Fall of the Mortals (Book 1) (27 page)

The three brothers nodded at him.

“I am the eldest,” said Kristof.

Shaun noticed a large, beautiful portrait of Miranda and Damien on one wall and Miranda on another. A horrible cold feeling came over him knowing he was the one who killed both of them. It was obvious they were two vampires of high importance to Kristof. His anxiety rose and he felt worried. Again, he felt weak and like a mortal enemy to Kristof.

“Who are they?” asked Shaun, referring to the paintings, trying to appear interested.

“The young man in the painting was our youngest brother, Damien,” answered Kristof, gazing at the painting with a sad expression. The three brothers accompanied him in his gloom as they stared at the painting with him. 

“He was killed by a mortal in the tower skyscraper,” said Seth in a cold, sneering voice.

“His body was then cast from a high window on top of a vehicle,” said Lucian, squinting, in a hard tone clenching his fists on the table as if he’d been festering on his death for a while.

“Hardly a death worthy of royalty,” said Adrian. “Or for an elite vampire.”

Shaun hid his guilt well. He knew he would be ripped to shreds if they knew the truth. Alessandra sat near him watching him with lustful eyes. She was attracted to Shaun and wanted him badly.

“And the woman?” asked Shaun.

“Her name was Miranda. She was my eternal soul mate,” answered Kristof with a tear rolling down one of his cheeks. He wiped it away and maintained his cold aura. “She was also killed by the tower mortals,” he added, hardening his face.

“So, no one has got to them?” asked Shaun, trying to act clueless and distant.

“Before Miranda’s death, I achieved a partial victory,” said Kristof sounding somewhat proud of himself. “Despite there was a defiant one called—”

“—Terry,” stated Shaun.

“Yes, I managed to get in and kill two of them. One was called—”

“—Trent. The other was an older man named Jones,” said Shaun in a firm tone.

Kristof stopped talking. He and his brothers stared at him in silence. A tad of suspicion was in their faces but it passed. Shaun felt stupid like he said too much. He maintained eye contact with Kristof while Kristof scratched his chin gently.

“Was that his name?” asked Kristof.

“Who?” asked Shaun.

“The older man,” Kristof responded.

“I believe so,” Shaun answered, feeling like a babbling idiot.

“How do you know so much about the tower mortals?” asked Lucian with suspicion in his voice.

“I participated in the groups that taunted them for several months,” Shaun answered, feeling comfortable with his reply.

“Now you must know my interest in your knowledge to access the last of these troublesome humans that you mentioned previously,” said Kristof sounding like a gentleman.

Kristof’s speaking of Miranda reminded Shaun of the night he stabbed her in the heart and watched her explode, the same night he staged Mark’s suicide.

“So, what can you tell us about them?” asked Adrian.

“Terry is their leader,” said Shaun sounding sure of himself.

The three brothers looked at Kristof waiting for a reply. Kristof’s face hardened, gnashing his teeth in anger.

“Is he now? Well then, I will presume he is the one who is responsible for the deaths of both Miranda and Damien,” Kristof answered. “And if not, he will die the worst anyway.”

Shaun smiled inside knowing his plan was working.
I can use the vampires again to my advantage. They’ll take care of Terry and the bikers for me and, at that moment, I’ll double-cross them and save Harold and the others. It’s perfect
, he thought.

“What are the blinds over windows made of?” asked Seth.

“A chemical mixture made from an extract of white roses and garlic,” said Shaun.

Kristof and his brothers sighed but waited anxiously for Shaun to tell them the way in.

“As you know, those things have the worst acidic effect upon us,” said Kristof.

“Absolutely impenetrable,” Seth added.

“So, how do we get in?” asked Adrian.

“The way in is through the roof,” stated Shaun. “It’s weak in a particular spot.”

“Where does it lead to?” asked Kristof.

“Their food storage area,” answered Shaun feeling worried he was sounding too well informed.

Kristof and his brothers stared at Shaun for an extended moment.

“Incredible insight, brother,” said Lucian.

“Indeed,” Kristof replied.

“And you can get access through the roof any time you wish?” asked Seth.

“There is a catch,” Shaun answered. “I’d have to show you.”

“Show us,” said Kristof standing up.

***

In the tower living room, Billy and Shane stood at opposite sides of the room holding machine guns. They didn’t say anything but stood guard with stern looks in their faces.

Chris began to wake up on the sofa. He felt dizzy. His head was spinning and his vision was blurry. He rolled to his side and saw Harold and the other males sitting on the carpet. He sat up looking drowsy.

“Chris? Are you okay?” asked Harold in a caring tone.

“I think so,” Chris answered, rubbing his face. “What’s going on?” he added, scared when he noticed they were tied up.

Harold looked at Billy but was afraid to answer.

“What’s up, Billy?” asked Chris with a tone of worry in his voice.

Billy stared at Chris but didn’t respond. His countenance had changed from friendly to cold.

“What’s with the guns, Shane?” Chris asked Shane, becoming more scared.

Shane, like Billy, didn’t answer him but stared back at Chris with nothing to say.

“Will someone tell me what the hell’s going on here?” Chris hollered, leaping up from the sofa. “Where’s Betty, Harold? Why do you have a black eye? Someone talk to me!”

“Chill out, little brother,” said Terry, escorting Betty, Ni and Kim into the room with beverages on a platter with his machine gun pointing at them.

Curtis walked behind Terry carrying his gun too. Chris noticed the same coldness in Terry and Curtis.

“Terry man. What the hell’s goin’ on, bro?” asked Chris, hoping things weren’t as bad as he thought.

