probably didn't even turn – he probably just bled to death – but the boss-man still keeps looking for him. He refuses to lose any of his soldiers!"
"Is he?" asked Shaggy. He shared a look with Bridget; Blondie had just confirmed all their fears. "Well, like, the mystery man didn't die. He did change. And he's standing right here." He held out his arms to emphasise his point. "My name's Shaggy and I want to stop this guy. I need to stop him before he gets to me and my friends. Same goes for Bridget, here, and her boyfriend. We're not losing anyone to him. Now we're working together on that but we're going to need more help – especially if you say this leader is faster and stronger than everyone else."
"Really?" Blondie asked. For the first time, all hostility and suspicion left her face and hope showed instead. "You can stop him? I want to go back to my family! As do the others," she pointed towards the other loners spread around the edges of the quarry. "None of us are really wanted here as we reject his ideas but…we're still his creations, his soldiers, so he makes us stay. But if there was a way of…?"
"We think we know of a way. But we'll need more on our side to make a stand against him," explained Bridget. "The ones who got away – do you have any idea where they might be?"
"No," replied the blond. "Boss-man sometimes interrogates us in case we know something. The rebels know this so keep away. But there's a guy here who manages to keep in contact with the rebel leader. They knew each other as kids but that was a long time ago so boss-man doesn't know about their connection – else, he'd never leave the guy alone and would demand answers. The guy's called Darren and he stays here, pretending to go along with things. But every now and then, he disappears and comes back smelling of new vampires so you know he's been with the rebels. Me and the other outcasts try to cover for him."
"How big is this group?" asked Shaggy.
"About six or seven."
"Damnit," cried Bridget. "That's not many for an army!"
"He's only changed about forty people," Shaggy argued. "A normal army has hundreds of soldiers but he only has forty – forty indestructible and incredible fighters. And now he's lost some! With roughly six rebels, you, me, hopefully this Darren guy and, of course, Blondie here," he nodded at the girl, "plus anyone else we can persuade…it's a good start."
"I'm sure there'll be others who'd be interested," agreed Blondie. "I'll take you round and introduce you – we sometimes get together to talk but we're not allowed to be together long. He suspects any of us grouping together as a sign of rebellion against him. And my name isn't Blondie, by the way."
"Yeah, sorry about that," apologised Shag. "What is your name?"
"Sara. Sara Dunne."