Fall of the Mortals (Book 1) (38 page)

Suddenly, one of the cannons fired launching a missile. The blast was loud as a cloud of gun smoke covered the cannons for a moment then dissipated. The missile sailed through the air heading directly towards Campbell’s helicopter leaving a trail of smoke behind it which twirled and spiraled as it picked up speed. It drew closer reaching the rear fin and exploded. The cabin burst into flames sending the doors of the cabin outward. The rear fin and propeller broke off and fell to the water. The propeller detached breaking apart into several pieces. Flames exploded out of the cockpit shattering the windshield into pieces while burning pieces of the dashboard and control panel fell to water as well. It was the end of Campbell and Stanton.

On the deck, Lennox stared coldly in the distance as the last of the burning debris fell to the water. He watched the last of the flames be extinguished on the surface. The phone he held in his hand rang. He took the call still watching the floating debris on the surface.

“It’s done,” Lennox said into the phone.

***

On the top of Kristof’s mansion, Shaun and the vampires landed on the edge of the roof overlooking the vast, open land of what used to be Los Angeles County. The rain poured, drenching them with flashes of lightning. Kristof glared into the distance as if he waited for something. The rain ran down their faces.

“Are you ready, Shaun?” asked Kristof, still staring into the distance.

“For what?” Shaun answered. 

“To rule this world as an immortal?” said Kristof, turning his face to him with an evil grin as a flash of lightning lit up his face.

“After you,” said Shaun.

Kristof jetted off the roof like a rocket into the stormy night. Shaun, Lucian and Adrian followed. The rain hit against Shaun’s face as they flew towards the tower. The clouds above whizzed by. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, which caused Shaun to flinch with fear. He glanced at the flying vampires on either side of him. Lucian and Adrian were consumed in Kristof’s dream of destroying what few humans remained.

“There it is!” Kristof shouted as they came into view of downtown Los Angeles. The city was still somewhat lit up.

Shaun stayed quiet focusing on his plan to double-cross Kristof. He checked around his waistline and made sure three wooden daggers were still fastened in place, one for Kristof and each of his brothers. He knew the stabbings would have to be quick because of the awful reaction that came over him.

“Not many out tonight in the rain, brother!” Lucian hollered as they approached the downtown financial district.

“Who would blame them?” Kristof shouted. “Even rain is unpleasant to powerful beings such as us!”

They flew to the roof of the tower. Shaun noticed the large, red number twelve on the helicopter pad appeared a little more faded than how he’d remembered it as they descended below it to the vulnerable area. Kristof landed on the edge of the building with his brothers. Shaun floated over a clearing where the beads had been washed to one side of the building. He looked up at Kristof who waited anxiously for confirmation.

“Well?” asked Kristof.

Shaun ripped a large piece out of the roofing with mighty strength then threw it over the edge.

“We’re in. Help me,” said Shaun.

Kristof, Lucian and Adrian ripped out more roofing ferociously. Lightning flashed again, lighting them up for a moment, with loud thunder. Pieces of roofing were thrown over the edge as they tore down into the last haven of people.

***

Terry and the bikers stood holding their machine guns keeping the tower family under close supervision as they slept. The wind blew into the windows. Lightning flashed again with another tumultuous sound of thunder. Brody was sitting asleep in a chair. Terry walked over to him and nudged him in his leg with his boot.

“Stay awake,” said Terry in a scolding tone.

Brody didn’t say anything but sat up and gripped his weapon.

Billy stood the furthest away. He began to hear sounds of ripping and tearing above him, which was coming from above the ceiling. He stepped away without saying anything to Terry and headed towards another room.

Billy entered the storage area and turned on a light, which was mounted onto his assault rifle. He scanned the room searching for the source of the strange noises. He aimed his gun up to the ceiling noticing a hole which had been torn out. He drew closer, looking into the hole, spotting his light. There was nothing. He backed away and turned. The light on his gun lit up Kristof as he stood gnashing his teeth at him with a cold grin. Just before Billy could scream, Kristof rushed him and bit viciously into his neck. Billy panicked, throwing his arms everywhere, but it was no use. He dropped to the floor on his back gazing up to the ceiling in a dead stare. A pool of blood grew beneath him from his neck.

