Kill Wilson (Petersburg Vampires) (24 page)

“Miriam,” Nikka asked. “Exactly how many are there in the
compound, minus the three Rio killed?”

“As of last night, there were fourteen, plus Turk…and
Wilson. Sixteen total, minus three dead, so thirteen left. Wilson is no
fighter, if he was human and could
shit
, he’d soil
himself whenever confronted with violence. He beats women and children. So
that’s twelve fighters. Several of the kids have never been in a fight, more
than half. Turk acts like he’s God’s gift to war.”

“Turk is somebody we want to be very cautious with,” Amp
said. “He’s been fighting for centuries, and he’s very good at it. I’ve seen
firsthand.”

The four fighters prepared themselves for whatever they were
going to face. Amp and Nikka both had their swords in scabbards on their back,
as well as the short stocked shotguns across their shoulders on a sling.
Neither took the .45s that were available, preferring to not having the weight
at their waist. Robert had an M-4, a shotgun across his back, and a .45, as
well as a combat knife. Rio had his silenced M-4, his two .45s, and his various
knives and gadgets in his pockets.

“Can I go?” Miriam asked softly, standing back by the
truck. “I know how to shoot a shotgun.”

Amp turned to her and surprised her with a smile.

“No. We trained for this for months, Miriam, and we kind
of know each other’s habits and skills. But I appreciate you offered. Anyway,
the most important part you staying safe is you have complete knowledge of
Wilson’s holdings, his bank accounts, stocks, all the numbers. I’d be totally
pissed if you got killed with all that information.”

Miriam chuckled, returning the smile. “Okay…good. I was
scared to death you were going to say yes. I don’t think I’d be a good soldier
anyway. You guys go do what you do best, and I’ll be waiting here for you. Please
be careful.”

------

The four friends were kneeling in the woods across from
the gate of the Wilson compound, concealed by the trees and brush, as well as a
slight fog that was rolling in off the Narrows. They could see Wilson had
posted six of his boys on the front lawn, although they didn’t seem to be
completely organized. There was a bit of nervous horseplay going on among the
youngsters, only two who appeared to be armed with shotguns.

“Not sure where Silas is,” Amp whispered softly. “These
guys look like they’re lost and confused.”

“I don’t think they are taking us as a serious threat,”
Nikka answered back quietly. “This doesn’t make sense to me, not after Rio
killed three of them. Silas and Wilson must be in the house with the rest of
the troops. These six are supposed to scare us off?”

“I think we take them right now, before they have a
chance to organize,” Robert said. “Nikka, me, and Amp attack at warp speed, and
just level them. Rio, you come up at a more cautious pace, have that M-4 on
three round shot, and put down anyone who’s still standing. You’re responsible for
whoever comes out of the house during the fight.
Questions?”

“After these six are down, then what?”
Nikka asked. “Go for the house?”

“I think they’ll be expecting that, don’t you? We lose
our surprise advantage. Let’s
draw back
, try to pull
them out to us. That way we keep the advantage, especially with our firepower.”

“I like that,” Amp said. “Let’s rock and roll.”

“Through the gate or over it?”
Nikka asked.

“Over it, scare the shit out of them,” Amp answered.

“This is what you’ve been working for, girl,” Nikka said
to Amp. “Let’s enjoy every minute of it.”

“Okay…one, two three…go,” Robert said softly, and at a
speed that Rio could not follow, the three vampires were at the fence, jumping,
and for a brief second, standing atop the fence.

Looking down at the six vampires they had come to
destroy, Nikka gave a wide smile, and screamed in a loud voice, “Here’s Nikka!”

The three dropped into the compound grounds, Rio
following at human speed. He watched the fight carefully, moving toward the
gate. Amp and Nikka had pulled their swords and Robert was holding the short
handled shotgun at the ready before Wilson’s vampires were even aware they were
in a real fight.

The first boy Amp reached made the mistake of reaching
for her with bare hands, his fangs down, and showing an angry, determined look
on his face. He was going for the smallest adversary, and it was a fatal
mistake. Amp struck quickly, the young vampire looking down at the stumps that
used to be his hands. Without pausing, Amp sidestepped him, and did a complete
one eighty. Her sword glided through the air, not slowing as it sliced through
the
boys
neck, severing the head and creating a
fountain of crimson blood.

