Necrophobia (27 page)

“We came for the daughter and found your wretched experiments.” Thorn grunted as he struggled against his restraints.

“These are cutting edge experiments. We’re on the forefront of medical research.”

“I didn’t think much of your handiwork.” Hayley nodded towards the door they’d entered from.

A sly grin crossed the vampire’s face. “A poor stock indeed. But we’re closer now than we’ve ever been. Perhaps you’ll make better subjects?”

As the vampire spoke Claire felt her own compulsion weakening with each passing moment, her hands twitched as she fought to regain control.

“You managed to remove their aversion to water.” Claire tried to remain calm as the woman sized her up and down. It didn’t help she was visibly listening to Claire’s rapid heartbeat.

“I did. Vampires overcome it eventually given enough time, but it proved the concept.”

“So you’re trying to improve the curse?” Claire knew she had to keep the mad woman talking until she’d regained control. It was a risk but she suspected the doctor would be thrilled to talk about her findings. In her experience scholars and doctors always were.

“That’s right. It’s the simplest path to true immortality. There’ll come a time when we no longer fear the sun’s light, the touch of silver or the rain.” She reached into her filthy lab coat and withdrew a scalpel that gleamed in the light. With an exposed finger she touched the silver blade and her flesh hissed and burned before she removed it. Holding her finger before Claire’s eyes with a smile her burns receded over several seconds until they were no longer visible. “We’ll live forever and the world will be our plaything.” The sheer certainty within the vampire’s voice chilled Claire.

“Is that what you and Haures are doing here?”

The vampire laughed. “He pulls at his master’s leash struggling to be free. To him vampirism is the answer and will release him from his chains. Disappointing. He should cherish the dark gift — embrace it for what it is but it’s just another tool to him. Perhaps I’ll withhold it until he appreciates it.”

“What master?”

“I neither know nor care. So long as he provides results and stays out of my way he can do whatever he wishes.” The haughtiness within her voice was impressive.

With the doctor distracted Hayley’s compulsion faded away. She spun around and fired her crossbow into the foul woman’s chest in the same movement. The silver bolt burning and hissing within her. The Vampire dashed forwards with a shriek and backhanded Hayley over an operating table and into the nearby machinery. Claire felt her own psychic bonds loosen, she ripped a phial of holy water off her side-pack and threw it at the vampire. The fragile glass smashed against her eliciting an ear-splitting shriek as the soaked creature steamed. Her vision obscured by steam she stumbled and thrashed blindly. Hayley threw herself out of the way as the blinded creature lunged at where she’d been, her hands smashing into the flickering machine. Another phial in hand Claire threw it as hard as she could, the phial shattered against the machine causing electricity to leap from the mechanism and electrocute the vampire caught in the spray. Thick black smoke rose from the dented and dripping metalwork. Hayley trained her reloaded crossbow on the stumbling, burning vampire before her. With a horrifying scream the vampire fell to her knees and exploded into a fine mist. The mist filled the air and circled the room before escaping upwards through grating in the ceiling.

“Damn it!” Hayley roared as her crossbow flew straight through the escaping mist with no effect. Claire rushed over and cut away at the inspector’s bindings.

“The key’s on that table over there.” He pointed his head towards it.

Hayley reached over and threw the bronze coloured key. Claire caught it with her free hand and unfastened the rest.

“We’ll never catch her.” Hayley cursed.

“Forget her for now.” Thorn rose to his feet and rubbed his wrists. “Natascha’s in the building — I saw her.”

Retrieving their weapons they headed for the opposite set of doors when a wet groaning noise rattled from the other side. Hayley and Thorn shared a knowing look. Behind them the damaged machine continued to smoke and splutter.

“—Get back!” Thorn shouted raising his sword towards the door. Split seconds later the door burst off its hinges and a towering hunched figure lumbered towards them. Even with the poor lighting Claire could see the grey mottled skin coated in a viscous grey slime. Its poor posture compounded by overgrown muscles bulging out of its skin and spines forming along its arms and shoulders. Most distressing however was its face. Though once human it was a shrunken and stretched face with haunting eyes. It’s mouth twisted and elongated dropping outwards from its skull and hanging down. A brief flash of many, many overlapping rings of teeth within its distorted and dripping mouth told her all she needed to know.

