The Damascus Chronicles (22 page)

A light was on in the middle of the room. Michael’s hands and feet were tied to a chair. He came to, groggy and seeing only blurred faces until his sight finally came into focus. He groaned, but grew silent as he recognized the man who came out of the shadows to meet him.

“Hello Michael, welcome to the party,” Phillips sneered. At last, the master of disguise had revealed his true colors.

“Rodney what’s happening?” asked a confused Michael.

“What does it look like, partner? You’re out, done, you’re dead,” said Phillips.

“But why? How could you!” yelled Michael.

“For half a million in cash, how could I refuse, just like I couldn’t refuse the offer when I was hired to kill your sister,” laughed Phillips. “You! I swore that I wouldn’t die until I found my sister’s killer,” replied an enraged Michael. “Then it was all a set up?”

“Not exactly; it’s true that I still work for the government. However, Franco is a great employer and pays me much better than the government ever could. Besides, I knew you were always a sucker for patriotism and that this was the perfect set up to get you.”

“You won’t get away with this!”

“Oh yes I will. In exactly one hour I will be out of the city and in the air. Boys, kill this grease ball. See you around partner!” said Phillips mockingly as his men raised their assault rifles to shoot.

Michael began to change, his transformation fueled by his fury, and his vampiric form emerged. His eyes turned glaring red, his fangs appeared, and he broke free from the bindings and levitated the henchmen across the room in a melee, ripping his victims to shreds. Blood splattered everywhere. Stealing a pistol from a henchman he just killed, Michael began to shoot. The henchmen fired back. Some of the bullets hit cases of gunpowder, resulting in huge explosions; the place was beginning to burn. Phillips ducked to hide from the gunshots and screamed in terror as he saw the unholy creature that his former partner had become. In an instant Phillips had activated an auto-pilot chopper, which picked him up and flew him high into the sky and away from the scene of carnage. Michael barely managed to escape as the building exploding behind him. He vanished just as the fire department came to extinguish the flames. Michael managed to teleport to the city and began the search for Franco Scarfo’s headquarters.

Phillips was in a state of madness. His mind was overwhelmed with fear as he reported to Franco what had happened.

“What do you take me for a fool, you idiot!” yelled Franco.

“I swear to God what I saw is true, Damascus was about to be clipped and then the guy turned into the devil himself. I tell you I never saw anything so horrible in my whole life,” said Phillips in fear.

“Shut up!” yelled Franco. He hit Phillips, who fell to the floor.

“This guy is too dangerous; we better get some insurance to make him back off, starting with his little niece,” said Franco, picking up a newspaper and reading about the death of Damascus’s family, which he had ordered in retaliation to the Santerini family. “Bring the bastard’s brat to us. Word on the street is that he brought a little girl to his club.”

“What do you want me to do?” asked Phillips. “Blow the place, nab the kid, and we’ll see just how tough this devil is,” said Franco, chuckling insanely.

Back at the Black Spider Club, the night had just ended. Sally was being put to bed when all of a sudden a blast came through her bedroom window and smoke bombs ignited the room with gas. Sally passed out and was kidnapped by Phillips and his thugs. The thugs left behind a time bomb that was set to annihilate the place.

Mickey Blue and Isabelle ran into the front of the club, coughing from the gas and calling for Sally, when all of a sudden Serena appeared out of nowhere and grabbed them, teleporting them to the rooftop across the street as they saw Michael’s club blow to bits.

“Sally!” screamed Isabelle. She believed that Sally was killed in the blast.

“Who are you?” Mickey Blue asked Serena.

“What are you?” asked Isabelle.

“I just saved your lives. You can thank me later. Right now Michael needs our help,” said Serena.

“But Sally!” said Isabelle.

“Don’t fear; I sense she’s alive; she has been taken prisoner by Franco Scarfo,” said Serena. “What!” Isabelle exclaimed.