Nikka held her sword in two hands, but was fighting with
her feet, the blows knocking two of the boys off their feet, the girl an expert
on balance and counterbalance. Once they were down, Amp violently took one’s
head, Nikka the other, Rio admiring the teamwork of the two. Three down, three
to go, he thought, hoping Robert would not have to use the shotgun. He was
disappointed as two shots rang out simultaneously. He watched as the fourth
vampire went down, Robert catching him in the gut, not a kill shot for a vamp,
but serious enough to put him out of commission for the fight. Rio aimed his
M-4 at the vampire as he lay withering on the ground, and with a three shot
burst, ruined the rest of the boy’s day.

Four down, and they were fighting so fast he could barely
follow the action. His attention went to a body on the ground to his left. Turning,
his M-4 ready to fire, he was looking into the dead eyes of Robert, a closely
fired shotgun round had destroyed his friend’s chest, the gaping wound blowing
out everything between the Ranger’s belly and his chin. Not permitting
himself
to think about the fatality, he continued to monitor
the front door, waiting for the reinforcements to appear.

The second vampire holding a shotgun had it raised,
trying to get a shot at Nikka as she moved on his partner. Rio didn’t think,
just fired at the boy, catching him in the throat with all three rounds, his
head staying with his body by one strong cord of cartilage.

Amp cut the sixth across his arm, severing it. Grabbing
his wound, the boy turned to flee, only to run into Nikka’s blade, his body
continuing for four steps as his head remained behind.

Nobody had come out of the house; a red flag immediately
going to Rio’s brain.

“Come on, get Robert, and get to the woods, something’s
not right here,” he ordered the girls, who for the first time got a clear look
at their dead friend.

“Shit,” Nikka screamed, kneeling next to her child,
feeling for any life left in him.

“He’s gone, honey. Let’s get him into the woods; I think
we’re in a world of trouble here.”

“I think that’s a pretty fair assessment, human,” the quiet
voice behind them said, the three turning.

Silas
Turkman
and the five
remaining warriors spread out twenty feet away. Each warrior was armed with a
sword, while a few had shotguns strapped to their backs. Silas was wearing
black, an imposing figure standing several inches taller than his five
comrades.

If the man was expecting a reply from the three, he was
disappointed. They stood in front of Robert’s body; each assessing the
situation, all three brains working on the same page.
 

“I sent these six out to protect the gate, to give us
some type of warning of an attack. They did their job, but just barely. Beryl
said they were the most expendable, so I suppose we have to live with it. I’m
shocked they managed to take one of yours. Six for one is not good odds in a
battle, is it, human? It would appear the first skirmish goes to you. The bad
news is, I’m here now, and the odds have suddenly shifted our way.”

Rio refused to speak, his finger on the trigger of his
weapon, waiting for the first move from the enemy. Cut the head off of the
snake, and the body dies, he was telling himself. His first blast was going to
be directed between the eyes of the tall leader.

“Amp, you were magnificent,” Silas continued. “Better
than I ever imagined you would be. Introduce me to your companions, my dear?”

“You have no right to address me,” Amp said in an even
voice. “You, who preached honor and integrity, you turn out to be not only a
hypocrite, but a murderer, and traitor, and a man without even a tiny shred of
honor. You make me want to vomit, traitor. It will be a pleasure to send you to
hell, along with Wilson, and these five sorry excuses of fighters.”

“Amp, how silly.
You’re finished here. You killed six boys, that’s a good body count…oh, and the
three earlier, who happened to be pretty good fighters. I don’t know how you
got the jump on them, but it was good work. I suppose you have the human
Miriam. I’ll find her, don’t worry about that. When I do, she’ll wish she had
died here tonight with you three. Amp, you were amazing, all three of you were,
I admit, but your ride is over. You cannot best me, and you above anyone else
should know that. I am the warrior, you three are the losers.”

“I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this
battle,” Nikka said. “First, why don’t you tell us why you’re
here.
I’m curious, and I imagine Amp would like to know how
she could have been so wrong about such obvious scum. We learn from our
mistakes, and this was a whopper.”

“I owe you nothing, vampire, except a quick trip to hell,
which you’ll be receiving soon enough,” he answered venomously, spitting the
words out. “Anne Marie does deserve an explanation, although I’m not sure it
will be a comfort as I’m taking her head. I’ll give the condensed version, and
then we can get along with the conclusion of this little soap opera. First of
all, Beryl Wilson is my sire, a secret I have kept hidden for centuries, waiting
for the day he would call me home. I’ve lived the life of a warrior, fighting as
a mercenary. I’ve had many close calls spanning several centuries, but I picked
my battles well, and I always go into a fight with the odds on my side. I went
to work for Morgan after convincing him of my exemplary record in war. Working
for the L.A. coven was a sweet job. I was paid a fortune for teaching people
the art of death. Morgan trusts me, and even, I think, considers me a friend;
at the least a confidant. Then you showed up, Anne Marie, and I was forced to
teach you how to fight so that you could kill my sire. That wasn’t going to
happen, not today, not any day. I thought I could talk you out of it, convince
you to stay in California. I never thought you would learn the art of death so
well. You are my crowning achievement, Amp. Pity, but I’m going to put you down
like a dog.”