Kristof closed his eyes and took in the sweet high of Billy’s blood as if he had just taken the best drugs ever. Blood dripped from his chin, Shaun and the others descended out of the hole in the ceiling and landed around Billy. Lucian and Adrian dropped to the floor and licked up Billy’s blood which had pooled around him.

“That’s it,” said Kristof breathing heavily, coming off his intoxicated bliss. “Feed, my brothers. There’s more to come.”

Shaun stood repulsed watching them lick Billy’s blood from the floor around his dead body and off his bleeding neck. Despite the necessity of killing Terry and his bikers, he felt resentment towards Kristof knowing he was one step closer to achieving his goal of wiping out people once and for all. Kristof turned to Shaun.

“Forgive me, brother,” said Kristof, putting a hand on Shaun’s shoulder, wiping blood from his chin. “That was rude of us.”

“How so?”

“The only reason we’re here is because of you,” Kristof responded, appearing genuinely apologetic. “But fear not, there’s much more to share.”

“I understand,” Shaun answered, knowing the next move was to head to the living area.

Lucian and Adrian stood wiping their chins of the joyous treat they licked off the floor. They closed their eyes from their sweet rush of ecstasy. They opened their eyes slowly, awaiting Kristof’s next command.

“To the living room, my brothers,” whispered Kristof, flying through the door as another flash of lightning lit up the room. “Be careful, deadly weapons are afoot.”

Another loud rumble of thunder echoed down the hallway while the four flew slowly and quietly towards the main living area. The vampires levitated at the ceiling looking down at their human prizes. Harold and the tower family lay asleep. Terry, Curtis and Shane sat in chairs nearly asleep. Terry kept nodding off. The wind blew in through the windows loudly. A flash of lightning came in the living area. The rain was still pouring outside.

Mercedes woke up and saw Shaun and the other vampires floating at the ceiling. She sat up and screamed. The bikers sat up, looking everywhere, startled, and aiming their weapons.

“Blasted child!” hollered Kristof as he vanished and appeared behind Shane, gripping his face.

“Vampires!” shouted Terry, shooting his machine gun at Shane.

Shane screamed while bullet holes ripped across his chest.

“No!” Terry shouted.

Kristof bit Shane’s neck taking what taste he could before throwing Shane out the window with brute strength. Shane screamed as he fell down the side of the building. Lightning flashed again showing Shane one last time before he too fell into rainy darkness, his screams fading.

“On the ceiling!” shouted Curtis, firing towards Shaun and the others. Bullet holes dotted the ceiling but Lucian, Adrian and Shaun vanished before they even took a shot.

Terry fired at Kristof relentlessly again chasing him with vampire-killing bullets across the room. Kristof flew into the other room laughing sinisterly as bullets missed him hitting the walls, pictures and chairs.

Brody fired at Lucian, missing him as he darted across the room in a flash. Brody’s machine gunfire lit up the dark room. A few of his rounds hit Terry in his chest body armor by accident sending him to the floor. Lucian flew at Brody, picked him up from the floor and forced him against a wall. Lucian bit into Brody’s neck causing some blood to jet out as well as run down his chest.

“Brody! No!” shouted Curtis.

Lucian turned and cast an evil grin at Curtis with bloody teeth just as he opened fire with his machine gun. Lucian vanished. Brody was hit all over including once in the head while he stood there holding his bleeding neck. He fell dead to the floor with his eyes open gazing at Harold who was too terrified to move yet keeping his arms around Betty, Tommy and Mercedes.  

Harold and the others were scared as hell staying down on the floor watching the deadly fray. They hollered at the loud machine guns and vampires that flew around them.

Lucian and Adrian appeared on either side of Curtis grabbing one of his arms.

“We’ll take the big one for a ride,” Lucian stated grinning at Terry, gnashing his fangs. Curtis’ eyes widened in terror, his jaw dropped.

“Shall we?” asked Adrian with a grin.