“There have been some changes,” Terry answered with a piercing, cold stare in his eyes.

Chris watched Betty give Harold and the other guys some drinks at gunpoint. When they were done, they sat and looked at Chris, worried and afraid, but didn’t dare say a word to him. Chris became more troubled by the second filling up with more anxiety.

“I don’t get it, man. What happened?” asked Chris nervously and a little apprehensive.

“You just had to go through my stuff didn’t ya?” asked Terry accusatorily. “You ruined everything.”

“What stuff, man?” asked Chris, daring to be innocent.

“My duffle bag downstairs, you little retard!” hollered Terry stepping over to him. “You stole my X pills and took a wallet.”

“No I didn’t!” Chris yelled, trying to take the high road.

“You lying little turd!” Terry hollered, backhanding Chris across the face.

Chris fell to the floor and stared at Terry not knowing what to say. He knew he was guilty. Terry and the bikers stood over Chris glaring at him.

“We’ve could have gotten along here fine, Chris, but no you had to go and ruin everything,” said Terry, not showing any compassion.

“Where’s Shaun?” asked Chris in a shaky voice, picking himself off the floor.

No one answered him. Harold and the tower family were too afraid to say anything. The bikers just stared at Chris.

“Where’s Shaun?” asked Chris, more upset and starting to weep.

“Haven’t you heard? He’s with them now,” answered Curtis, gripping his weapon.

“Who?” asked Chris.

“He’s a vampire now,” answered Terry. “And the next time we see him, he’s dead.”

A look of horror came over Chris. He was speechless with disbelief. He had no idea how to answer.

There was sinister laughing heard outside the windows. A large group of vampires had returned to disturb the mortals in the tower.

“Let us in!” one of them said in a creepy, whispery voice.

“Fresh blood!” another hollered in desperation.

Terry yelled, running to the windows, firing his machine gun at them. The bullets went through the bead strands, broken glass and around the window hitting several of the vampires. The bullets pierced them but the wounds healed themselves quickly. The vampires laughed at Terry shooting at them in vain. Harold and the others were startled at Terry’s lack of self-control.

“Stick your arm out the window,” a female vampire said to Terry in a sensual tone, trying to tempt him. “Let us have a taste of your sweet flesh,” she added, chuckling with a few other female vampires.

“You want a taste?” yelled Terry at the vampires, his eyes bugged, gnashing his teeth in anger.

The vampires laughed at him.  Terry stepped back from the windows and grabbed a backpack of holy water. He strapped it on and armed himself with the hose gun. He rushed to the windows and sprayed at the vampires not hitting any of them. The odor of gunpowder permeated throughout the room. The sounds of gunshots and more glass breaking from the windows were loud and repetitious.

“Here’s your taste, you fanged bastards!” he screamed, laughing at himself.

The vampires scattered eventually avoiding his streams of water. Terry was losing it. Harold looked at Betty, worried, not knowing what Terry was capable of doing next.

***

Shaun, Kristof and his brothers flew through the night sky over the city. Shaun was amazed looking down at the rooftops of buildings and city streets, which were far below. He couldn’t get over the fact he had the ability to actually fly. Despite his new skill, he couldn’t do anything to give Kristof or his brothers any idea what his intentions were.

They were approaching the tower skyscraper. Shaun grew nervous hoping nothing would go wrong by leading the group of vicious, killing vampires near his family. He looked into the windows of level seventy-two while he flew comfortably to the rooftop. He was relieved there were no vampires bothering them, the lights were out and that Harold and the others were most likely sleeping. 

Kristof and his brothers landed on the edge of the rooftops,  a safe distance from the surface, which was laden with the beads. Shaun floated down to the vulnerable area of the roof. He drew closer but was repelled from the potent fumes emitted from the beads. He was glad that beads still covered the part of the roof they needed to get in.

“Well?” asked Kristof, anxious to hear an answer.

“It can be done,” Shaun answered.

“Yes!” Lucian grinned with excitement.

“What are we waiting for?” asked Seth.

“Let’s take them,” said Adrian.

“We can’t just yet,” said Shaun, drifting back to Kristof.

Kristof glared at Shaun for a moment. The requirement for patience was very annoying and it was clear Kristof wasn’t pleased.

“You said we’d be able to get in,” said Kristof in a rigid voice.

“We will,” answered Shaun.

“When then?” asked Lucian, disappointedly.

“Next rainstorm,” answered Shaun. “Next heavy rainstorm,” he added.

“Heavy rainstorm,” Kristof mumbled dreading the thought of having to get wet.

“Why?” asked Seth.

“The wind and water blows away the beads from this corner of the rooftop,” Shaun responded. “It’s the only way. After that, they’re ours,”  he added, making a phony evil grin.

Adrian and Seth grinned looking at Kristof for an answer.

“Fine. Next
heavy
rainstorm it is,” stated Kristof. “C’mon, Shaun. I want to show you something.”

“Where?” asked Shaun.

“Back at my house,” Kristof answered.

“Let’s go,” Shaun responded flying away with them into the night.

***

Kristof led Shaun and his brothers down a narrow hallway. It was dimly lit. There were single portraits of men in nice suits and women in fancy dresses hanging on either side of the walls. Their style of clothing was from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 

“Who’re all these people?” asked Shaun.

“Our ancestors,” Lucian answered.

“The greatest vampires the world has ever known,” stated Adrian with pride.

“Were they from here in the US?” asked Shaun, still following Kristof and glancing at the portraits as he passed by them.

“Romania,” answered Seth.

“They lived in castles throughout the countryside,” said Kristof. “Until the mortals began killing them off one by one.”

“How did they do that?” asked Shaun.