“You’re a disgrace to our race, and I spit on you,” Amp
said, her voice no longer shaky.

“I’m sorry to hear you say that, Amp. I’ve always liked
you. Anyway, it’s time we discussed our business. I
deman
you lay your weapons down and I will make this painless and honorable,” he
said. “The alternative will not be pleasant.”

“Bring it on, dick head!” Amp yelled. “I like our odds.
Give us your best shot. Oh, you better call out your suck-buddy daddy, because
when I finish with you, I’m going after him. I promise you, Wilson’s death is
going to be slow, and painful…and very final.”

Thump!

A large bundle of what appeared to be rags landed on the
ground in the middle of the two groups, every eye on the package dropped from
above.

It moved, then moaned, then sat up. Beryl Wilson’s legs
and hands were secured with several turns of duct tape. He had landed
awkwardly, and it was apparent several bones had been broken.

Now that’s a game changer, Rio thought, trying to hide
the smile on his face.

Things had suddenly gotten very interesting.

------

“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to ask where
our host was, Amp?” called
a
 
voice
from above. “I truly wanted to
give him the opportunity for a dramatic entrance. Do you think it worked?”

Looking up at the balcony adjacent to the roof of the
Wilson house, Amp was greeted with the beaming face of Lord Morgan, leaning
against the railing in a cavalier manner. She couldn’t keep the grin off her
face, her world suddenly right again.

“Perfect, My Lord,” she answered, bowing deeply.
“A truly grand entrance.”

The look on Silas’ face was priceless; the expression one
of absolute shock and confusion.

 
“Lord Morgan, what
are you doing here?” Silas finally
asked,
his voice
cracking.

Waving down at Silas, Morgan spoke directly to the
traitor as if he were addressing an old friend.

“Silas, old chum. Sorry, but are you feeling left out all
of a sudden? What am I doing here? I’m listening to you tell these people what
a grand, and breathtaking, and
powerfull
warrior you
are. Don’t think they’re buying it, do you?”

Silas’ answer was interrupted by yet another voice coming
out of the darkness.

“Excuse me, Lord Morgan, but have I missed the good
part?”

The question came from the gate, the voice belonging to a
man dressed in evening wear, a black tuxedo, white shirt sans tie, and a
glorious red cape blowing in the wind. In his hand he held an elegant, and
deadly, sword. In his mouth was a freshly lit Cuban cigar.

“Is this fun, or what?” Morgan laughed deeply from the
balcony.

 
“Beryl, when you
throw a party, you really throw a party. Alexander, my old friend, where, might
I ask, did you come from?”

Alexander moved to the line and stood next to Nikka; Rio
and Amp to their left. “I met these delightful children earlier in the evening.
 
After they left my boat, my mate got
tired of my stomping around, and pouting, and told me to get my sword, and go
attack a windmill. Here I am…I hope I’m not intruding…and I hope I’m not too
late.”

“My Lord, you are always welcome to stand with us,” Nikka
answered. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, My Lady,” and he did the little bow thing
again, which endeared him to Amp, who thought it was the coolest thing she had
ever seen. A fleeting memory of San Francisco and Lord Rinaldo passed through
her mind, making her smile at the chivalry of older vampires.

“So, my dear Silas,” Morgan continued. “To answer your
question, I’m here to retrieve something that belongs to me.”

“I belong to no man,” Silas answered boldly. He was
trying for even a tiny shred of self respect among this disaster of an evening.
Where, he wondered, did he lose control?

“Oh, I don’t want you back, Silas. That wouldn’t be
looked on with a great deal of delight back in L.A. No, you’ve worn your
welcome out. What I want is the honor that you robbed me of. You have
dishonored not only me, but my entire coven…every single member of my family.
Your treachery and lies must be avenged, so here I am, although it appears to me
Amp has things clearly in control, and certainly didn’t need my intervention. I
probably should have kept silent and watched her little band of warriors lay
waste to you and your brothers…or sisters...or whatever they are. Really Silas,
you’ve fallen to a new low.
 
