The Vampire Council: Case File:1 (17 page)

             
‘Hello again sir.’ His voice was slightly high pitched for a man.

‘So, where are we?’ Vaelen queried.

‘The body was removed just shortly after you had left and we are just starting the final steps of the cleaning process right now. So it won’t be long until we are out of here.’ The cleaner replied.

‘Where’s the body?’ Usually Vaelen wouldn’t concern himself with a body that had been removed but this was no normal body, he was thinking about Katie.

‘The body has been taken to the lab beneath The Ruby sir. It will be contained there until we return and then we shall dispose of it in an acid bath, leaving behind no evidence. The team back at the lab are already underway with completely disposing of any record of both Beth Hollister and Katie as your request.’ He explained to Vaelen.

‘Good. They were pretty to themselves so that shouldn’t be much of a task. But as for the body keep hold of it until I give you the orders of what to do with it.’ Vaelen states sternly looking into the man’s eyes.

‘May I ask why sir?’

‘This isn’t just another death of our own. This is a mortal. Not only a mortal but a recruit’s mother. She should decide what to do with the body.’

‘But sir, mortal or not for evidence sake the body must be disposed of the correct way, our way.’ As this sentence comes from the man’s mouth Vaelen suddenly comes over with a hint of anger. A frown appears on his face.

‘You will do as I say and I will hear no more about it. Her body shall remain right where it is. If I do not see it on my return I will have your head. If you think I’m joking around with you, just get rid of the body and find out.’ Vaelen
hissed at the man. The man stood back at the realisation that Vaelen was being deadly serious.

‘Ok sir.’ His voice shivered with slight fear at Vaelen’s imposing presence.

‘What about the other task I issued you and your team to do?’

The man pauses has he remembers what Vaelen had asked them to do. ‘Oh yes the girl. We removed a chair from the dining room and placed it in the kitchen so she could sit close by. We’ve been on a constant rotation keeping an eye on her as you requested.’

‘That girl has a name.’ Vaelen begins to grow annoyance towards the man. ‘Get back to work. And hurry with it.’

The man’s eyes widen, ‘yes sir!’ He rushes back into the dining room with a scurry.

              Vaelen makes his way into the kitchen and relieves the man watching Katie of his duty and demands he return to his crew to give Katie and himself privacy. Vaelen shuts the kitchen door behind him. Katie is sat on a wooden chair placed in front of the oven. Her head is slumped. Her hair covers her face from Vaelen as she stares toward the tiled floor. Vaelen spots the tiles around her feet have small puddles on them, he deduces this is most likely due to her tears. Vaelen knows to handle this situation with care. ‘Katie, I’m back.’ His voice is soft as to not alarm her.

Silence falls between them. Katie doesn’t move her head. ‘I heard.’ Her voice is solemn, empty, as though her soul has left her.

‘Then you must’ve heard what I said.’

‘Yes.’

‘So what shall we do? I know you never thought you’d have to think about this until years to come, but I’m afraid we have to do this fast and now.’ As harsh as this sounded it was the truth, so Vaelen didn’t hold back as he didn’t want to play around with her emotions at this crucial time.

‘Vaelen.’ Her voice is quiet. She turns her head and brushes her hair around the back of her right ear so she can look into Vaelen’s eyes. ‘There is no choice is there? So why say I’m making the decision?’ Her eyesight becomes blurry as tears begin to fill her eyes once more.

‘Usually no. But given who’s body it is, and under the circumstance in which this death occurred, I’m over ruling and giving you that choice.’ Vaelen believes this is the best he can offer.

Katie slowly raises to her feet, her shoulders remained slumped as she has barely any strength to hole herself up. The tears that began to appear stay static under her eyes as she is all cried out. ‘I heard the man.’ Her body shakes. ‘I don’t exist. And neither does she.’

Vaelen can’t look into her eyes and witness her pain. Seeing someone so innocent in this state is one of the most painful things he has witnessed. This shocks him as he has seen some horrific things in his time. ‘As protocol dictates, any records of the deceased and yourself must be stricken from every source possible. It’s a way we keep our council a secret.’ Vaelen hates himself for having to talk to Katie in such a professional manner and not consoling her like a normal person would do to someone this grief stricken.