“Michael is a vampire now, darling. So am I. He never told any of you, as he wanted to protect you,” said Serena.

“Are you going to kill us?” asked Mickey Blue. “Now why in hell would I do that? You’re his friends; I’m his girl,” said Serena.

Isabelle and Mickey Blue were reassured that they wouldn’t be harmed, but getting Sally back was more important. Serena gave Michael a call on her radio to tell him of the news. “Michael, It’s bad.”

“I know they’ve taken Sally.”

“Where are you? The club has been destroyed and the others are here with me.”

“I don’t know where they’ve taken her; we have to contact the Coven and Danny, maybe they can help us,” said Michael.

“I’ll contact Julius and the others,” said Serena.

In all this madness Isabelle and Mickey Blue were still confused and afraid, and so Serena brought them to Michael’s pad to tell them the whole story. After hearing all they needed, Mickey Blue and Isabelle were in awe. “How can this be?” asked Isabelle.

“It can be; we exist. I ask myself sometimes how, but we do exist. If there is a God, I also wonder why he let us be made,” said Serena.

“You do care for Michael?” asked Mickey Blue. “Of course I do, I love him.”

“I’m sorry.” Isabelle finally understood the reason why she could no longer be with Michael. “Sorry for what?” asked Serena.

“Look at me and you will know.”

“Oh, I understand,” said Serena reading Isabelle’s thoughts understanding Isabelles’s realization.

“The only thing that Isabelle and I care about now is saving Sally. We love that kid,” interjected Mickey Blue.

“My family can help us, along with some of Michael’s contacts,” Serena offered.

“You mean there are more of you?” asked Isabelle.

“We live among your kind. We are everywhere; some, like my family, serve a higher power, while there are others like myself who have no one.”

“Look, I don’t give a damn about any of this; we have to find Sally,” said Mickey Blue in anger. “Yes, we will find her, but for now I must take you to a safe haven. Franco Scarfo will probably find this hideout soon. Is there some place you can go to?” asked Serena.

“Yes, I know a place,” said Isabelle.

“Then go now, the both of you, and stay out of this. It is too dangerous. You two could get killed if you don’t listen to me,” said Serena. “But,” protested Mickey Blue.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you posted; take this radio.” Serena handed the radio to Mickey Blue.

Mickey and Isabelle left quickly, flagging down a cab to take them to Bobby Scarfo’s, while Serena contacted the Coven for help.

Serena knew where Michael was heading, so she raced across the rooftops to Danny Fredricks’ apartment to meet him. Meanwhile, across town, Jackie heard the news that the Black Spider Club had been destroyed and was certain that Michael and his friends had been killed. Jackie called the Don and the others to meet.

Just before the meeting, Jackie broke into Salvatore Santerini’s office and found a small safe, just like the informer on the phone had described. After Jackie scrambled the security code, he opened the safe to find a briefcase. “My God,” he said in shock as he opened the case and saw the stolen money. He hopped out the window and sped off in his car to bring the Don all the evidence that was needed.

All of the crew was gathered in the Don’s study, even Salvatore. Jackie told everyone the bad news. “Boys our best man has disappeared, the Black Spider has burnt down, and there has been no word from him or his girl within the last four days.”

“Maybe Franco got them,” said Salvatore.

“Oh you think? Maybe you have something to do with this!” said Anthony.

“What! You can’t think I would kill one of our own!” bellowed Salvatore.

“Yeah!” said Jackie as he tossed the briefcase he’d stolen from Salvatore’s office onto the Don’s desk.

The pile of money splashed out. “But I…!” screamed Salvatore.

“I’ve seen enough,” said Don Felice, disgusted by such dishonor. Salvatore tried to bolt for the door, but Anthony grabbed him and pinned him to the ground.

“What should we do with him?” asked Jackie. “Get rid of him; he has brought shame upon this family. Take him to Mead,” said Don Felice. Anthony clobbered Salvatore over the head, knocking him unconscious and then he and Jackie wrapped Salvatore up in the Spanish rug that was on the floor and carried him out of the building. They loaded him into the trunk of Anthony’s car.