What’s the
score? Nine to one…if this was baseball, it would be close to a run rule.”

“Laugh, Morgan, laugh all you want. Then you can stand
there and watch while I go through her puny force like a hot blade cutting
through butter,” Silas answered, his sword rising slightly. “You will be able
to return home, and tell about seeing the warrior Silas destroy those who
threatened his family.”

As he talked, Rio prepared his mind for the shot, not yet
making an aggressive move, waiting to see how this played out. It was certainly
entertaining.

“Hold on, Silas. Let me finish my little spiel, and then
you can get on with your fight…although so far it appears to be a rout. If I
were an odds maker in Vegas, and was setting the odds for a one on one between
you and the lovely Amp, I think it would be dead even...though my money would
be on Amp.”

As he said it, he saw the disbelief on Silas’ face, the
look changing to anger. He also noticed the five vampires flanking Silas moving
nervously, sliding tiny steps away from the warrior. They were ready to run, Morgan
realized, could tell by their body language. Not just yet, he thought.

“I’ve watched you fight, I’ve sparred against you, and
you’re very good, I must admit. But after watching the absolute devastation Amp
and her friends did to your forward force, she’s also very good. If I was gambling,
I definitely lean toward her.”

Silas wanted to reply, but Morgan spotted the spark of
uncertainty; there one moment, then gone; but he had seen it. Good. He wanted
this man’s balls, and he was going to drag it out for as long as he could.

Up to now, Wilson had not said a word. He sat on the
ground as his limbs healed, the bones mending, and the lacerations
disappearing. He was taped in a manner that even his vampire strength could not
break, and it was frustrating to him, would be frustrating to any vampire. Who
would have imagined duct tape could hold a vampire helpless. Finally, he felt
well enough to contribute.

“Lord Morgan, Lord Alexander, I’m not sure what we are
all doing here this evening, but as you both know, this is my home…and neither
of you gentlemen have been invited. I think it would be a good idea for you
both to leave before my mate Miriam arrives home. This scene is distasteful to
me; it would be frightening to her.”

Morgan laughed loud and deep from the balcony.

“Beryl, old boy, you are a bundle of delight. If the
human Anrio hadn’t rescued your mate a while ago, at the same time taking down
three of your prize warriors, I might add, we would be watching you and your
minions take turns raping, and murdering her right at this very moment. That
was the plan, was it not, Wilson?”

“Liar!” he cried from the ground, where he had fallen
trying to stand up on his bound feet. “Miriam is my love…my life. Where are you
getting these lies from?
Rape and murder?
You people
are here to steal what I’ve worked so hard for. I knew you would come someday…I
knew it. You’re jealous, so jealous. Just leave; I banish you from my
property.”

“You lie, you piece of shit!” came the cry from the front
gate, eyes turning to see Miriam, dressed in the same black outfit as the
others, walk onto the grounds, past Nikka and her group, and right up to the
collapsed figure of Wilson.

“You lie, Wilson, you sick fuck.”

And she kicked him right in the side of his head, the
tennis shoe not doing a lot of damage to the vampire, but the significance of
the act not lost on anyone.

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Morgan
laughed from up high.

“This man planned my execution for tonight,” Miriam said
loudly. “They were going to tear my body apart in some insane ceremony him and
that sick bastard created.”

She calmly pointed to Silas. “Then they would make all
their little queer boys drink my blood. It was a pump up the team thing, a
motivational slurp-fest.”

Silas yelled, the sound overpowering Miriam’s voice. “I never
would have been a part of something like that,” he cried. “I have a warrior’s
heart, and we do not kill arbitrarily. You are lying, human.”

“Shut your face, you fucking rapist!” she screamed at
Silas. “You spent hours yesterday raping me in every way possible, then put a
dog leash on me and tossed me outside, naked in the cold, to wait for my
execution. Don’t you ever call me a liar, vampire. Oh, by the way…you aren’t
anything special in the sex department.
A bit on the tiny
side…just saying.”

“Would anyone believe this?” Morgan called down to
Alexander, both men laughing at Silas. It was obvious they were enjoying the
evening immensely. “I wish I had brought a video crew.”

“I must buy
Becca
a gift for
pushing me out the door tonight,” Alexander replied, chuckling. “If I had
missed this, I would have been so disappointed.”

“My dear Miriam,” Morgan spoke, trying to calm the human
down. “If you will permit me to continue, I was just having a conversation with
my dear friend Silas about the odds on this upcoming battle.”