‘What about my extended family? You can’t erase their memories of our existence.’ Katie wipes her eyes with the back of her hands.

‘Any extended family will be fed a false story which will be complied at a later date which will insure their knowledge that the both of you are no longer technically around.’

‘Well technically one of us isn’t!’ Katie snaps with anger.

‘Katie. Please, try and stay calm.’ The pain in Vaelen’s heart grows, but her outburst causes him to look at her once more.

‘Stay calm. Stay calm! I’m not sure you’re aware of this Vaelen but I witnessed a man kill my mother. After shooting Will, and tried to kill me the first day I was dragged into this shit. So don’t you fucking dare tell me to calm down!’ She shouts as she slams her fist down on the kitchen counter.

‘Yes Katie I’m aware of everything that has been happening. And we’re just as baffled as you as to why this has happened.’ Vaelen exhales to keep himself from shouting back at Katie. ‘Nothing like this has happened since the council was tasked with the protection of those not just involved in the council but their families as well. Jacqueline has been busting her hump non-stop trying to figure out how Leofric came across new recruits the very day they became members. The fact of the matter is, as much as I’m about to hate myself for saying this so bluntly. But what happened has happened. There’s no more we can do but follow protocol for the time being and begin to try and get to the bottom of this. So again I shall ask. What would YOU like to do with your mother’s body?’ Vaelen was kicking himself inside for being so up front.

Katie looks down toward the floor. ‘Do as the man said.’ Katie’s fists clench. Vaelen spots this.

‘You don’t really want that.’ He states trying to get her to tell the truth.

‘As I said, there is no other choice. So just follow protocol.’ Katie cannot bring herself to cry.

‘As you wish Katie.’ Vaelen rubs his head as he knows there is no point in arguing.

‘The council is bollocks.’ Katie snaps.

‘As I’ve said, this event was unforeseen. Usually yes we are able to keep everyone protected.’ Frustration appears in his voice.

‘I want out Vaelen.’ Katie’s voice displayed sureness. ‘I don’t exist. I want to leave. And have no part in any of this anymore.’

‘You just said it yourself Katie. You don’t exist. You won’t be able to look after yourself in the real world now.’

‘The council couldn’t even look after me! So what’s the difference?’ She shouts.

‘If you leave, you’ll be considered a rogue and be hunted not only be vampire hunters but vampires of the council too. And with the basic knowledge and training you’ve received you will not last long out there.’ The truth can hurt Vaelen thought as he spoke.

‘Fuck! There must be a way?’ Desperation resides in her voice.

‘You know deep down and I know that staying under the council’s wing is the only option, for a life and protection.’

‘Shit.’ Katie exhales. Pause.

In the background the sound of men mumbling and the front door being opened and closed can be heard. ‘Sounds like they are all finished. I can understand if you do not wish to stay here. You’re more than welcome to ride with me back to The Ruby. I believe Will maybe awake by now so you can see how he is and stay with him.’ Vaelen believes using Will as a bargaining chip may persuade her to join him.

‘I don’t want to see him.’ Katie seemed pretty sure with this reaction to Vaelen’s plan.

‘I thought the two of you were, well, you know.’ Vaelen becomes confused.

‘We are… were… I don’t know.’ Katie shakes her head and runs her hand down her face as she tries to think. ‘If he. If he wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have been upstairs away from my mum. I could’ve stopped him straight away.’

‘Katie. You haven’t changed yet. Yes you are an amazing gun handler and your shot is impeccable. Not to mention your athleticism. But your judgement would’ve been way off. Will told me you froze.’

‘I…’ Katie surrenders as she knows this was the truth.

‘Don’t cast him aside so easily. As much as he may get on my nerves, he has thrown himself in front of a bullet twice now for you. Now what does that tell you?’ Vaelen shrugs as he puts his hands in his trousers pockets as he knows she will have no comeback to his statement.