“Vamprey…” She breathed in disbelief. The picture she’d seen with Adrian was nothing compared to the formerly human horror before her. Twisted by the vampire curse it was transforming into a creature straight from the deep sea.

It advanced towards the trio with its mouth closing and sucking at the air. The Vamprey’s beady eyes flickering between each of them sizing up its first meal. Gone was the sophistication, allure and nuance of the elder vampires of lore. In its place only an unquenchable hunger, a malformed predator adapting further to its new and debased thirst. Thick slime congealed and dripped off its scaled skin in thick droplets. As one they opened fire: Hayley and Niklaus with their silver crossbows and Claire with her last phial of holy water. The bolts bit home but their effect was greatly diminished, only the faintest trail of steam issued from its wounds. Claire’s phial smashed upon its rippling muscular chest without slowing it down. The blessed water shimmered and mixed with its grey slime giving it a sickly sheen.

“Water’s not going to work.” Hayley shouted as she tried to surround it; fumbling with her quarrels to find another bolt.

Claire nodded and threw herself backwards as the Vamprey’s swollen and webbed claws slashed at the air near her. The creature looked as though it had crawled up from the bottom of the sea; little wonder water failed to harm it. Heart-racing in her chest she stumbled backwards trying to stay out of its sizable grasp. As Hayley and Thorn drew its attention with another round of crossbow bolts she drew an arrow from her quiver and lined up a shot. If her arrows failed to kill fledglings there was little chance of hurting the scaled and slime coated horror before her. She breathed out as she fired. The arrow struck deep within the creatures’ stumpy legs and it faltered with a pained sucking-roar. Inspector Thorn threw himself under the Vamprey’s flailing arms and sliced into its underbelly. The silver hissed upon contact with the shrieking monster and it countered with a titanic punch to the man’s breastplate. Claire winced as she saw the impact. Thorn grunted in pain and fell backwards.

“Get clear!” Hayley shouted. She walked towards the feral vampire and discharged yet another crossbow bolt into the creatures malformed and shrunken head. As the Vamprey reeled and shielded its face Claire and Hayley pulled Thorn free. Already the wounds he’d caused were sealing together on the slick grey flesh. She watched in horror as the vampire’s flesh knitted itself back together and her arrow fell out of its knee.

<
Get out of there!
> Isobel’s voice was faint and distorted. <
You can’t fight it! Lead it outside!
>

“Not without the noble!” Niklaus Thorn grunted looking around him. “She’s not getting away from us again.”

“Don’t be a bloody fool Niklaus we’ll be killed!” Hayley ducked under blind swings and threw herself into the stumbling Vamprey with all her weight. The Vamprey slid backwards and smashed into the smoking and burning machine with a tortured crash. Lightning tore free from the dying machine and arced across the slime-coated vampire with a deafening shriek.

<
If you want to die here that’s your problem. Lure it outside so we can support you.
> Isobel’s voice was now much louder and clearer. Her psychic projection no longer blocked by the burning machine.

Thorn grunted and spat blood.

“We’ll lead it outside then! You find Natascha.” Claire’s suggestion slipped out and took her by surprise. The last thing she wanted was for the impossibly muscled Vamprey to chase after her.

“Are you insane?” Hayley glanced back at her hoping it was a joke. “Look at that thing.”

The Vamprey twitched and spasmed as electricity ravaged its disgusting flesh. Electrical burns spreading and fading across its exposed chest as it trembled in pain. Thorn sized Claire up, his granite face unflinching and serious.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes.”
Apparently I am.
“We’ll lure it away.”

The lights in the operating theatre dimmed and flickered as the creature began to recover. Thorn gave a curt nod before sprinting past the stunned vampire and out of the theatre. The Vamprey fell forwards; its burned flesh smoking and rippling as wounds healed before their eyes. Her hands trembling despite her earlier confidence she nocked and loosed another arrow. The arrow caught the Vamprey in the upper thigh and it turned its beady hungry eyes upon her.

“I think we got its attention…” Claire’s voice seemed empty in the now silent operating theatre. The sheer hatred and hunger within the malformed predator’s sunken eyes was unnerving. It served as all the motivation she needed to be as far away from it as possible.

“So what now?” Hayley took a step back from it and raised her crossbow.

“We run!”