She gave one more kick to Wilson’s head,
then
moved over to stand next to Amp, who reached out and
squeezed her hand.

 
“He’s a friend of
yours?” Miriam whispered to Amp, talking about Silas.

“I know, I don’t get around much,” Amp answered, making
the human smile.

“That’s
okay,
I was with the
pile of shit on the ground. We need to get
lifes
.”

“We found them,” Amp whispered. “Now we
gotta
hold onto them.”

Morgan continued, starting to sound like the master of
ceremony.

“So Silas, my odds are even so far. I have no idea how
trained or prepared your five warriors are next to you, but I sense a bit of jitters
taking hold. Will they stand with you?”

“That’s an absurd question,” Silas answered, offended,
looking first right,
then
left, his look stopping the
movement among the boys. “These are Beryl’s finest, his best and bravest. I
handpicked them to destroy this band of misfits. They are my brothers. Of
course they will stand and fight with me.”

“Good, that’s good, Silas. I was just wondering. You
asked Amp to introduce her friends, but she left that to me. Let’s start with
the human soldier. His name is Anrio Peron. It was he who rescued Miriam from
your sick plan. A human, who stood up to three vampire warriors, and walked
away without
so
much as a scratch. Speaks volumes about
your side, don’t you think, Silas?”

The man was silent, his eyes glaring at the human
standing alongside the vampires across from him. Rio met his glare without
blinking.

“Oh, I forgot to mention, Silas. This is also the man
that has been surveying the compound for a week, without you ever getting a whiff
of him. I won’t give away his secret, but he bested you, warrior.
Over and over, day in and day out.”

Where is he getting his information, Rio wondered? He’s
pretty damn well informed. I’m glad he’s on our side.

“One more thing, Silas.
Mr.
Peron is one of the finest snipers that the U.S. Army Rangers ever had. His
record of kills is nothing short of extraordinary. Right at this very moment,
he’s holding an M-4 assault rifle, with every
intention,
I’m sure, of putting several holes in your head at your first move. And I don’t
think there’s a damn thing you can do to stop him.
Just giving
you a heads up, old boy.”

There were several moments of silence as Morgan’s words
sank into the minds of the six members of Wilson’s war party.

“I’ve never been afraid of a human in all of my
existence,” Silas said defiantly. “And when I move, there is no human alive who
will be able to see me, let alone defeat me.”

“Whatever,” Morgan continued. “Almost finished, just hang
with me a few more minutes. Do you remember one night several years ago, you
and I went out carousing in L.A., had a great night together, and ended up at
some little club somewhere, just talking and enjoying the other’s company?”

Silas didn’t answer, but his expression told Morgan that,
yes, of course he remembered the night.

“We were telling old war stories, laughing, and bragging,
and embarrassing ourselves. One story you told was the best, the one about the
only time you ever ran from a fight. Do you remember that one, Silas?”

“Yes, of course, Morgan. Get to the point; you’re
starting to sound like a doddering old fool.”

The insult brought a laugh from Morgan as he looked down
into the face of his former security chief.

“Of course, my friend, I apologize. Anyway, you told me
back in the 1700’s, you came up against one of the most legendary vampire
warriors in our illustrious history, and we’ve had a long list of legends, haven’t
we? If we go way back, there was the Scourge of God, the great warrior Attila.
And then Hannibal.
My personal favorite was
Leoidas
of Sparta, the bravest vampire that ever lived. Oh,
let us not forget the wonderful Joan of Arc, the Frenchwoman who they burned. Then
there was the one you came up against, Silas, the one known by both humans and
vampire as The Fist of God, the pirate Nicola of Arnhem. You told me, if I
remember correctly, that you were in the West Indies, in port, with a crew of
two dozen or so…does that sound about right?”

Silas nodded, not sure why this story was being retold.

“Your men started a fight in a bar with a small group of sailors,
intent on raping and robbing the band of strangers. I think you told me there
were four men, and a woman. That’s twenty four, twenty five against five, odds most
assuredly in your favor, Silas…or one would think. The way you told it…and
believe me, you told the story much better than I do, the fight moved outside,
your men drew their weapons, and the woman destroyed your entire company, went
through your men as if they were standing still. You said you’ve never seen a greater
or more skilled fighter…and you ran…the only option you had in order to hang on
to your head. So really, you didn’t go against her, did you, Silas? Because you
would have been nothing more than a child’s game to her, she was that good. Am
I right, Silas, is that how it went down? You abandoned your men, ran away like
a crying child?”