Don Felice looked down from his office and shook his head in sadness, seeing how greed had torn his family apart.

On the drive out to Lake Mead, Anthony and Jackie picked up a set of chains and weights from Anthony’s home. When they got close to Lake Mead, they heard a thump from the trunk. “What the hell is that?” said Anthony.

“That mother fucker, he’s awake, I told you we should have whacked him first,” said Jackie. Anthony pulled over. Jackie popped open the trunk just as Salvatore kicked Anthony in the face, dropping him to the ground.

“Son of a bitch!” said Jackie, and he punched Salvatore in the gut. Enraged, Anthony grabbed Salvatore by the head and begun to push in his skull in with his large palms.

“Wait! There’s another!” screamed Salvatore. “What did you say? You fat bastard!” yelled Jackie, pointing his pistol at Salvatore’s face. “Riffman! The guy is Riffman!” yelled Salvatore.

“Thanks – now die!” said Anthony as he crushed in Salvatore’s skull. After tying the corpse up with the steel chains and weights, they dumped Salvatore’s body in the lake. “See you in hell, you double-crossing prick,” said Anthony as they hopped into the car, heading back into the city.

Back in town, Serena tried to contact the Coven for help telepathically but she was too weak from not feeding and two weak to teleport to the Coven headquarters so instead she met up with Micheal. The two headed out to meet Danny Fredricks for help. Twenty minutes later the two vampires arrived at Danny’s place. Danny was with Tommy Santerini. They had been laying low since the Black Spider had burned down. There was a loud knock on the door and Danny turned in his chair hastily. “Who is it!” “It’s Michael and Serena, let us in,” Michael called.

Danny opened the door nervously. “I thought you two were dead!” Danny was relieved to see that Michael and Serena were alive.

“Are you going to hold the door open or let us in?” asked Serena.

“Come in,” said Danny. Tommy stood up and ran to Michael, hugging him, relieved that he wasn’t dead.

“Tommy!” said Michael.

“Michael, thank God you’re not dead! We heard that the club blew up and we thought it was Scarfo’s doing,” said Tommy.

“No it wasn’t,” said Serena.

“Who then?” asked Tommy.

“My old partner Phillips.” Michael shook his head.

“You can’t be serious,” said Danny.

“He set us up, all of us; he’s been working for Franco all this time, and now he’s got my niece,” said Michael.

“You need my help?” asked Danny.

“Yes,” said Michael.

“Let me help too. That creep Franco had his boys Sonny and Al blow up my restaurant. I want some payback,” said Tommy.

“No kid, you’re not a solider; they’ll kill you,” said Michael.

“But!” protested Tommy.

“Stay on the streets with the local thugs and grab info; that’s how you can be of use to us. Any information you can get us on Scarfo will help.”

“You got it,” said Tommy as he headed out the door.

“What about me?” asked Danny.

“Can you get access to the police computer systems?” asked Serena.

“Yeah sure, no problem; remember, I still work on the side as a cop. I know all the access codes within the system from the inside out. What do you need?” Danny sat down at his computer and began scanning the police database.

“Access the police reports on every known hide-out they found on the Scarfos; there’s a chance that Phillips might go back to one if it’s been abandoned,” suggested Michael.

“Searching,” said Danny as he tapped into the system. “Got a few; one of them is the abandoned airfield, the last known bust was for ecstasy runners. I wouldn’t be surprised if your ex-partner had stashed some vehicles there to get out of town, like a small plane or something.”

“That’s also a perfect place to hold a kidnapped prisoner; it’s out in the boonies,” said Serena.

“What about the other locations?” asked Michael.

“The customs warehouse is in the Industrial district, and the last one is at the Baltimore Film Studio that closed down two years ago,” said Danny.