With a gurgled roar the Vamprey lunged towards them smashing aside a bench of medical tools with a clatter. Claire turned and didn’t look back as she sprinted down the corridor they’d entered from. She could hear Hayley’s frantic footsteps and cursing behind her and most concerning was the thundering stomps of the charging vampire. They ran as fast as they could; motivated ever faster by the murderous creature sprinting behind them. It smashed aside fallen crates and tables with reckless abandon. The warehouse basement was a blur of flickering lights, bloodstained halls and clutter as they ran for their lives. Claire avoided another swipe by sheer luck as she turned and threw herself around a corner. The Vamprey’s webbed claws tore great gouges into the wall sending plasterwork flying.

“Can’t keep running!” Hayley wheezed. “Never was a good runner!” The Night Guard faltered behind her struggling to keep moving and clutching her chest.

“I’ll buy you some time!” Claire shouted and drew her rapier. Heart-beating in her chest and every instinct screaming for her to run she paused. “Go!”

Hayley coughed a feeble protest before staggering up the stairs to the first-floor basement. The malformed vampire slowed and raised its drooping lamprey mouth in anticipation. Spittle and grey slime spat out at her as its mouth undulated and the misshapen yellow fangs clicked against each other. She realised with solemn clarity there was a good chance she was about to die. It was an odd yet sobering thought. She backed away keeping her sword drawn and held between her and the approaching beast.
I won’t go down without a fight.
She swung her rapier in a short arc, the blade bit deep but drew no blood. Sensing no threat from the steel blade the Vamprey ignored it. The wound sealed itself together the second her blade tore free. It was as if she’d slashed at water.
It’s toying with me.

The Vamprey clawed at her again. She managed to parry most of the force but the impact still left her reeling. It was almost upon her now the pungent stench of slime and fish brought a tear to her eyes as she gasped for breath. She exaggerated her exhaustion as the Vamprey leaned closer flexing its funnel-shaped maw. With one final deep breath she inhaled and lunged out with her sword swiping aside its mouth. The creature reeled back on instinct; the natural urge to avoid attacks aimed at the face swung it out of reach. She kicked her knee into its legs with all her force. The silver making contact through the tattered trousers that preserved what was left of the vampire’s modesty. The creature hiss of pain mirrored the searing of silver on warped flesh as it looked down with renewed hate. Claire punched upwards with her left hand. Regret formed in an instant as pain twinged up her hand as she struck its hardened flesh and slime coated her knuckles. The silver ring burning into the drooping maw distracted it as she lashed out again with her foot. Hardened silver alloy plated boots struck the knee joint and the creature fell forwards to one knee howling in frustration. With a satisfied grin hidden beneath her mask she turned and ran up the stairs as the Vamprey struggled to rise.

The hunter bounded up the steps and onto the ground floor of the warehouse as the Vamprey stomped upstairs behind her.

“Now where?” She shouted into the open air.

<
Use the front door. We’ve taken position out there.>

Claire yelped in shock as the Vamprey launched a crate of supplies in her direction. It smashed through the storage crates in frothing rage to reach her. Its huge fists denting and tearing into anything in its path.

<
Go!>

Don’t have to tell me twice!
She rushed towards the huge metal doors at the front of the warehouse. Blood red light filtered in through the high-rise windows forming stark columns of light. With a strangled roar the Vamprey leapt off the ground with superhuman force; gaining several metres on her within an instant. It smashed into stacked metal girders to cease its moment and swung out at her. She felt the displaced air whoosh past her ear as she half-stumbled, half-crouched under its claws. With an awkward roll she sprung up onto her feet again and sprinted towards the open door.

Why did I volunteer for this!

Running on all fours the Vamprey sprinted at her dragging itself forward with its over-sized arms. She slammed into the door and out into the open. Pain lancing through her shoulders as she cursed the lack of pauldrons. Ahead of her she could see several Night Guard stationed around the courtyard crossbows at the ready. Hayley waved her clear as the Vamprey burst out into the sunset. To her disappointment the creature did not burn up in the sunlight instead it shielded its eyes from the harsh glare. Bolt after bolt impacted into the dazed creature knocking it off-balance. It fell backwards from the repeated impacts and the Night Guard charged as one stabbing and slicing downwards into the fallen vampire. Their silver swords dazzling in the setting sun. Claire welcomed the fresh sea-side air into her lungs as she wheezed to regain her breath.