Terry fired at Curtis in panic, trying to hit the vampires, but they flew out a window taking Curtis with them. Curtis screamed helplessly dangling by his arms over a thousand feet.

“Terry! Help me!” Curtis shouted.

Adrian and Lucian took him a short distance from the tower before they each bit into his neck. Curtis cried out as they feasted on him. Adrian and Lucian roared to the night sky as a powerful joyous stupor came over them. Lightning flashed again. They let Curtis’ dead body go and watched him fall until he faded into the darkness.

***

Terry stood, shaking, with his machine gun. His breathing was shaky as he scanned the room for Kristof and Shaun. Harold lay frozen in fear with the others. They didn’t dare make a move but watched Terry look around for the vampires that were toying with him.

“Let’s p-play Shaun!” shouted Terry, stammering, trying not to sound scared.

Kristof appeared in front of Terry, ripped his machine gun out of his hands and broke it in half. He kicked Terry in the chest sending him across the room above Harold and the others. Terry struck the wall then collapsed on the floor. He was done. He looked up at Kristof and Shaun walking towards him with piercing orange eyes and fangs gnashing at him.

Lucian and Adrian flew into the living room. They joined Kristof as they walked up to Terry.

“So, you’re the one who took Miranda from me?” said Kristof picking Terry up one-handed around the neck. He held Terry a couple of feet above the floor.

Terry’s eyes were bulging. His face was turning red from not breathing because of Kristof’s clench. 

“The one who killed our brother, Damien?” growled Adrian.

“Tell me something, little man. Which limb shall I tear from you first?” said Kristof in a sinister voice before he threw Terry to the other side of the room.

Terry cleared twenty-five feet then landed on the floor. He was hurt badly. He rolled to his back crying out in pain. The tower family watched the vampires vanish then reappear around Terry who was picking himself up slowly to his knees.

“Tell him who you are, Shaun,” Terry gasped, knowing he was going to die.

“How does it feel knowing you’re going to die, Terry?” asked Shaun.

“Tell him the truth,” Terry said, about to pass out. “It was you!”

“What’s he talking about, Shaun?” asked Kristof with a twinge of curiosity.

“He’s the one who killed your woman, not me!” hollered Terry, panting. “He’s the one who killed your brother, not me!”

Kristof grabbed the sides of Terry’s head, raising him to his knees. He began to squeeze his sides in. Terry cried out again.

“You pathetic little fool!” said Kristof. “How dare you speak blasphemy against my brother, Shaun!”

“It was him!” screamed Terry.

“I could crush your skull like an eggshell!” Kristof growled watching Terry’s eyes about to pop out from their sockets then released him.

Terry collapsed to the floor again and began to weep.

“As a gift, Shaun, I give him to you,” said Kristof. “I’ve decided it would be more enjoyable to watch my brother feast upon this pathetic fool. He’s all yours,” he added putting a hand on Shaun’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Kristof,” Shaun responded calmly, reaching for a wooden dagger from his waistline.

Shaun plunged the dagger into Kristof’s chest causing his eyes to enlarge with the realization of utter betrayal. Kristof grabbed Shaun’s shoulder and let out a groan. Lucian and Adrian were awestruck. Shaun let Kristof fall to his knees as he rushed at Adrian and stabbed him in the chest near the heart as well. Adrian flew against a wall screaming and started to burn. His face melted as his hair burned down to baldness. His eyes fell back into their sockets. He burned to his skeleton then collapsed into a pile of burning bones.

Shaun tried to stab Lucian in his chest with the final dagger but he vanished and reappeared behind Shaun, grabbing him and throwing him across the room. Shaun crashed through a glass display case causing it to fall to the floor. Glass shelves, dishes and cups shattered all over. Shaun flew at Lucian trying to stab him again but missed. Lucian came at him striking Shaun in the face, kicking him in the leg causing Shaun to drop to a knee. Lucian kicked Shaun in the chest sending him against a wall violently, leaving a crack and causing him to drop his dagger. Shaun fell to the floor appearing injured and out of breath.