Katie slumps back down into the chair. Silence. The silence lingered between the two of them for what seemed like minutes. Vaelen removes his hands from his pockets and opens the kitchen door behind him. ‘I guess you’re staying here then.’ Vaelen waits for a reply but Katie doesn’t speak or move. He takes her body language as a yes and leaves her as he turns and makes his way to the front door of the house. Slam.

              Katie remains sat on the chair for a few moments before wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands once more. Suddenly her ears prick up as she hears a noise coming through the window facing her garden. She gets herself up and heads into the hallway. She stops herself as she reaches the door way of the dining room. She stares in. She gets hit with a sense of deliriousness as what was no more than a few hours ago a blood soaked room containing the headless body of her mother, was now as pristine and clean she had ever seen it. Through the shock of what had occurred in this room she could not help but think deep down how on earth they got the room so spotless considering the mess that was made. She snaps back into reality as she remembers why she came to this room in the first place and that was to head through the French doors separating the dining room from the garden. She slowly steps into the room deliberately avoiding stepping on where she remembered her mother’s body once lay. She looks into the garden. As it was night visibility was poor, the dining room light and the kitchen light together lit a portion of the garden but not enough to see what had made the noise. Katie looks around her and picks up a relatively thick magazine that was on the dining room table. She rolls the magazine up into a make shift weapon thinking that it may be a fox or a similar animal. She wanted to protect herself with something just in case. She slides the French door open and steps out slowly. Slowly stepping one foot in front of the other she makes her way further into the garden. Suddenly the outline of two man sized figures appears in her eye line, their faces and bodies covered by the darkness of the night.

‘Evening Katie. Don’t be alarmed, we’re not here to harm you.’ One of the men speaks as they step out of the dark and into the light shining from the dining room.

CHAPTER 22:

NEW FACE OF EVIL

T
he following morning.

Jacqueline rushes down a busy street filled with people heading to work in both directions. Her heels cracking into the paving stones. She checks her watch momentarily and realises she has little time to be wasting enjoying the morning sunshine that douses the streets. The secret meeting of higher council members begins in twenty minutes and she herself is at least thirty minutes away walking distance. Despite her high heels and tight skirt she picks up her pace hoping to make it in time. She rustles folders from each hand to the other, then under one arm to another. These folders contain all the valuable information she has collected over the past weeks in relation to why Leofric had appeared and the state of the council. Whilst collating all this information she herself had come up with a few theories which she has intended to announce to the council once the meeting gets underway.

              The meeting is being held in a secret board room hidden underneath the city’s museum, which is completely secure from mortals due to it being run just like the Ruby. Jacqueline stops abruptly at a crossing. She pulls a small handheld mirror from her purse strapped across her left shoulder and quickly checks to see whether she had smudged her makeup due to the rush in which she applied it earlier that morning. Her makeup was fine. As the traffic light turned red and the green walking man appeared she quickly put her mirror back into her purse and proceeded to cross the road. Thoughts of how she will present her theories and findings begin to cross her mind as she gets closer to the museum.
Hitting them hard with the actual facts first would be the best plan, and then move on to my theories. Or should I start with my theories and try and back it up with facts? Think Jacqueline.
She pauses in thought and motion momentarily as people push past her in the morning rush, smacking into her shoulders, almost pushing her to the ground. She holds herself up. Quickly she remembers she’s only got a few minutes and proceeds to walk and think once more.
Who am I kidding? I can’t explain anything. Leofric appears out of nowhere, attacking and almost killing a new recruit, tracking down and killing a family member of one and there’s no evidence to suggest how this happened. The only evidence I have is that he did attack. Right, fuck what happened, think of the theories, which sounds more logical. Vampire hunters somehow have access to our computer files. Sounds like a reasonable theory, I think I shall lead with that. The other. Someone is committing an act of treason and giving hunters this information. Maybe I shouldn’t even suggest this, not after last time.
Jacqueline begins to recall the previous incident in which Dirk was trialled for treason.
No. He would be my only option but I don’t think he would be stupid enough to try it again.
She turns left around the final corner.